THE FUTURE OF FREE AGENCY AND THE PATRIOTS

A listing of when each current Patriots player will become a free agent in the future.

Please note that I got the idea for this page after looking at the Falcons Free Agency Outlook page on the defunct FalcFans.Com site. Nate Berube made an excellent suggestion in that I should include definitions of the terms used in the following table. I got the following from The Football Corner.

An Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA) is defined as a player with an expiring contract who has less than three accrued seasons. He can only sign with his old club, provided that he is offered a one-year contract at the minimum salary for the upcoming year. If the exclusive rights free agent gets no such offer, he is completely free to sign with any team.

A Restricted Free Agent (RFA) is any player that has completed three accrued seasons and their contract has expired. A RFA must be tendered with an offer on or before the Restricted Free Agent Signing Period begins. The RFA can be tendered one of four offers. They are:
(1) Right of First Refusal and Draft Selection at player's Original Draft Round but a second-round pick if the player was a first-round pick: This is a one year player contract at a salary of $927,000 (for 2008) or 110% of the players prior year's salary (whichever is greater). If another club signs said RFA, the team tendering the offer receives one draft pick equal to the round the RFA was selected in during the draft but in the case the player was a first round pick the pick will be a second round pick.
(2) Right of First Refusal and a second-round pick: This is a one year player contract at a salary of $1,417,000 (for 2008) or 110% of the players prior year's salary (whichever is greater). If another club signs said RFA, the team tendering the offer receives one second round draft pick.
(3) Right of First Refusal and One First Round Draft Selection: This is a one year player contract at a salary of $2,017,000 (for 2008) or 110% of the players prior year's salary (whichever is greater). If another club signs said RFA, the team tendering the offer receives one first round draft pick.
(4) Right of First Refusal and One First Round Draft Selection, and One Third Round Draft Selection: This is a one year player contract at a salary of $2,562,000 (for 2008) or 110% of the players prior year's salary (whichever is greater). If another club signs said RFA, the team tendering the offer receives one first round draft pick and one third round draft selection. If no tender offer is made by the start of the Restricted Free Agent Signing Period, then the player becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent.

An Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) is any player with four or more accrued seasons whose contract has expired. A UFA is free to sign with any team without limitations and restrictions until July 15th. On July 16th, his rights revert back to his old club if it makes a tender offer (110% of the previous season's salary) to him by June 1st. The club then has until the 10th week of the season to sign him. If he does not sign by the 10th week, he must sit out the season. If no tender is offered to the UFA by June 1st, he is free to sign with any club at any time. A club can designate one player a Franchise Player during any given year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). There are two types of Franchise Players. **** NOTE: For the next paragraphs regarding the franchise and transition tags salary is defined as the total of the Paragraph 5 Salary, roster and reporting bonuses, and the prorata portion of signing bonus salary, prorated signing bonus, and roster bonus but not LTBE incentives or offseason workout bonus money. They are:
(1) "Exclusive" Franchise Player is a player that is not free to sign with another club. He is offered the highest of the following - the average of top five salaries for his position as of April 20, 2007, 120% of the player's previous salary (whichever is greater), or the average of the top five salaries of last season for his position.
(2)"Non-Exclusive" Franchise Player is a player that is free to negotiate with other clubs. He is offered a minimum contract of the average of the top five salaries of last season for his position or 120% of his Prior Year Salary, whichever is greater. His old club can match a new club's offer, or receive two first-round draft choices if it decides not to match the offer.
Duration of Designation: Each Club that designates a Franchise Player to a player contract shall be deemed to have utilized its Franchise Player desination for the duration of the contract unless the club signs said Franchise Player to a long-term contract before the July 16th free agency deadline. If a franchise player does not sign a long-term deal with his team before EOB, July 16th, he can not sign a long-term deal with his team until after the regular season has ended.
The 2008 franchise figures: cornerbacks $9.465 million,defensive ends $8.879 million, defensive tackles $6.363 million, linebacker $8.065 million, offensive line $7.455 million, kickers $2.541 million, quarterbacks $10.73 million, running backs $6.538 million, safeties $4.396 million, tight end $4.522 million and wide receivers $7.848 million.

The 2009 franchise figures: cornerbacks $9.957 million,defensive ends $8.991 million, defensive tackles $6.058 million, linebacker $8.304 million, offensive line $8.451 million, kickers $2.483 million, quarterbacks $14.651 million, running backs $6.621 million, safeties $6.342 million, tight end $4.462 million and wide receivers $9.884 million.

A club can designate one player a Transition Player during any given year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). A club must offer a minimum of the average of the Top 10 salaries or 120% of the player's previous salary (whichever is greater). A Transition Player designation gives the club first-refusal right to match within seven days an offer sheet made by another club. If the club matches, it retains the player. If it does not match, it receives no compensation. Duration of Designation: Beginning in the 2006 League Year, teams will have a window beginning the day after the last day of the Franchise Player designation period and ending at 4:00 p.m. New York time July 15th during which, if the team signs its Franchise Player to a multi-year contract, the team may nonetheless retain its Franchise Player designation rights the following year.
The 2008 transition numbers: cornerbacks $7.659 million, defensive end $7.679 million, defensive tackle $5.654 million, linebacker $7.335 milllion, offensive line $6.895 million, kicker $2.245 milllion, quarterback $9.5 milllion, running back $5.699 million, safety $3.893 million, tight end $3.733 million and wide receiver $6.872 million.

The 2008 transition numbers: cornerbacks $8.374 million, defensive end $7.777 million, defensive tackle $5.45 million, linebacker $7.48 milllion, offensive line $7.744 million, kicker $2.264 milllion, quarterback $12.44 milllion, running back $5.925 million, safety $5.13 million, tight end $4.065 million and wide receiver $8.393 million.

Accrued Season -A season where a player was on, should have been on, full pay status for a total of six or more regular season games, but, regardless of the player's pay status, shall not include Exempt Commisisioner Permission, Reserve PUP List (non-football injury), or a Club's Practice or Developmental Squad. Plainly stated, any season that a player is on a club's active/inactive roster, or reserve-injured or physically unable to perform list (football related).

For 2010, the RFA tender levels will be --

• $1.101 million = original draft pick compensation (but a second-rounder if the player was a 1st-round pick)
• $1.684 million = second-round pick
• $2.396 million = first-round pick
• $3.043 million = first- and third-round picks

For 2011, the RFA tender levels will be --

• $1.2 million = original draft pick compensation (but a second-rounder if the player was a 1st-round pick)
• $1.835 million = second-round pick
• $2.611 million = first-round pick
• $3.317 million = first- and third-round picks

For 2012, the RFA tender levels will be --

• $1.308 million = original draft pick compensation (but a second-rounder if the player was a 1st-round pick)
• $2 million = second-round pick
• $2.846 million = first-round pick
• $3.616 million = first- and third-round picks

A listing of when each current Patriots player will become a free agent in the future.

Year	Exclusive Rights	Restricted	Unrestricted
Players in BOLD are starters
March 1, 2010 (uncapped)	Gary Guyton, LB Bret Lockett, S	Stephen Gostkowski, K Logan Mankins, G Chris Taylor, RB Pierre Woods, LB	Tully Banta-Cain, LB Leigh Bodden, CB (has in his contract that he can not be franchised) Derrick Burgess, LB Kevin Faulk, RB Jarvis Green, DE Chris Hanson, P Stephen Neal, G Junior Seau, LB Ben Watson, TE Vince Wilfork, DT
March 1, 2010 (Capped)	Gary Guyton, LB Bret Lockett, S	Chris Taylor, RB	Tully Banta-Cain, LB Leigh Bodden, CB (has in his contract that he cannot be franchised) Derrick Burgess, LB Kevin Faulk, RB Stephen Gostkowski, K Jarvis Green, DE Chris Hanson, P Logan Mankins, G Stephen Neal, G Junior Seau, LB Ben Watson, TE Vince Wilfork, DT Pierre Woods, LB
March 1, 2011	Kyle Arrington, CB Brian Hoyer, QB Bret Lockett, S Ryan Wendell, C Thomas Williams, LB	BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB Gary Guyton, LB Isaiah Stanback, WR	Eric Alexander, LB Tom Brady, QB Matt Light, OT Laurence Maroney, RB Brandon McGowan, S Sammy Morris, RB Randy Moss, WR Fred Taylor, RB
March 1, 2012	none	Brian Hoyer, QB Bret Lockett, S Ryan Wendell, C Thomas Williams, LB	Sam Aiken, WR Dan Connolly, C Shawn Crable, LB Dan Koppen, C Gary Guyton, LB Mark Levoir, OT Brandon Meriweather, S Rob Ninkovich, LB James Sanders, S Matt Slater, WR Shawn Springs, CB Adalius Thomas, LB Wes Welker, WR Terrence Wheatley, CB Jonathan Wilhite, CB
March 1, 2013	none	none	Ron Brace, DT George Bussey, G Darius Butler, CB Patrick Chung, S Julian Edelman, WR Jake Ingram,LS Nick Kaczur, T Jerod Mayo, LB Tyrone McKenzie, LB Rich Ohrnberger, G Myron Pryor, DT Darryl Richard, DT Brandon Tate, WR Sebastian Vollmer, OT Ryan Wendell, C Thomas Williams, LB Mike Wright, DT
March 1, 2014	none	none	Chris Baker, TE Ty Warren, DE

The following lists the draft picks that the Patriots will have in the 2010 draft.

As of today, here is what the Patriots will enter the 2010 draft with.

• 1 - Patriots
• 2 - Titans - Acquired in an April 26, 2009 draft-day trade
• 2 - Jaguars - Acquired in an April 26, 2009 draft-day trade
• 2 - Patriots
• 3 - Patriots - Traded to the Raiders as part of the Derrick Burgess trade
• 4 - Patriots - Traded to the Raiders as part of the Derrick Burgess trade. Gained back with the Le Kevin Smith trade.
• 5 - Patriots - Traded to the Buccaneers as part of the Alex Smith trade.
• 6 - Patriots
• 7 - Eagles - Acquired as part of the Greg Lewis trade. Traded to the Broncos as part of the Le Kevin Smith trade. Traded back to the Patriots as part of the Russ Hochstein trade
• 7 - Patriots

The following lists the players who will be included in the 2010 compensatory pick calculation for the Patriots

Will the contracts/production/offseason honors of Jabar Gaffney, Lonie Paxton, LaMont Jordan, Heath Evans and Larry Izzo outweigh the contracts/production/offseason honors of Brandon McGowan, Paris Lenon, Damane Duckett and Al Johnson? I think so. Therefore, it is very likely that the Patriots will receive a couple of compensatory picks in the 2010 draft.

The Falcons.Com has the best free agency calendar available on the web

If you have any corrections, suggestion, questions, and/or comments, please feel free to ask me a question on the PatsFans.Com message board

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