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FOR USE AS DESIRED RESTRICTED FREE-AGENT SIGNING PERIOD ENDS The signing period for NFL restricted free agents ended last Friday, April 16. 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 March 3, the start of the 2004 free-agency signing period, until April 16, 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. One restricted free agent changed teams during the signing period. Defensive end RODNEY BAILEY moved from Pittsburgh to New England. # # # |