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The legal tampering period kicked off on Monday, and 4 pm New York time Wednesday is not just the start of free agency, it also marks the deadline for NFL teams to tender their exclusive rights free agents (ERFAs) and restricted free agents (RFAs).
To that extent, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times is reporting that the Seattle Seahawks will tender all of their ERFAs.
My understanding --- the Seahawks were expected to tender every Exclusive Rights FA today. So that'd be Ott, Hunt, McKissic, K. Reed, Moore, Calitro, Simmons, Mutcherson, Jackson and Ellerbee, among others. Sort of a formality but something that has to get done by Wednesday.
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) March 12, 2019
This has obviously been expected, and as Bob points out is more of a formality than anything else. However, in seasons past the team has declined to tender one or more ERFA, so it is noteworthy in that every single one of them received a tender offer.
A tender offer for an ERFA is nothing more than a contract offer for a single season. Teams have the ability to tender players at a level that is above minimum salary, but the overwhelming majority of tenders are for the league minimum for the player’s experience level.
The full list of ERFAs for the Seahawks is as follows:
- Guard Jordan Simmons,
- Linebacker Austin Calitro,
- Linebacker Emmanuel Ellerbe,
- Defensive end Ricky Ali’ifua,
- Safety T.J. Mutcherson,
- Wide receiver David Moore,
- Safety Shalom Luani,
- Long snapper Tyler Ott,
- Defensive end Branden Jackson,
- Wide receiver J.D. McKissic,
- Center Joey Hunt,
- Cornerback Kalan Reed, and
- Safety T.J. Green
With RFA tenders also due on Wednesday at 4 pm, we should know more about the team’s decisions on tackle George Fant, defensive end Quinton Jefferson and fullback Tre Madden in the next 24 to 48 hours.