The NFL has now allowed for all 32 teams across the league to negotiate with outside free agents and agree to terms. Here are my takeaways so far.
Every year, free agency is something football fans look forward to. Players on expiring deals from all NFL teams become free agents and begin to negotiate with other clubs to find the money they desire. Sometimes those deals workout while others will fail significantly on these contracts. Occasionally, free agency can have a slow start, but with the legal tampering period already underway, players are getting snatched up fast.
NFL teams and players have already worked out huge deals during the first two days that will officially be signed when that legally is allowed to happen on March 17th. The big names began to come off the board of availability but some others are still floating out in the waters of unemployment. It will only be a matter of time until others sign their new contracts and either re-join their franchises or go to a new home.
Short-term deals could be common
Some players have signed shorter-term contracts in the one to two-year range. With the cap number being lower and some teams struggling to find any space to negotiate with free agents of any kind, shorter deals could become more common. The larger names will get huge contracts with terms but for those that are left over after the initial wave, they will likely resort to short contracts due to the drop in salary cap this year.
When the first handful of days of this process plays out, teams looking for bargains will come calling to make signings to fill voids in their roster. Players will end up betting on themselves to improve their stock and cashing in on the following offseason when the cap will likely rise and teams will be able to spend more money than they can this time around.