Page 77 of the CBA -
Section 1. Application: The provisions of this Article
shall apply only in
any League Year during the term of this Agreement in which no Salary Cap
is in effect.
Section 2. Top Four Teams: Each of the four Clubs that participated in the
NFC and AFC Championship games the Prior League Year shall not be permitted
to negotiate and sign any Unrestricted Free Agent to a Player Contract,
except: (a) any Unrestricted Free Agent who acquired that status as a
result of the NFL waiver system; (b) any Unrestricted Free Agent who was
under contract to such Club on the last date of the last League Year of the
player’s most recent Player Contract; and (c) any Unrestricted Free Agent
signed pursuant to Section 4 below.
Section 3. Next Four Teams: Each of the four playoff Clubs that lost in the
immediately preceding playoff games to the four Clubs that participated in
the NFC and AFC Championship games the Prior League Year shall not be
permitted to negotiate and sign any Unrestricted Free Agent to a Player
contract, except: (a) any Unrestricted Free Agent who acquired that status
as a result of the NFL waiver system; (b) any Unrestricted Free Agent who
was under contract to such Club on the last date of the last League Year of
the player’s most recent Player contract; (c) any Unrestricted Free Agent
signed pursuant to Section 4 below; and (d) any Unrestricted Free Agent
as follows:
(i) One such player for a Player Contract that has a first year Salary
of $4,925,000 or more; and
(ii) Any number of such players for a Player Contract that has a first
year Salary of no more than $3,275,000 and an annual increase in any future
contract years of no more than 30% of the first contract year Salary, not
including any amount attributed to any signing bonus. In addition, each
such Club and each such player entering into a Player Contract pursuant
to this Subsection may not renegotiate to increase the amount of Salary to
be paid during the term of the Player Contract for a period of one year after
the signing date of such contract.
Section 4. Replacement of Free Agents Signed by Other Club: Each of
the eight Clubs subject to the provisions of this Article shall be permitted
to negotiate and sign one Unrestricted Free Agent to a Player Contract
(“New Player”) for each Unrestricted Free Agent who was under contract
to such Club on the last date of the prior League Year, who has signed with
another Club (“Previous Player”), so long as the Player Contract for the
New Player shall have a first year Salary of no more than the first year Salary
of the Player Contract signed by the Previous Player with the New Club,
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