My 2008 Steelers Offseason

[JackSplat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Foot...gue#Free_agency

Unrestricted free agent

A player who has 5 or more years of experience is eligible for unrestricted free agency, whereby his current team has no guaranteed right to match outside offers to that player. This means that players in this category have unlimited rights to negotiate any terms with any team.

So, there ya go.

 :rock:

 there is that period between the end of the season and the very first day of free agency.  its that period that the steelers make the option of franchising a particular player or not...

if the very first day of FA starts and the steelers dont Franchise faneca...THEN he becomes an UFA.

even if faneca is still franchised...he is still able to negoitiate with other clubs at the steelers discretion...but that comes very pricy in the form of day 1 draft picks depending on the level of franchising.

 

[jonzr]

I've been wrong before.  Just read something in the Trib about how the Steelers have too much respect for Alan to use the tag and will leave him unencumbered to seek his best deal.
 

[MiamiOHQB]

Question... if the comp pics are the year after, and i think you are right about that, do we get anything for Hartings retiring?

No.

Don't know much about compensatory draft picks but could the Steelers get any for Joey Porter, Rodney Bailey or Sean Morey?

[schnoah]

no, i believe that they have to be just players leaving for FA. They cant be cut.

[Finnegans Wake]

Question... if the comp pics are the year after, and i think you are right about that, do we get anything for Hartings retiring?

No.

Don't know much about compensatory draft picks but could the Steelers get any for Joey Porter, Rodney Bailey or Sean Morey?

We cut Porter.  Nothing there.

Did Bailey or Morey get any significant playing time?  More to the point, did either get paid?  If they averaged less than $1M per year, I doubt we get anything more than sweet, sweet memories of their time here with us.

[Finnegans Wake]

The good news, possibly, is that next year we'll see some comps of note.

Figure Faneca will get paid more somewhere else; not sure I want to hazard a guess as to how much, but I'm willing to say we should get a R3.  If recent market trends hold, Starks might get paid similarly, although his on-and-off starting here, coupled with knee injury, might devalue him slightly; fine, if it means we retain him slightly below market value.  Otherwise, I can see us only getting a R4.

Haggans won't, as his agent believes, garner Porter-like FA interest.  But some team will pick him up.  And I suspect he nets us at least a R5.

Also, I am pretty sure that comps are only on UFAs, not RFAs, since RFAs already net you picks depending on level of RFA tender offered the player.  Giving comps for those would be double-dipping.

So those being the UFAs of note (Kreider is a UFA, but not sure he'll get big money), 2009 might net us an extra pick in three middle rounds.  Not bad.

[LambertsFrontTeeth]

What is the max on compensatory picks? Two or three?

[Finnegans Wake]

What is the max on compensatory picks? Two or three?

Prett damned sure teams have gotten three.  Is there a hard max?  I know they only have what, 32 total, to divide between all the teams?  Maybe three's the limit.

[JackSplat]

I've been wrong before.  Just read something in the Trib about how the Steelers have too much respect for Alan to use the tag and will leave him unencumbered to seek his best deal.

I hope the steelers at least make him some sort of offer before he goes into the open market...who knows, maybe crap teams such as atlanta or miami make him offers that would make him reconsider signing up with the steelers again.

but looking back at past history such as Burress...I dont see them making him any offers before the FA deadline

[KeystoneKC]

What is the max on compensatory picks? Two or three?

Prett damned sure teams have gotten three.  Is there a hard max?  I know they only have what, 32 total, to divide between all the teams?  Maybe three's the limit.

I don't think there is a hard & fast max.  It all depends on how hard ya' get hit by free agency.  I know that Baltimore & the Pats both got four last year.  Here is the Announcement from last year:

TOTAL 2007 NFL COMPENSATORY DRAFT PICKS

Baltimore -- 4
New England -- 4
Indianapolis -- 3
Atlanta -- 2
Jacksonville -- 2
Oakland -- 2
Pittsburgh -- 2
St. Louis -- 2
San Diego -- 2
San Francisco -- 2
Tampa Bay -- 2
Cincinnati -- 1
Detroit -- 1
Green Bay -- 1
New York Giants -- 1
Seattle -- 1

TOTAL -- 32

(Finman@somewhere in time)
...Also, I am pretty sure that comps are only on UFAs, not RFAs, since RFAs already net you picks depending on level of RFA tender offered the player. Giving comps for those would be double-dipping.

You are correct sir.