As expected, plenty of free-agent deals are being negotiated. However, there’s at least a little reason to expect the unexpected.
The contracts negotiated today between team and agent won’t become official until Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET, at the earliest.
Either side can back out before then. Teams rarely do it. Players sometimes do.
Linebacker Anthony Barr, for example, once backed out of a deal with the Jets to stay with the Vikings. Running back Frank Gore had a verbal deal with the Eagles, before joining the Colts.
It really is fair game for a player to change his mind. And if, for example, quarterback Aaron Rodgers lets the Jets know that he doesn’t want to play with them before Wednesday, the Jets could try to get Jimmy Garoppolo to do to Raiders coach Josh McDaniels what McDaniels once did to Colts owner Jim Irsay.
Bottom line — no deal is done until it’s done, and none of these deals can be done until Wednesday afternoon, at the earliest.