FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NFL-35
7/19/00
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY PERIOD ENDS;
106 RE-SIGN, 107 SWITCH TEAMS
One-hundred-and-six veteran free agents re-signed with their old teams this year during the unrestricted free agency signing period, while 107 signed with new teams, the National Football League announced today. The five-month UFA signing period under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and players ended July 15.
The Denver Broncos signed the most unrestricted free agents from other teams, eight, followed by the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints with seven apiece, and the Oakland Raiders with six.
There were a total of 341 unrestricted free agents this year. The total player pool is approximately 1,700.
In addition, four of this year's 140 restricted free agents signed with new teams, while 127 returned to their former clubs. The period for restricted free agents to accept offers from other teams ended April 14.
The 111 total free agents who switched teams represent only seven percent of all NFL players. Of 553 players who were free agents in the various categories of the system, 349 signed new contracts with either new teams or their old clubs.
"The veteran free agent signings reflect an ongoing awareness on the part of teams and players that continuity and stability are more important in our sport, perhaps, than in others," said HAROLD HENDERSON, executive vice president of labor relations and chairman of the NFL Management Council. "The system is maintaining the competitive balance that is so important in our sport."
Under the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, those players without 2000 contracts who had four or more seasons of free agency experience were termed "unrestricted free agents" and were free to sign with any club between February 11 and July 15.
If a player's prior club made a 110 percent tender on or before June 1, the prior club retained exclusive negotiating rights after July 15 if the player did not sign with another club. If the player and club are unable to negotiate a contract by the 10th week of the regular season, the player may not play the remainder of the season. If the player sits out the season, he becomes an unrestricted free agent next year.
Under the CBA, restricted free agents are those players who have three seasons of free agency experience and are subject to compensation and/or right of first refusal.
A "transition" player is a designated unrestricted free agent whose team must tender a one-year contract at the average of the 10 highest-paid players of 1999 at the transition player's position, or a 20 percent increase, whichever is greater. A "franchise" player is a designated unrestricted free agent whose team must tender a one-year contract at the average of the five highest-paid players at the franchise player's position in 1999, or a 20 percent increase, whichever is greater.
A comparison of free agent movement since the current CBA went into effect eight years ago:
NFL FREE AGENCY MOVEMENT
(Veteran Free Agents Who Signed With New Teams)
| Category | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
| Unrestricted | 108 |
121 |
171 |
99 |
85 |
110 |
115 |
107 |
| Restricted | 8 |
7 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
| Transition | 4 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Franchise | 1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| TOTALS | 121 |
132 |
179 |
105 |
89 |
117 |
118 |
111 |
| TEAM | PLAYER | FORMER TEAM |
| ARIZONA | K Cary Blanchard | NY Giants |
| T Norberto Davidds-Garrido | Carolina | |
| C Mike Gruttadauria | St. Louis | |
| ATLANTA | CB Ashley Ambrose | New Orleans |
| WR Shawn Jefferson | New England | |
| DE Brady Smith | New Orleans | |
| BALTIMORE | DT Sam Adams | Seattle |
| CB Robert Bailey | Detroit | |
| QB Trent Dilfer | Tampa Bay | |
| TE Shannon Sharpe | Denver | |
| G Kipp Vickers | Washington | |
| CAROLINA | T James Dexter | Arizona |
| CB Jimmy Hitchcock | Minnesota | |
| DE Chuck Smith | Atlanta | |
| DE Jay Williams | St. Louis | |
| CHICAGO | DE Phillip Daniels | Seattle |
| CB Thomas Smith | Buffalo | |
| S Shawn Wooden | Miami | |
| CINCINNATI | DT Tom Barndt | Kansas City |
| DT Vaughn Booker | Green Bay | |
| QB Scott Mitchell | Baltimore | |
| CLEVELAND | S Percy Ellsworth | NY Giants |
| C Everett Lindsay | Baltimore | |
| DE Keith McKenzie | Green Bay | |
| LB Marty Moore | New England | |
| T Roman Oben | NY Giants | |
| RB Errict Rhett | Baltimore | |
| DE Orpheus Roye | Pittsburgh | |
| DALLAS | LB Joe Bowden | Tennessee |
| TE Jackie Harris | Tennessee | |
| QB Paul Justin | St. Louis | |
| CB Ryan McNeil | Cleveland | |
| DENVER | DE Lester Archambeau | Atlanta |
| G David Diaz-Infante | Philadelphia | |
| QB Gus Frerotte | Detroit | |
| DT Robert Kuberski | New England | |
| CB Jeremy Lincoln | NY Giants | |
| LB Ricardo McDonald | Chicago | |
| DE Kavika Pittman | Dallas | |
| CB Darryl Pounds | Washington | |
| DETROIT | S Kurt Schulz | Buffalo |
| RB James Stewart | Jacksonville | |
| QB Mike Tomczak | Pittsburgh | |
| GREEN BAY | P Tom Hutton | Miami |
| LB Mike Morton | St. Louis | |
| DE John Thierry | Cleveland | |
| INDIANAPOLIS | DT Bernard Holsey | NY Giants |
| JACKSONVILLE | QB Jamie Martin | Cleveland |
| LB Hardy Nickerson | Tampa Bay | |
| KANSAS CITY | DE Duane Clemons | Minnesota |
| TE Kendall Gammon | New Orleans | |
| C Aaron Graham | Arizona | |
| DT Steve Martin | Philadelphia | |
| P Todd Sauerbrun | Chicago | |
| MIAMI | QB Jay Fiedler | Jacksonville |
| LB Scott Galyon | NY Giants | |
| G Heath Irwin | New England | |
| S Brian Walker | Seattle | |
| MINNESOTA | TE John Davis | Tampa Bay |
| LB Lemanski Hall | Dallas | |
| LB Craig Sauer | Atlanta | |
| DE Fernando Smith | Baltimore | |
| WR Chris Thomas | St. Louis | |
| NEW ENGLAND | TE Eric Bjornson | Dallas |
| T Grant Williams | Seattle | |
| NEW ORLEANS | QB Jeff Blake | Cincinnati |
| DT Norman Hand | San Diego | |
| WR Joe Horn | Kansas City | |
| CB Steve Israel | New England | |
| WR Willie Jackson | Cincinnati | |
| S Chris Oldham | Pittsburgh | |
| CB Fred Thomas | Seattle | |
| NY GIANTS | QB Jason Garrett | Dallas |
| T Glenn Parker | Kansas City | |
| CB Dave Thomas | Jacksonville | |
| C Dusty Zeigler | Buffalo | |
| NY JETS | DT Shane Burton | Chicago |
| OAKLAND | S Je’Rod Cherry | New Orleans |
| LB Doug Colman | Tennessee | |
| CB Anthony Dorsett | Tennessee | |
| CB Tory James | Denver | |
| DT Austin Robbins | New Orleans | |
| DE Regan Upshaw | Jacksonville | |
| PHILADELPHIA | LB Carlos Emmons | Pittsburgh |
| DT Paul Grasmanis | Denver | |
| RB Stanley Pritchett | Miami | |
| T Jon Runyan | Tennessee | |
| PITTSBURGH | G Tom Myslinski | Dallas |
| DE Chris Sullivan | New England | |
| G Rich Tylski | Jacksonville | |
| DT Kimo Von Oelhoffen | Cincinnati | |
| ST. LOUIS | DT Sean Moran | Buffalo |
| SAN DIEGO | WR Curtis Conway | Chicago |
| CB De Ron Jenkins | Baltimore | |
| G Joseph Patton | Jacksonville | |
| SEATTLE | LB Jeff Kopp | New England |
| C Robbie Tobeck | Atlanta | |
| S Reggie Tongue | Kansas City | |
| TAMPA BAY | C Jeff Christy | Minnesota |
| RB Jerry Ellison | New England | |
| TENNESSEE | LB Randall Godfrey | Dallas |
| G Fred Miller | St. Louis | |
| WASHINGTON | S Mark Carrier | Detroit |
| QB Jeff George | Minnesota | |
| LB Kevin Mitchell | New Orleans | |
| RB Adrian Murrell | Arizona | |
| LB Tony Peterson | San Francisco |
| TEAM | PLAYER |
| ARIZONA | QB Dave Brown |
| TE Derek Brown | |
| C Mike Devlin | |
| DE Jerry Drake | |
| T Matt Joyce | |
| LB Mark Maddox | |
| LB Ronald McKinnon | |
| DT Brad Otis | |
| ATLANTA | RB Winslow Oliver |
| LB Jessie Tuggle | |
| BALTIMORE | QB Tony Banks |
| DE Rob Burnett | |
| WR Bill Davis | |
| S Corey Harris | |
| WR Qadry Ismail | |
| K Matt Stover | |
| S Bennie Thompson | |
| CB James Trapp | |
| DE Keith Washington | |
| DT Larry Webster | |
| BUFFALO | G Ruben Brown |
| TE Jay Riemersma | |
| CAROLINA | RB Chris Hetherington |
| RB Anthony Johnson | |
| DE Tim Morabito | |
| CHICAGO | WR Bobby Engram |
| QB Jim Miller | |
| G Todd Perry | |
| CINCINNATI | DE Jevon Langford |
| S Greg Myers | |
| CLEVELAND | DT Darius Holland |
| CB-S Raymond Jackson | |
| LB Lenoy Jones | |
| DALLAS | DE Alonzo Spellman |
| S George Teague | |
| CB-S Charlie Williams | |
| DENVER | QB Jeff Brohm |
| DT Mike Lodish | |
| P Tom Rouen | |
| DETROIT | S Corwin Brown |
| P John Jett | |
| LB Scott Kowalkowski | |
| DT Kelvin Pritchett | |
| S Ryan Stewart | |
| GREEN BAY | C Frank Winters |
| INDIANAPOLIS | TE Brad Banta |
| JACKSONVILLE | CB Aaron Beasley |
| DE Eric Curry | |
| TE Richard Griffith | |
| T Steve Ingram | |
| LB Lonnie Marts | |
| S Rayna Stewart | |
| KANSAS CITY | DE John Browning |
| RB Tony Richardson | |
| C Jeff Smith | |
| S Bracy Walker | |
| S Jerome Woods | |
| MIAMI | C John Bock |
| CB Calvin Jackson | |
| C Tim Ruddy | |
| MINNESOTA | P Mitch Berger |
| TE Carlester Crumpler | |
| RB Harold Morrow | |
| RB Moe Williams | |
| NEW ENGLAND | WR Troy Brown |
| LB Tedy Bruschi | |
| NEW ORLEANS | G Tom Ackerman |
| NY GIANTS | CB Conrad Hamilton |
| NY JETS | CB Marcus Coleman |
| WR Dwight Stone | |
| OAKLAND | G Darryl Ashmore |
| WR Terry Mickens | |
| CB Marquis Walker | |
| PHILADELPHIA | WR Dietrich Jells |
| C Bubba Miller | |
| PITTSBURGH | CB-S Lance Brown |
| ST. LOUIS | TE Ernie Conwell |
| C Andy McCollum | |
| SAN DIEGO | P Darren Bennett |
| C David Binn | |
| LB Gerald Dixon | |
| S Mike Dumas | |
| DE Al Fontenot | |
| C Roman Fortin | |
| WR Jeff Graham | |
| DB Greg Jackson | |
| CB Darryll Lewis | |
| T Vaughn Parker | |
| CB Scott Turner | |
| SAN FRANCISCO | DE Junior Bryant |
| SEATTLE | G Frank Beede |
| RB Reggie Brown | |
| WR Derrick Mayes | |
| TAMPA BAY | TE Dave Moore |
| T Jason Odom | |
| P Mark Royals | |
| QB Eric Zeier | |
| TENNESSEE | LB Terry Killens |
| QB Neil O’Donnell | |
| S Marcus Robertson | |
| WASHINGTON | CB Curtis Buckley |
| DE Marco Coleman | |
| T Andy Heck | |
| C Cory Raymer | |
| G Keith Sims | |
| S Matt Stevens |
| TEAM | PLAYER | FORMER TEAM |
| MINNESOTA | T Brad Badger | Washington |
| NEW ORLEANS | LB Charlie Clemons | St. Louis |
| P Toby Gowin | Dallas | |
| SAN DIEGO | RB Robert Chancey | Dallas |
| TEAM | PLAYER |
| ARIZONA | G Chris Dishman |
| DT Mark Smith | |
| ATLANTA | G Calvin Collins |
| LB Henri Crockett | |
| QB Tony Graziani | |
| RB Byron Hanspard | |
| TE O.J. Santiago | |
| BALTIMORE | LB Cornell Brown |
| T Spencer Folau | |
| RB Jay Graham | |
| S Kim Herring | |
| RB Priest Holmes | |
| C Jeff Mitchell | |
| LB Tyrell Peters | |
| LB Jamie Sharper | |
| BUFFALO | DB Donovan Greer |
| T Jamie Nails | |
| G Marcus Spriggs | |
| DT Pat Williams | |
| CHICAGO | TE John Allred |
| S Raymond Austin | |
| WR Macey Brooks | |
| CB Terry Cousin | |
| DT Bryan Robinson | |
| DE Van Tuinei | |
| CINCINNATI | TE Steve Bush |
| LB Canute Curtis | |
| LB Billy Granville | |
| C Brock Gutierrez | |
| DB Ty Howard | |
| WR James Hundon | |
| DE Andre Purvis | |
| RB Sedrick Shaw | |
| CLEVELAND | DE Stalin Colinet |
| CB-S Tim McTyer | |
| RB Tarek Saleh | |
| DT Mike Thompson | |
| DALLAS | LB Dexter Coakley |
| G Tony Hutson | |
| CB Kevin Mathis | |
| QB Mike Quinn | |
| DENVER | C K.C. Jones |
| G Dan Neil | |
| DETROIT | TE Pete Chryplewicz |
| LB Richard Jordan | |
| DT Travis Kirschke | |
| T Tony Ramirez | |
| G Juan Roque | |
| INDIANAPOLIS | QB Kelly Holcomb |
| T Adam Meadows | |
| JACKSONVILLE | T Todd Fordham |
| TE Damon Jones | |
| CB Mike Logan | |
| RB Daimon Shelton | |
| KANSAS CITY | TE Mitch Jacoby |
| WR Kevin Lockett | |
| MIAMI | WR Nate Jacquet |
| K Olindo Mare | |
| TE Ed Perry | |
| LB Derrick Rodgers | |
| G Brent Smith | |
| DE Jason Taylor | |
| MINNESOTA | WR Matthew Hatchette |
| DT Tony Williams | |
| NEW ENGLAND | S Chris Carter |
| T Ed Ellis | |
| NEW ORLEANS | DT Mike Halapin |
| S Rob Kelly | |
| RB Dino Philyaw | |
| DE Jared Tomich | |
| NY GIANTS | RB Tiki Barber |
| QB Mike Cherry | |
| S Sam Garnes | |
| P Brad Maynard | |
| LB Pete Monty | |
| DT Christian Peter | |
| LB Ryan Phillips | |
| NY JETS | DT Jason Ferguson |
| K John Hall | |
| S Chris Hayes | |
| RB Leon Johnson | |
| RB Jerald Sowell | |
| S Omar Stoutmire | |
| WR Dedric Ward | |
| OAKLAND | DT Chuck Osborne |
| PHILADELPHIA | TE Luther Broughton |
| LB James Darling | |
| QB Koy Detmer | |
| TE Chad Lewis | |
| PITTSBURGH | WR Will Blackwell |
| RB Richard Huntley | |
| LB Mike Vrabel | |
| ST. LOUIS | CB Taje Allen |
| CB Billy Jenkins | |
| CB Dexter McCleon | |
| C Tom Nutten | |
| C Ryan Tucker | |
| SAN DIEGO | RB Kenny Bynum |
| LB Michael Hamilton | |
| TE Freddie Jones | |
| RB Fred McCrary | |
| T Raleigh Roundtree | |
| SAN FRANCISCO | S Zack Bronson |
| TE Greg Clark | |
| SEATTLE | WR Fabien Bownes |
| CB Chris Canty | |
| S Kerry Joseph | |
| QB Jon Kitna | |
| DT Riddick Parker | |
| TAMPA BAY | CB Ronde Barber |
| G Kevin Dogins | |
| G Frank Middleton | |
| QB Scott Milanovich | |
| S Damien Robinson | |
| CB Floyd Young | |
| TENNESSEE | WR Isaac Byrd |
| WR Joey Kent | |
| WR Derrick Mason | |
| T Scott Sanderson | |
| CB Denard Walker | |
| WASHINGTON | WR Albert Connell |
| K Brett Conway | |
| DE Ndukwe Kalu | |
| LB Eddie Mason | |
| LB Derek Smith | |
| DT Barron Tanner | |
| WR James Thrash |
5) 2 UNRESTRICTED free agents with right of first refusal re-signed with their OLD teams:
| TEAM | PLAYER |
| MINNESOTA | G Corbin Lacina |
| PHILADELPHIA | G Lonnie Palelei |
6) 3 FRANCHISE players re-signed with their OLD teams:
| TEAM | PLAYER |
| MIAMI | T Richmond Webb |
| NY JETS | LB Mo Lewis |
| SEATTLE | WR Joey Galloway |