Uncapped Year 101 - Final 4 Playoff Teams restrained from signing UFAs for 2007

[JoeSixPat]

Interesting article from Mike Florio - most of it I was up on in terms of the financial ramifications of the uncapped year.

However I was not familiar with other poison pills like the fact that the final 4 playoff teams can only sign their OWN UFAs and can only sign an UFA from another team if they lose one of their own UFAs.

Since I fully expect the Pats to be one of the final 4 playoff teams, its interesting to think that they would generally NOT be a player in Free Agency next year, regardless of the fact that there is no cap in 2007.

So for the best teams out there, the fact that there is no spending limit in 2007 only comes into play for the players they already have - it actually PREVENTS them from signing other UFAs from other teams!

UNCAPPED YEAR 101

Assuming that the powers-that-be can't get a new CBA hammered out by Friday, and assuming that NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw intends to force an uncapped year, it's critical for everyone -- including most importantly the players -- to understand what a year without a salary cap really means.

Here are the key points.

1. There will be no limit on what teams can spend on players, but there also will be no minimum, either. Currently, teams are required annually to spend at least 54 percent of the projected Defined Gross Revenues on player costs. In an uncapped year, teams can spend as little as they choose.

2. Only players with six or more accrued seasons will be eligible for unrestricted free agency. Players with three, four, or five accrued seasons will be restricted free agents. In other words, Bucs quarterback Chris Simms (who signed a one-year restricted free agent tender on Wednesday), will be a restricted free agent again in 2007. Under normal circumstances, he would be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2007.

3. All teams will have an extra transition tag in 2007. Currently, teams can use either a franchise tag or a transition tag. So next year the teams will be able to restrict two otherwise unrestricted free agents.

4. The final four playoff teams from 2006 will be permitted to sign only their own unrestricted free agents. For each of their unrestricted free agents signed by someone else, they can replace them with an unrestricted free agent signed from another team.

5. The next four playoff teams will be subject to the same rules as the final four. They also will be able to sign one unrestricted free agent at a first-year salary of $1.5 million or more, and one at a first-year salary of less than $1 million (not including signing bonus), with increases of no more than 30 percent of the player's first-year salary.

The message here is that there are some significant limits to the cash bonanza that the players are expecting in 2007. It's another reason, in our opinion, for both sides to get the deal done.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Interesting - I guess I'm the only one concerned about this.

Or maybe I'm just the only one optimistic enough to think the Pats are going to be in the SB next year.

The bottom line though is that we'd better be damn happy with the team we have in 2006 - because with the exception of draft choices, that's the team we'd likely have for 2007 too.

And we won't be able to have any fun talking about who the Pats should pick up in Free Agency either!

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Your right, that is why getting a CBA before next yr is critical... very critical... Its getting very depressing the more I think about it..

 

[Major **********]

If those 4 teams can't sign any free agents then how in the hell will they be able to fill out a 95 man roster for training camp? Undrafted rookies? That would be about 30-40 rookies per team. That won't work.

 

[JoeSixPat]

If those 4 teams can't sign any free agents then how in the hell will they be able to fill out a 95 man roster for training camp? Undrafted rookies? That would be about 30-40 rookies per team. That won't work.

Draft picks and Undrafted Rookies - you got it. And it affects the next 4 playoff teams in a similar way. So that's 8 teams.

If it seems extreme its because it was meant to be.

It's a poison pill - one of many and it cuts both ways as it hurts many players too - especially high priced players who are sure to have the extra tag be used on them.

So there are a lot of players that think they can cash in for the 2007 uncapped season - but they are kidding themselves.

 

[miamipat]

On the brightside couldn't the Pats offer Seymour and Branch as much as they wanted w/o going over the cap since their is none.