A closer look at the July 15 deadline

In response to our item from earlier today regarding the July 15 deadline for signing franchise players to one-year contracts, our pal Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange tells us he was contacted by an NFL front-office executive who believes that the limitation does not apply where  franchise players already have signed their one-year tenders.

Though the league and/or the NFL Players Association possibly apply the rule differently than it’s written (frankly, it wouldn’t be the first time), the plain language of the Collective Bargaining Agreement seems to indicate that the deadline applies to all franchise players, regardless of whether they have inked their one-year tender offers.

The key text comes from Article XX, Section 2(k) of the CBA:  “Any Club designating a Franchise Player shall have until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on July 15 of the League Year (or, if July 15 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the first Monday thereafter) for which the designation takes effect to sign the player to a multi-year contract or extension. After that date, the player may sign only a one-year Player Contract with his Prior Club for that season, and such Player Contract may not be extended until after the Club’s last regular season game.”

We think that this includes players who have signed their tenders, for two reasons.

First, the provision doesn’t restrict the application of the deadline to players who have not accepted their franchise tenders.

Second, although the final sentence arguably implies that it applies only to a player who has not yet signed the tender, the word just before the final sentence — “extension” — implies even more strongly that it applies to players who are already under a one-year contract, by virtue of signing the tender.

There would be nothing to extend if the player hasn’t signed the one-year tender.

Still, we’ll check with the NFL to see whether the interpretation meshes with the articulation.  If nothing else, it’ll give us the basis for another blurb during the ssslow time.