Boston Globe focuses on Uncapped Season

New York Jets RFA Braylon Edwards

“So 212 fourth- and fifth-year players will be restricted free agents, where they would have been unrestricted in the past,” Breer writes. “The salary floor will disappear with the cap, and players looking for money will do so in an uncertain economic climate while their union sniffs around for collusion.”

For the complete story, click here.

Redskins to offer RFA tender to QB Jason Campbell

Redskins QB Jason Campbell

Campbell is one of two starting quarterbacks along with Denver’s Kyle Orton who will be a restricted free agent in an uncapped 2010 season rather than an unrestricted free agent.  Campbell and Orton both have five accrued seasons which previously would have qualified them for unrestricted free agency.

“I understand it’s a process and I’m just going to let [agent] Joel [Segal] handle everything,” Campbell said in an interview with Rick Maese of the Washington Post.

Depending on the dollar value of the tender offer, the Redskins will receive draft choice compensation if Campbell signs with another club and the Redskins do not exercise their right to match.

For the complete story, click here.

Saints offer tenders to 13 RFAs

Saints RB Pierre Thomas

Saints contract tenders
Defensive tackle Remi Ayodele
Offensive tackle Jammal Brown
Offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod
Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove
Safety Roman Harper
Linebacker Marvin Mitchell
Wide receiver Lance Moore
Safety Chris Reis
Wide receiver Courtney Roby
Offensive tackle Zach Strief
Tight end David Thomas
Running back Pierre Thomas
Safety Usama Young

For complete lists of 2010 restricted free agents, click here.

Six Franchise Players Named for 2010

Vince Wilfork, Patriots

Six franchise player designations were announced today for the 2010 NFL free agency signing period that begins on March 5.  There are no transition player designations this year.

Following are the players designated franchise players for 2010:

2010 Franchise Players
Green Bay defensive tackle Ryan Pickett
New England defensive tackle Vince Wilfork
Oakland defensive end Richard Seymour**
Pittsburgh kicker Jeff Reed
San Francisco defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin
Seattle kicker Olindo Mare

**exclusive rights franchise player

Read more

A Decade of Franchise & Transition Tags

With this afternoon’s 4:00 PM ET deadline for teams to designate franchise and transition players for the 2010 season, following is a year-by-year look at the number of players “tagged” in each category over the past decade:

Season                        Franchise Tags            Transition Tags
2009                                          14                                           0
2008                                          12                                           1
2007                                           7                                            0
2006                                           3                                            3
2005                                         12                                            1
2004                                         10                                            1
2003                                           8                                            3
2002                                           9                                            0
2001                                           4                                            2
2000                                          9                                            1

Ask NFLlabor.com – Questions & Answers

We continue to receive questions via NFLlabor@nfl.com. Here are two recent questions and our answers:

Do you agree with DeMaurice Smith that the owners’ current proposal would reduce veteran salaries by 18% and the players’ share of revenues from 59% to 41%? 

Those numbers that Mr. Smith used at his Super Bowl press conference are inaccurate. No current player needs to take a pay-cut as a result of our proposal. Our goal is to generate a pool of resources in order to have continued investment and continued growth. This will lead to higher salaries and higher benefits for players.

Is it true that the league is not appealing the Special Master’s decision in the supplemental revenue sharing case? 

We are not appealing because the impact of the Special Master’s decision is really insignificant and does not affect our overall revenue sharing system.

For more FAQs, click here.

Year-by-Year Salary Cap

As we approach an uncapped 2010 season, we have been asked for a year-by-year listing of the salary cap since it was instituted in 1994. The year-by-year listing follows:

Year                  Maximum Team Salary
2009                              $123 million
2008                              $116 million
2007                              $109 million
2006                              $102 million
2005                              $85.5 million
2004                              $80.582 million
2003                              $75.007 million
2002                              $71.101 million
2001                              $67.405 million
2000                             $62.172 million
1999                              $57.288 million
1998                              $52.388 million
1997                              $41.454 million
1996                              $40.753 million
1995                              $37.1 million
1994                              $34.608 million

49ers place Franchise tag on NT Aubrayo Franklin

The San Francisco 49ers placed the Franchise tag on nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin, the team announced today.  A seven-year veteran, Franklin was one of 235 players on the 2010 unrestricted free agent list we posted last week.  The franchise tender for a defensive tackle is $7,003,000 or 120% of his 2009 salary, whichever is greater.

For the team’s official press release, click here.

For the list of unrestricted free agents, click here.

For the complete list of franchise and transition player tenders, click here.

Restricted free agents with 3 accrued seasons

Previously, we posted the list of restricted free agents with four and five accrued seasons in an uncapped 2010 season. Those are players who previously would have been unrestricted free agents.

We also posted the list of unrestricted free agents for the 2010 season.

In order to complete your files, some of you asked for the list of 2010 restricted free agents with THREE accrued seasons. These players would have been restricted free agents in 2010 regardless of the existence of a salary cap.

**UPDATED MARCH 4***

*subject to change

NFLlabor.com takes your questions

We have received numerous inquiries from player agents and media heading into the Scouting Combine this weekend.  With that in mind, we have established a way to answer those questions on the site. Send your questions to NFLlabor@nfl.com .