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FOR USE AS DESIRED TEAMS CAN MATCH RESTRICTED FREE AGENT OFFERS UNTIL FRIDAY Two NFL restricted free agents have offers from new teams that can be matched by their old teams through Friday, April 25. In the past week, restricted free agent offers were tendered by Washington to Miami defensive tackle JERMAINE HALEY, and Detroit to San Francisco tight end BRIAN JENNINGS. The players’ old clubs have until this Friday, April 25 at midnight to match the offers. Miami and San Francisco each would receive a seventh-round selection in this weekend’s NFL Draft if they do not match the respective offers. Restricted free agents are players who have completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They received qualifying offers from their old clubs and were free to negotiate with any club from February 28, the start of the 2003 free-agency signing period, until April 18, at which time their rights reverted to their original club. If a player accepted an offer from a new club, the old club had the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elected not to match the offer, it could receive draft-choice compensation depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player. Four restricted free agents changed teams during the signing period. Kicker RIAN LINDELL moved from Seattle to Buffalo; safety MATT BOWEN from Green Bay to Washington; and wide receiver LAVERANUES COLES and running back-kick returner CHAD MORTON from the New York Jets to Washington. Seattle held right of first refusal only for Lindell; Green Bay received a sixth-round selection in this year’s draft for Bowen; and the Jets a first-round choice for Coles and a fifth-round pick for Morton. |