Bengal RFAs and ERFAs

[*ochocincos*]

The following guys are set to hit FA but are actually restricted, so they should be easy to retain if the Bengals want them back:

Restricted Free Agents (RFA):
Tanner Hudson
Mitchell Wilcox
Trenton Irwin

Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFA):
Cal Adomitis
Jake Browning

What each means:
RFA - A team places a tender on the RFA. The tender can be either a 1st round, 2nd round, and right-of-first-refusal. A tender is a 1-year contract with a value based on the type of tender that is placed.
The original team would then have opportunity to match an offer that another team has extended to said player.
If another team were to sign that player in FA, the original team would receive that round of tender placed on the player.
It's because of this that you don't often see RFAs leave their original team until they become UFAs.

ERFA - All a team has to do for an ERFA is extend a "qualifying offer" to said FA to retain them. Per Pro Football Network, "A qualifying offer is just a one-year contract at the league minimum salary based on the player's experience level."

I would expect probably Browning, Adomitis, Hudson, and Irwin to be back in stripes next year because of these FA designations.

[Clark W Griswold]

Because none of them will break the bank, I would lean towards bringing them all back.
I liked Hudson and think he’s a no brainer to bring back.
They could replace Wilcox with a draft pick if they want to go a little cheaper at the 3rd/4th TE spot.

[Bengalholic]

(01-19-2024, 01:49 PM)ochocincos Wrote: The following guys are set to hit FA but are actually restricted, so they should be easy to retain if the Bengals want them back:

Restricted Free Agents (RFA):
Tanner Hudson
Mitchell Wilcox
Trenton Irwin

Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFA):
Cal Adomitis
Jake Browning

What each means:
RFA - A team places a tender on the RFA. The tender can be either a 1st round, 2nd round, and right-of-first-refusal. A tender is a 1-year contract with a value based on the type of tender that is placed.
The original team would then have opportunity to match an offer that another team has extended to said player.
If another team were to sign that player in FA, the original team would receive that round of tender placed on the player.
It's because of this that you don't often see RFAs leave their original team until they become UFAs.

ERFA - All a team has to do for an ERFA is extend a "qualifying offer" to said FA to retain them. Per Pro Football Network, "A qualifying offer is just a one-year contract at the league minimum salary based on the player's experience level."

I would expect probably Browning, Adomitis, Hudson, and Irwin to be back in stripes next year because of these FA designations.

I thought Hudson has 4 accrued seasons...which should make him unrestricted?

[George Cantstandya]

(01-19-2024, 09:18 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: I thought Hudson has 4 accrued seasons...which should make him unrestricted?

I thought so too.  He has 4 accrued seasons (19,20,22,23 he didn't play enough games in 21) .  Over the Cap has him listed as UFA:

https://overthecap.com/player/tanner-hudson/7519

But Spotrac and Cincy Jungle have him listed as RFA:

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/cincinnati-bengals/tight-end//
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2024/1/16/24040622/cincinnati-bengals-2024-nfl-free-agents

So I'm a bit confused on that one.

[Bengalholic]

(01-19-2024, 09:55 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: I thought so too.  He has 4 accrued seasons (19,20,22,23 he didn't play enough games in 21) .  Over the Cap has him listed as UFA:

https://overthecap.com/player/tanner-hudson/7519

But Spotrac and Cincy Jungle have him listed as RFA:

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/cincinnati-bengals/tight-end//
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2024/1/16/24040622/cincinnati-bengals-2024-nfl-free-agents

So I'm a bit confused on that one.

Yeah, he has seasons of 9, 11, 2, 11 and 12 games. So, he definitely has 4 accrued seasons.

[George Cantstandya]

(01-19-2024, 10:07 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Yeah, he has seasons of 9, 11, 2, 11 and 12 games. So, he definitely has 4 accrued seasons.

I was thinking it might have to do with him being on and off practice squads but I thought teams can only elevate someone off the practice squad three times before signing them to the 53.  So even in 2019  when he had 9 games if 3 of those were practice squad promotions 6 should have been when he was on the regular roster.  I don't know.  NFL rules are complicated with so many, "If this then that but not always and sometimes this, maybe," type stuff.    

[Bengalholic]

(01-19-2024, 10:14 PM)George Cantstandya Wrote: I was thinking it might have to do with him being on and off practice squads but I thought teams can only elevate someone off the practice squad three times before signing them to the 53.  So even in 2019  when he had 9 games if 3 of those were practice squad promotions 6 should have been when he was on the regular roster.  I don't know.  NFL rules are complicated with so many, "If this then that but not always and sometimes this, maybe," type stuff.    

Edit: Pro Football Network has him listed as an UFA also:

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/state-of-the-cincinnati-bengals-tight-end-2024/

Unless they've changed it recently...the rule to get credit for an accrued season was that the player just has to be on the active roster, IR or PUP for at least 6 games during the season.

[George Cantstandya]

(01-19-2024, 10:29 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: Unless they've changed it recently...the rule to get credit for an accrued season was that the player just has to be on the active roster, IR or PUP for at least 6 games during the season.

Understood.  I was kind of just thinking out loud above wondering if there were possible situations where practice squad elevations might not count toward the required number of games.  Some strange rule or something.  But you and the CBA answered that for me:
 
https://overthecap.com/collective-bargaining-agreement/article/33/section/5

Quote:Any games for which a player is elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List in this manner shall count for purposes of earning a Credited Season for both minimum salary and pension credit and an Accrued Season for purposes of free agency, even though the player is playing under the Standard Elevation Addendum to his Practice Squad Player Contract.

:)