The NFL’s fiscal year doesn’t begin for another few weeks. But there are free agents available to teams at the moment who could make an impact in 2018.
At 4:00 p.m. ET on March 14, the NFL’s 99th fiscal year begins. The much-discussed trades of Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins and Marcus Peters to the Los Angeles Rams become official. Players whose contracts ran through the 2017 season expire at that aforementioned time.
We are not far away for the deadlines to designate “franchise” and “transition” players. And we are on the verge of that time when so-called “legal tampering” can occur as team try to lure perspective free agents away from their current clubs.
But did you notice that, on Monday, the Buffalo Bills added cornerback Vontae Davis – who played for the Indianapolis Colts in 2017? Earlier this month, the Oakland Raiders released cornerback David Amerson and soon afterwards, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs. So what gives?
To put it simply, there’s a difference between a player whose contact expires at the end of the league fiscal year and a performer having his contract terminated. For Davis, the Colts cut him loose last November. For Amerson, he was let go this offseason.
On Monday, the Carolina Panthers parted ways with 11-year defensive end Charles Johnson and free safety Kurt Coleman. The Chicago Bears, who released inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman last week, cut outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and strong safety Quintin Demps – the latter after one season with the club. Each of these players can sign with a club immediately.
Earlier in February, we saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers release running back Doug Martin, defensive lineman Chris Baker and kicker Nick Folk. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars let running back Chris Ivory go. All four of these individuals can latch on with another franchise immediately.
Next: NFL Free Agency: Top 50 players, signing predictions
The real fun when it comes to the NFL offseason takes place in a few weeks. But for teams looking to do a little early shopping and perhaps finding an early bargain or two, there are already some interesting names when it comes to the “street” free-agent list. It will be intriguing to see how quickly any of the aforementioned players find a home.