| Advertisement |
With free agency set to start in three days, the NFL sent a reminder to teams in an effort to avoid any issues of tampering. A memo was sent to all teams on Friday, instructing the clubs that it must have received written permission from the employers of potential free agents-to-be, according to ProFootballTalk.com, which obtained a copy of the directive.
Advertisement
"Under no circumstances should a new club rely upon any written or oral representation by a player or his agent that he has received permission to enter into discussions for a trade for contract," the memo said. "Nor should a new club rely upon a letter from the employer club to the agent or player granting such permission since employer clubs typically reserve the right to withdraw permission at any time, and may have already done so. Permission must be received directly from the employer club."
Free agents can begin signing contracts at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, which marks the start of the league's new year. That's also when trades that have already been consummated will become official.
Teams and agents can begin negotiating agreements Monday although no contracts can be signed until after Wednesday afternoon's deadline.
