Every year I hear a little more buzz about the restricted free agent market from an enterprising NFL executive or two, and how this is the year we see some actual movement with the largely ignored player pool.
This is the year, so they say, that multiple teams explore this labor demographic, consequences be damned.
You see, despite any number of quality players being tendered at a low rate every year through the RFA process, teams generally stay away. They don’t want to rock the boat, the common perception goes. They don’t want to sign restricted players to offer sheets only to have their current team retain them anyway (thus in essence doing the work of another team and negotiating a new long-term deal for them). And lastly, they don’t want it to be perceived that their owner drove up the cost of labor for another owner to no real gain of his own.
And, while no one would ever say it out loud, plenty of people at the NFLPA would tell you they believe the teams largely want to sit this mode of free agency out, lest they begin to drive up prices for many former undrafted players who already face a long haul to get to the market to earn the money they are rightfully commanding with their strong play on the field.
Slowly, though, thanks in large part to the Patriots, things may be changing.
The Patriots explored receiver Emmanuel Sanders a few years back. They hosted several restricted free agents for visits last year before plucking receiver Chris Hogan away from the Bills.
They are now at the center of the market again with corner Malcolm Butler drawing attention from several teams and set to visit the Saints on Thursday. And I’d be shocked if Butler is not traded in the coming days or weeks, because that $14 million or so a year a year he is seeking won’t be happening in New England, where they just gave that money to former Bills corner Stephon Gilmore.
The Saints should have plenty of competition.
Why aren’t the Browns being more active?
Give me one good reason why the Browns -- desperate for cornerback help, unable to lure the best talent in unrestricted free agency to their rebuild and who just spent $16 million to buy a second-round pick -- shouldn’t actively pursue Butler? Why isn’t his next visit in Cleveland? They have to spend to a minimum level, the owner finally looks willing to do so this year and corner is a very real need.
Cleveland does plenty of business with the Patriots already (see the Barkevious Mingo and Jamie Collins trades) and the Browns are so overloaded with picks in the top three rounds of the next two drafts that they are an easy trade match with New England far beyond just the Jimmy Garoppolo trade the Browns hope to eventually consummate.
If I am a team like the Titans or 49ers as well, I’m exploring this market.
The Patriots are only going to spend so much on a second corner and are in the market for picks -- and it’s not like they aren’t open to moving Butler. In fact, it would be shocking if they don’t move him at this point.
So, yeah, we’ve got legit restricted free agent action and I suspect it’s not a total anomaly, especially for offensive linemen, which are so difficult to find these days. Hence the Rams’ two-year offer sheet extended to Bills lineman Ryan Groy. Would anyone want to take a flier on Patriots offensive lineman Cam Fleming in the restricted free agent market as well?
I love the way Vikings receiver Adam Thielen came on last year, and with the unrestricted free agent receiver market already picked through, could a rebuilding team cast their lot in his direction? Sure, you might think the Vikings will do what they have to do to keep him, but why not force their hand? That second-round tender shouldn’t scare away teams with ample draft picks.
We’ll see who is really going for it and who isn’t. But for the Browns in particular, and their “Moneyball” mentality, I would expect them to try to take advantage of an underutilized market to procure talent.
