Packers tendered all four Exclusive Rights Free Agents
WR Malik Taylor
WR Allen Lazard
OLB Randy Ramsey
T Yosuah Nijman
What does that mean?
Originally Posted by: MintBaconDrivel
Short version,
It means those players will be back next year in training camp for fairly cheap one year contracts.
Long version,
Exclusive Rights Free Agents (or ERFAs) are players with less than 3 accrued seasons whose contracts have run up.
An accused season are been considered 6 games in one season, while on the 53 man roster or on the IR after coming off the 53 man roster.
Teams have two choices with ERFAs, to offer them an ERFA tender (a fairly cheap one year contract) and 999 out of 1000 or more seem to sign it.
Or teams can decide not to offer an ERFAs, where said player becomes a FA that can sign with any of the 32 teams.
So basically the choices are lock player up for a cheap one year deal called a ERFA tender, or release said player.
I guess team/player could also work on a long term deal, but that rarely happens unless the player is a super star, which is rare, as most drafted players have a 4 year deal, and so almost all of the ERFAs were undrafted players. And said player and players agents are normally hoping for another huge break out year or two and get the huge pay.
Also ERFA and RFA tenders are a bit different... even though similar name.
ERFA is (exclusive rights FA) for players with less than 3 accrued seasons. Has cheaper tenders and if tendered, players can not negotiate with other teams.
RFA is (restricted FA) for players with exactly 3 accrued seasons. There is more cost options that can be more expensive. But said players can negotiate with all 32 teams... depending on which tender was used, if another team signs said player, they might have to give draft picks back to the original team.