NFL

15 NFL Free Agency Rules You Didn’t Know About

15 NFL Free Agency Rules That You Didn't Know About

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Need to brush up on some of the insanity that is NFL free agency? Than look no further than these 15 rules you weren't aware of.

15. Teams Can Remove Franchise Tag From Player

during the 2015 NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 11, 2015 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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15. Teams Can Remove Franchise Tag From Player

during the 2015 NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 11, 2015 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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Contrary to popular belief, a NFL team can actually remove a franchise tag from a player they have already designated one to if their heart desires. However, it comes with what some feel is far too dire of a cost.

14. Once Franchise Tag Is Removed, Team Cannot Use Again That Season

New England Patriots v Buffalo Bills
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14. Once Franchise Tag Is Removed, Team Cannot Use Again That Season

New England Patriots v Buffalo Bills
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The main reason why you almost never see this tactic implemented in free agency is that it renders a team incapable of using said tag on any other player until the following season.

13. If A Team Is Under Salary Cap One Season, It Can Roll Space Over To The Following

<> at Qualcomm Stadium on December 7, 2014 in San Diego, California.
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13. If A Team Is Under Salary Cap One Season, It Can Roll Space Over To The Following

<> at Qualcomm Stadium on December 7, 2014 in San Diego, California.
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Similarly to "rollover minutes" which were once so popular during the infancy of cellular phones, if a NFL team spends significantly under the cap one season for whatever reason, it can carry over the saved space to use in the following season.

12. Arbitrators Protect Franchises From Shady Technicalities

at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 21, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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12. Arbitrators Protect Franchises From Shady Technicalities

at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on December 21, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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What's stopping a team that offers a tagged player of a rival from poison-pilling the deal in efforts to make it impossible for the original team to match? Thankfully, there are people who are paid to prevent that, and they're called arbitrators.

11. Exclusive-Rights Free Agent

during a game at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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11. Exclusive-Rights Free Agent

during a game at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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Players who are not under contract despite only having played two seasons in the NFL fall into the exclusive rights free agent category. If his prior organization offers him the three-year veterans' minimum tender, he has two choices: Retire or accept. This sounds absolutely outrageous initially but actually makes a ton of sense.

10. Transitional Rights

during the 2015 NFC Championship game at CenturyLink Field on January 18, 2015 in Seattle, Washington.
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10. Transitional Rights

during the 2015 NFC Championship game at CenturyLink Field on January 18, 2015 in Seattle, Washington.
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If a rival franchise offers a deal to a player who's been slapped with the transitional rights tag, the original organization has seven days to make a decision on whether or not to match. If they do indeed match, said player automatically returns to team. If they choose to decline, they lose the player and receive zero in return.

9. Franchise Free Agents

during a game at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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9. Franchise Free Agents

during a game at MetLife Stadium on December 28, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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There are a few variations of the franchise tag, but for the most part a player is guaranteed to make no less than the average of the top five salaried players in the NFL at his respective position. This ensures that players do not fall into a scenario in which they are penalized financially with a substandard contract simply for playing for a cheap employer.

8. Unrestricted Free Agents

during the 2014 AFC Divisional Playoffs game at Gillette Stadium on January 10, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
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8. Unrestricted Free Agents

during the 2014 AFC Divisional Playoffs game at Gillette Stadium on January 10, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
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Unrestricted free agent is a term that is essentially self explanatory. These players carry around no draft pick attachment of any sort, and a team would owe a player's former employer nothing unless the transaction took place later than the first designated day of training camp and said player had already been offered a tender.

7. Restricted Free Agents

rulescrabtreecropped
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7. Restricted Free Agents

rulescrabtreecropped
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Restricted free agents are players who have been offered a qualifying offer from their former employers and have accumulated three seasons of service time in the league. If a restricted free agent opts to agree on a deal with a new franchise, the former has five days to mull over their intended course of action in a scenario called first right of refusal.

6. Undrafted Free Agents

during a 2015 AFC Divisional Playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 11, 2015 in Denver, Colorado.
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6. Undrafted Free Agents

during a 2015 AFC Divisional Playoff game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 11, 2015 in Denver, Colorado.
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The main rule when it comes to undrafted free agency is that there are no rules in undrafted free agency. However, some NFL purists clamor to no end that some sort of time clause must be implemented in order to protect competitive balance. In my humble opinion, this idea is micromanagement at its worst.

5. Negotiating Window

during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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5. Negotiating Window

during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Let's be honest; negotiating windows are great in theory, but in reality, agents and franchises essentially do whatever they want. However, technically a three-day period prior to the official start of free agency exists in which teams can explore deals with players who are tagged with restrictions.

4. Compensation For Losing Tagged Player

during the game at Soldier Field on December 21, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.
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4. Compensation For Losing Tagged Player

during the game at Soldier Field on December 21, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.
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If a team places its franchise tag on a player and he chooses to sign with another organization, the new employer will have to forfeit two first-round draft picks as compensation. That is plain and simply why you almost never see the scenario come to fruition no matter how intense and credible the rumors are at times.

3. Guaranteed Money

Chicago Bears v Detroit Lions
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3. Guaranteed Money

Chicago Bears v Detroit Lions
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Oftentimes NFL contracts are nowhere near what they appear to be, as there are a million scenarios that need to unfold in order for a player to see anywhere near the total amount that is announced. That is why guaranteed money is the only relevant figure to analyze when hearing about a new deal over the next few weeks.

2. Tampering

of the 2015 AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
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2. Tampering

of the 2015 AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
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Although it happens on a regular basis, teams can technically face severe punishment for contacting players still under contract prior to the "negotiating window". Fines and loss of draft picks are just a few of the possible punishments for any organization caught tampering.

1. Salary Floors

during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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1. Salary Floors

during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 21, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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You won't hear about it very often as overspending is far more exciting to most people than being cheap is, but there actually is a salary floor in the NFL which was implemented in order to help maintain competitive balance and fair labor practices for all members of the NFLPA.

Timothy Downs is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. You can ‘like him’ on Facebook add him on Google or follow him on Twitter @Tidow1212.

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