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[Bartender]

This is all I know about it. It makes a lot of guys restricted, that's true. And it makes the final four guys unable to sign a restricted free agent (Indianapolis, NYJ, Minny, and NO can't sign any restricted FA's). Expect Washington, Oakland, and Dallas to go FA crazy this year.

[Piston Pete]

They can sign their own restricted guys though, right?

I also found that the top 8 teams (all the teams that made the playoffs) are allowed to sign free agents only at the rate they lose them.

Iceness, can you please confirm and/or add to the new no cap rules? Thank you!

[Bartender]

Yeah, that would be appreciated Icness. I'm interested too.

[TSE]

Drew Brees went there because of Sean Payton. Basically every key guy they have on their team came through the draft. Sharper actually said he loves the rebuilding community.

Brees was the most highly coveted FA of all-time for me here in Detroit, especially being so badly in need of a good QB, and we didn't even sniff him at the time. We could have outbid NO and gave him a reason to sign with us, but we didn't apparently try. It's so unbelievable and sad. If we would have managed our team correctly in the past, then we should be the ones winning the SB this year, or last year even. We could have risen to SB status earlier than it took the Saints to do. The only reason we don't have a SB team in Detroit is out of sheer incompetence and ignorance.

[Piston Pete]

I don't think adding Brees would make an 0-16 team Super Bowl contenders.....

[Bartender]

This is the uncapped year rules / regulations in a nut shell:

Normally a player is granted UFA status after they have accrued four years of service in the NFL. With an uncapped year, UFA status isn't granted unless a player has accrued 6 years of service. So all of the players who have been in the league 1,2,3,4, or 5 years become RFA's in an uncapped year.
The salary cap is gone so there is theoretically no spending limit. With the cap gone, it also eliminates the floor so you'll see a lot of teams shed contracts as well.
There is a rule called the "final 8 rule" where the final eight teams in the playoffs are limited to free agents. The final four teams aren't allowed to sign a free agent to a contract valued at more than 4.925 million in the first year (big names) unless they lose a free agent. In which case, they are able to sign a player of "equal value" to replace the one they lost. Teams 5-8 are allowed to sign one big name free agent without losing a player.
Teams will also have two franchise tags to work with rather than just one.

[Bartender]

Drew Brees went there because of Sean Payton. Basically every key guy they have on their team came through the draft. Sharper actually said he loves the rebuilding community.

Brees was the most highly coveted FA of all-time for me here in Detroit, especially being so badly in need of a good QB, and we didn't even sniff him at the time. We could have outbid NO and gave him a reason to sign with us, but we didn't apparently try. It's so unbelievable and sad. If we would have managed our team correctly in the past, then we should be the ones winning the SB this year, or last year even. We could have risen to SB status earlier than it took the Saints to do. The only reason we don't have a SB team in Detroit is out of sheer incompetence and ignorance.

I agree. Millen brought us back 10 years.

[TSE]

I don't think adding Brees would make an 0-16 team Super Bowl contenders.....

So? That's not what I said. I said we should have added Brees and managed our team correctly. You are stating an obscure fragment that has no relevant link to any commentary in this thread.

[TSE]

I agree. Millen brought us back 10 years.

I agree, and now Mayhew is doing the exact same thing in present day. Nothing has changed in that regard.

[ajaX82]

Well im glad that Millen being a terrible GM has been resolved. I was on the fence there for a while.

Adding one of the top 3 QBs in the game and not managing like you are trying to destroy the team would have probably brought us a little more success as well. no kidding.

[Bartender]

I agree. Millen brought us back 10 years.

I agree, and now Mayhew is doing the exact same thing in present day. Nothing has changed in that regard.

Mayhew brought us about 8 new starters in one offseason. That is 50 times better then What Millen ever did.

[Piston Pete]

LOL, what is 8 divided by 50?

Worst part about it, the math might be accurate.....

[Bartender]

LOL, what is 8 divided by 50?

Worst part about it, the math might be accurate.....

Since when are there 50 starters on a football team?

[Bartender]

Just counted... He brought in 12 new starters on offense and defense. That's insane for one offseason.

[TSE]

He only got us 2 wins and he didn't set up a playoff run for this year. He failed in the present and failed to set up the future, that's the ultimate failure a GM can ever do. The number of starters doesn't mean it's a good thing or a bad thing, doing what's necessary to win is all that matters, and Mayhew doesn't do what's necessary to win. He's holding us back and stunting our growth.

[Piston Pete]

He took an 0-16 team, and in ONE offseason, he did not make the playoffs.

Did you expect him to? Honestly?

[TSE]

You don't listen, I said I expect him to make a run for the playoffs or set up the next year, he did neither. If I was the GM 2 years ago, then last year we could have had a shot at the playoffs with a great shot this year. If I was the GM last year in place of Mayhew then THIS year would be a good shot with next year being a great shot. We now have a weak shot followed by who knows what. Mayhew has us screwed up real bad.

[Icness]

This is the uncapped year rules / regulations in a nut shell:

Normally a player is granted UFA status after they have accrued four years of service in the NFL. With an uncapped year, UFA status isn't granted unless a player has accrued 6 years of service. So all of the players who have been in the league 1,2,3,4, or 5 years become RFA's in an uncapped year.
The salary cap is gone so there is theoretically no spending limit. With the cap gone, it also eliminates the floor so you'll see a lot of teams shed contracts as well.
There is a rule called the "final 8 rule" where the final eight teams in the playoffs are limited to free agents. The final four teams aren't allowed to sign a free agent to a contract valued at more than 4.925 million in the first year (big names) unless they lose a free agent. In which case, they are able to sign a player of "equal value" to replace the one they lost. Teams 5-8 are allowed to sign one big name free agent without losing a player.
Teams will also have two franchise tags to work with rather than just one.

The big thing there is years of service. Most rookies sign deals that don't extend out that far, so a lot of these guys are screwed, one year short of UFA and now they're RFA. It's not just time of service in the NFL--a lot of middle round picks sign for only 2 or three years and then renegotiate or get extensions that carry them out to the old 4 or 5 year mark. Now those guys are restricted. The big names that fit that bill include Jahri Evans, Elvis Dumervil, OJ Atogwe, Vincent Jackson, and Owen Daniels.

Teams can now tender double the old amount of RFAs too. I think the number went from 6 to 12 but that might be high IDK. As an example New Orleans has something like 28 free agents but they will be able to tender return value on a lot more than they would have normally been able to do. That is in addition to the franchsie and transition tags from what I understand.

Re;Brees--the Dolphins had agreed to terms with him and basically had the deal done but he couldn't pass a physical with his shoulder. Dallas passed on him for the same reason. New Orleans gambled big-time and it paid off. I don't hold that one against Millen, no sense chasing what most people perceived to be damaged goods. And no way are teh Fords going to give that kind of $$ to a guy that might nto be able to play, so in that sense blaming Millen for passing is like blaming France if you don't like French fries.

[Piston Pete]

Would we still owe compensation if we sign one of the hundreds of RFA's? I'm assuming yes, like usual.....

Can teams renounce a players restriction? For instance, the playoff teams can't sign anyone else before they begin to lose players - can they renounce players free agency restrictions in hopes of other teams signing their guys sooner?

[ajaX82]

Ravens get Boldin for a third and a fourth. Good trade by them, it gives Flacco a legit receiver. I would rather have him than Burleson but what can ya do?