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With the deadline for signing restricted free agents to offer sheets less than a week away, only three such players have changed teams this year.
The Lions obtained defensive back Kalvin Pearson from the Bucs, the Bengals finagled tight end Ben Utecht from the Colts, and the Titans acquired kick returner Chris Carr from the Raiders.
In each case, the player had been undrafted and was tendered at the lowest level. As a result, there was no draft-pick compensation.
Meanwhile, 31 restricted free agents signed their one-year tender offers, putting them under contract for one more year, and eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2009.
We’re not sure why so few restricted free agents have changed teams this year. It’s possible that teams have opted to steer clear of restricted free agents, given that any offer sheet that doesn’t include a poison pill possibly is evidence of collusion among the teams. The poison pill remains a viable device for promoting player movement; a year ago, the union didn’t object when teams failed to use it in offer sheets.
It’s a different climate now, and it very well could be that there’s a wink-nod arrangement among the teams that offer sheets will be pursued only as to those players for whom there is no draft-pick compensation.
Of course, that would be collusion, too. If that’s what has been happening.
April 12th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Collusion and wink-nod agreement? Such things go on? Nah, there’s no collusion against Barry Lamar Bonds …
Also, why does there need to be wink-nod agreements? Things should be like this — out in the open and obvious (start at 2:00 and watch till it ends. It’s only 40 seconds of your time …):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYLGw99yBow
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April 12th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
seems to me less and less teams are willing to part with their draft picks regardless of the round, especially 3rd and 4th round picks. Those are the rounds with the highest value these days. Where pay actually equals tallent
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April 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I think it’s because of the pretty strong, deep draft class this year. Besides the DT swaps, DeAngelo Hall, and the attempted Sage coup by the Vikings, teams aren’t really willing to give up picks for trades either as much as I remember in years past.
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April 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
So, anything that doesn’t go all in the players’ favor is collusion?
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April 12th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Brian_21, you owe me 40 seconds
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April 12th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Perhaps teams don’t want to put poison pills in because they are afraid of retribution. That’s not collusion, is it? They are acting in their own self-interest, not necessarily for the other 31.
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April 12th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Brian owes me 40 seconds as well. What did that have to do with anything?
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April 12th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I think you are right. The teams don’t want to use the poison pill on each other and with the abundance of cap space, they also don’t want to negotiate a contract for the other team. Although, that would be the ultimate collusion, negotiating a contract that you know the players current team will match. It would lead the player/agent to believe that’s the best deal out there.
The other thing is, did New England set a precedent for the league last year when they acquired Wes Welker? Instead of just signing him to a contract with a poison pill and giving up only a second round pick, they did a sign and trade for the second and a seventh.
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April 12th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I wanted to find an excuse to post the video.
And c’mcon!
Britney Spears: “My mom was wrong; there are nice guys in New York.”
Neil Patrick Harris: “We just have to go by my hotel room first. My bed was broken. I just have to make sure they fixed it.”
Spears: “Well then if it’s fixed, can we have sex on it and then go shopping?”
Good times. Time to go waste more time. But it’s only 37 seconds this time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01PIgW4GDiE
And GO Chicago Bears.
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April 12th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Though I’m kind of sad to see Chris Carr go, I think he’ll have a breakout year with the Titans. If the Raiders had had better ST coaching, Carr might have been our Devin Hester. Thats ok, though. DeAngelo Hall makes me feel better about this move.
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April 12th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Typical lawyer. Mike you see collusion in your frosted flakes not wanting to be on the same side of the bowl as the Captain Crunch. I think its a stretch that isn’t true. Most teams don’t want to part with draft picks which are lower paid younger players in exchange for players with 3 - 5 years under their belt who are mid-level players in their own right. Looking at the list of these agents, I suspect that most of these teams think that they are smarter in drafting than what is available and will cost them their draft picks. It will be very interesting to me to see if the Clowns will rue trading away all of their first day draft for what they picked up. They better hope Shaun Rogers doesn’t eat his way out of the NFL or they are going to look very stupid in a couple of years when the players drafted this year should be really making their impact in the NFL. Look at whats happened to the Broncos with their banking their future on defensive lineman rejects from other teams.
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April 12th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
brian-21 should take a drive by a Dallas book suppository. And I will go Oswald on him. Now you owe me 1:17 Dougie Houser sucks
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April 12th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
if we are implying there is collusion against barry bonds….
is there collusion because nobody wants to sign OJ?
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April 12th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
brian_21, can’t believe I wasted my time reading your post or that stupid video.
Hope the Bears go 0-16!
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April 13th, 2008 at 2:11 am
I guess no one wants to be a dick like the Vikings and give another team the poison pill
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April 13th, 2008 at 4:35 am
Barry Bonds is still gooooood. Easily worthy of a DH spot. There is collusion, which is not allowed for MLB. But w/e; hard to prove, I guess.
To link Bonds and OJ is wrong, by the way.
And Girthy, I just advised watching that one part of the video, which was frigggggggin hilarious. I’m sorry I waste your time. I’ll keep it in mind for my next post … NOT
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April 13th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Isn’t it possible that all 30 MLB teams think Bonds is a dick so they just don’t want him?
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April 13th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
linking bonds and oj may be wrong, but maybe Pacman would be a better analogy
it is clear that the media circus and controversy that follows barry bonds would be bad for ANY team. there doesn’t need to be collusion for teams not to sign him.
that is a stephen a smith conspiracy tale that he “claims” not to believe (except he talks about it every day)
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