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UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENCY PERIOD ENDS;
88 RE-SIGN, 126 SWITCH TEAMS
Eighty-eight veteran free agents re-signed with their old teams this year during the free agency signing period, while 126 signed with new teams, the National Football League announced on 7/31. The four-month UFA signing period, under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and players, ended July 22.
The Arizona Cardinals signed the most unrestricted free agents from other teams (9), while the Oakland Raiders signed eight, followed by the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans with seven each.
There were a total of 308 unrestricted free agents this year. The total player pool is approximately 1,700.
Four of this year's 94 restricted free agents signed with a new team – Indianapolis cornerback JASON DAVID with New Orleans, Dallas linebacker RYAN FOWLER with Tennessee, Miami punter DONNIE JONES with St. Louis, and Cincinnati defensive tackle SHAUN SMITH with Cleveland. Eighty-eight restricted free agents returned to their former clubs. The period for restricted free agents to accept offers from other teams ended April 20.
The 130 total free agents who switched teams represent only eight percent of all NFL players. Of 449 players who were free agents in the various categories of the system, 312 signed new contracts with either new teams or their old clubs.
Under the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, players without 2007 contracts who had four or more seasons of free agency experience qualified to be "unrestricted free agents" and were free to sign with any club between March 2 and July 22.
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 22 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 (November 13), 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 restricted or unrestricted free agent whose team must tender a one-year contract at the average of the 10 highest-paid players of 2006 at the transition player's position, or a 20 percent increase, whichever is greater. A "franchise" player is a designated restricted or 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 2006, or a 20 percent increase, whichever is greater.
2007 NFL UNRESTRICTED & RESTRICTED FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
1) 126 UNRESTRICTED free agents signed with NEW teams:
|
TEAM
|
PLAYER
|
FORMER TEAM
|
|
ARIZONA
|
DE Rodney Bailey
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
|
CB Ralph Brown
|
Cleveland
|
|
|
T Mike Gandy
|
Buffalo
|
|
|
S Terrence Holt
|
Detroit
|
|
|
CB Roderick Hood
|
Philadelphia
|
|
|
C Al Johnson
|
Dallas
|
|
|
NT Ross Kolodziej
|
Minnesota
|
|
|
WR Sean Morey
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
|
DE Joe Tafoya
|
Seattle
|
|
ATLANTA
|
K Billy Cundiff
|
New Orleans
|
|
|
G Toniu Fonoti
|
Miami
|
|
|
T Leander Jordan
|
San Diego
|
|
|
FB Ovie Mughelli
|
Baltimore
|
|
|
CB Lewis Sanders
|
Houston
|
|
|
LB Marcus Wilkins
|
Cincinnati
|
|
BUFFALO
|
G Derrick Dockery
|
Washington
|
|
|
RB Josh Scobey
|
Seattle
|
|
|
T Langston Walker
|
Oakland
|
|
|
C Jason Whittle
|
Minnesota
|
|
CAROLINA
|
S Deke Cooper
|
San Francisco
|
|
CHICAGO
|
DT Anthony Adams
|
San Francisco
|
|
CINCINNATI
|
DT Kenderick Allen
|
Green Bay
|
|
|
DT Michael Myers
|
Denver
|
|
CLEVELAND
|
DE Antwan Peek
|
Houston
|
|
|
DT Robaire Smith
|
Tennessee
|
|
|
G Eric Steinbach
|
Cincinnati
|
|
|
CB Kenny Wright
|
Washington
|
|
DALLAS
|
T Leonard Davis
|
Arizona
|
|
|
S Ken Hamlin
|
Seattle
|
|
DENVER
|
TE Daniel Graham
|
New England
|
|
|
LB Warrick Holdman
|
Washington
|
|
|
G Montrae Holland
|
New Orleans
|
|
|
LB D.D. Lewis
|
Seattle
|
|
|
DT Alvin McKinley
|
Cleveland
|
|
|
P Todd Sauerbrun
|
New England
|
|
|
RB Paul Smith
|
St. Louis
|
|
DETROIT
|
RB T.J. Duckett
|
Washington
|
|
|
CB Travis Fisher
|
St. Louis
|
|
|
WR Shaun McDonald
|
St. Louis
|
|
|
WR Troy Walters
|
Arizona
|
|
|
DE DeWayne White
|
Tampa Bay
|
|
GREEN BAY
|
CB Frank Walker
|
NY Giants
|
|
HOUSTON
|
LB Shawn Barber
|
Philadelphia
|
|
|
T Jordan Black
|
Kansas City
|
|
|
WR Andre Davis
|
Buffalo
|
|
|
RB Ahman Green
|
Green Bay
|
|
|
LB Danny Clark
|
New Orleans
|
|
|
CB Jamar Fletcher
|
Detroit
|
|
|
DT Jeff Zgonina
|
Miami
|
|
INDIANAPOLIS
|
G Rick DeMulling
|
Detroit
|
|
|
TE Mike Seidman
|
Carolina
|
|
JACKSONVILLE
|
WR Dennis Northcutt
|
Cleveland
|
|
|
T Tony Pashos
|
Baltimore
|
|
KANSAS CITY
|
DT Alfonso Boone
|
Chicago
|
|
|
LS J.P. Darche
|
Seattle
|
|
|
LB Donnie Edwards
|
San Diego
|
|
|
LB Napoleon Harris
|
Minnesota
|
|
|
S Jon McGraw
|
Detroit
|
|
|
G Damion McIntosh
|
Miami
|
|
MIAMI
|
K Jay Feely
|
NY Giants
|
|
|
WR Az-Zahir Hakim
|
San Diego
|
|
|
G Chris Liwienski
|
Arizona
|
|
|
TE David Martin
|
Green Bay
|
|
|
FB Cory Schlesinger
|
Detroit
|
|
|
S Cameron Worrell
|
Chicago
|
|
MINNESOTA
|
LB Vinny Ciurciu
|
Carolina
|
|
|
S Mike Doss
|
Indianapolis
|
|
|
WR Cortez Hankton
|
Jacksonville
|
|
|
TE Visanthe Shiancoe
|
N.Y. Giants
|
|
|
WR Bobby Wade
|
Tennessee
|
|
NEW ENGLAND
|
TE Kyle Brady
|
Jacksonville
|
|
|
CB Tory James
|
Cincinnati
|
|
|
RB Sammy Morris
|
Miami
|
|
|
WR Donte’ Stallworth
|
Philadelphia
|
|
|
LB Adalius Thomas
|
Baltimore
|
|
|
WR Kelley Washington
|
Cincinnati
|
|
NEW ORLEANS
|
LB Troy Evans
|
Houston
|
|
|
TE Eric Johnson
|
San Francisco
|
|
|
S Kevin Kaesviharn
|
Cincinnati
|
|
NEW YORK GIANTS
|
LB Kawika Mitchell
|
Kansas City
|
|
|
CB Michael Stone
|
Houston
|
|
|
QB Anthony Wright
|
Cincinnati
|
|
NEW YORK JETS
|
FB Darian Barnes
|
Miami
|
|
|
DE David Bowens
|
Miami
|
|
|
DE Kenyon Coleman
|
Dallas
|
|
|
QB Marques Tuiasosopo
|
Oakland
|
|
OAKLAND
|
G Cooper Carlisle
|
Denver
|
|
|
T Cornell Green
|
Tampa Bay
|
|
|
FB Justin Griffith
|
Atlanta
|
|
|
C Jeremy Newberry
|
San Francisco
|
|
|
RB Dominic Rhodes
|
Indianapolis
|
|
|
TE Tony Stewart
|
Cincinnati
|
|
|
WR Travis Taylor
|
Minnesota
|
|
|
TE Fred Wakefield
|
Arizona
|
|
PHILADELPHIA
|
WR Kevin Curtis
|
St. Louis
|
|
|
WR Bethel Johnson
|
Minnesota
|
|
|
DT Ian Scott
|
Chicago
|
|
PITTSBURGH
|
DE Nick Eason
|
Cleveland
|
|
|
C Sean Mahan
|
Tampa Bay
|
|
ST. LOUIS
|
WR Drew Bennett
|
Tennessee
|
|
|
LB Chris Draft
|
Carolina
|
|
|
S Todd Johnson
|
Chicago
|
|
|
RB Travis Minor
|
Miami
|
|
|
CB Lenny Walls
|
Kansas City
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO
|
LB Tully Banta-Cain
|
New England
|
|
|
DB Nate Clements
|
Buffalo
|
|
|
NT Aubrayo Franklin
|
Baltimore
|
|
|
WR Ashley Lelie
|
Atlanta
|
|
|
S Michael Lewis
|
Philadelphia
|
|
SEATTLE
|
S Deon Grant
|
Jacksonville
|
|
|
DE Brandon Green
|
St. Louis
|
|
|
DE Patrick Kerney
|
Atlanta
|
|
|
S Brian Russell
|
Cleveland
|
|
TAMPA BAY
|
RB B.J. Askew
|
N.Y. Jets
|
|
|
LB Patrick Chukwura
|
Denver
|
|
|
QB Jeff Garcia
|
Philadelphia
|
|
|
LB Cato June
|
Indianapolis
|
|
|
DE Lance Legree
|
San Francisco
|
|
|
TE Jerramy Stevens
|
Seattle
|
|
TENNESSEE
|
WR Justin Gage
|
Chicago
|
|
|
CB Nicholas Harper
|
Indianapolis
|
|
|
QB Tim Rattay
|
Tampa Bay
|
|
|
CB Bryan Scott
|
New Orleans
|
|
WASHINGTON
|
LB London Fletcher
|
Buffalo
|
|
|
CB David Macklin
|
Arizona
|
|
|
S Omar Stoutmire
|
New Orleans
|
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