To the surprise of many people, the 100th season of the NFL is not yet technically over. Yes, we do know that the Kansas City Chiefs managed to clinch their first Super Bowl title in 50 years, which unofficially ended the league’s centennial season. In reality, there are still a few days left before the start of the new championship year.
When that happens and the kickoff of the free agency begins, it’s about to be one of the biggest musical chair games the league has seen in a while, especially the quarterback. We have a number of large callers entering agency during the off season, and there should be a lot of movement. The Chargers have already announced they are leaving longtime quarterback Philip Rivers, Drew Brees’ return to New Orleans likely announces the end of Teddy Bridgewater’s tenure with the Saints, and the Titans currently have Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota who watch free unrestricted agency.
Oh yes, and there is this guy by the name of Tom Brady, who is expected to hit the market for the first time in two decades of his career.
Changes are coming.
To make sure you don’t miss any of these actions, we’ve detailed any questions you may have about the next free agency period, from the moment it begins, what the falsification period means and how many money your team should spend.
When does free agency start?
Free agency officially begins at the start of the new championship year, which is Wednesday March 18 at 4 p.m. AND.
That’s when the 2019 free agent contract expires, allowing him to officially sign a new agreement with the club that will have it. Unrestricted free agents and teams can verbally accept agreements before this date during the legal falsification period.
What happens during the legal sabotage period?
The NFL legal forgery period begins March 16 and runs until the start of the new league year. This is essentially where the bulk of the action occurs, as teams are at this stage allowed to speak with free agents and discuss the conditions. They can reach a verbal agreement on a contract, but this will only become official at the start of the new championship year.
Who are the best players in the market?
Earlier this offseason, CBS Sports, NFL senior writer Pete Prisco smashed the top 100 free agents. Some of these players (i.e.Dak Prescott, Shaq Barrett, etc.) should be labeled before they actually hit the market, but it’s still a solid class anyway, especially in the quarterback. Tom Brady is the headliner for this group as he should be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. Other freelance quarter players include Ryan Tannehill, Philip Rivers and Jameis Winston.
Here are some other names that Prisco has in its top 25:
5. A.J. Wide green receiver (Bengals)
7. Amari Cooper, wide receiver (Cowboys)
8. Chris Harris, cornerback (Broncos)
10. Jadeveon Clowney, linebacker (Seahawks)
12. Byron Jones, cornerback (Cowboys)
22. Joe Thuney, left guard (Patriots)
25. Derrick Henry, ball carrier (Titans)
Who has the most space for caps?
Dolphins are leading the way with a projection of nearly $ 94 million in cash available to meet the diverse needs of the list, according to Spotrac. The Colts, Bucs and Bills follow behind with approximately $ 85 million in free agent spending. After that, things start to fall off a bit, but there are still a lot of teams with enough batter to add top talent.
Here is a brief overview of the top 10 (as of March 5):
- Miami Dolphins: $ 93,657,524
- Indianapolis Colts: $ 86,137,492
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $ 84,989,175
- Buffalo Bills: $ 83,074,551
- Dallas Cowboys: $ 73,983,128
- New York Giants: $ 73,312,080
- Houston Texans: $ 62,992,061
- Washington Redskins: $ 61,903,010
- Cleveland Browns: $ 58,307,140
- New York Jets: $ 56,112,397
What stands out from this group is that four of the top 10 clubs have first-year head coaches, so it will be interesting to see how they shape their respective rosters to start their term.
To see the space available for each team, see Spotrac’s projections here.
Will the CBA discussions have an impact on the start of free agency?
No. There are no plans to change the start of agency, depending on Tom Pelissero of the NFL network. In fact, page 68 of the proposed CBA states that “the year of League 2020 will begin on March 18, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. New York time”.
Where can I find more information about the start of the free agency?
CBSSports.com will have all the latest breaking news you need to know about each free agent signature as it develops. You can also watch the instant reaction to these moves on CBS Sports HQ, our 24/7 sports news network.