The next wave of free agency could be primed to begin Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. ET.
The passing of the league-wide deadline signals current veteran players on the open market no longer count in the NFL’s method of calculations for determining compensatory draft picks.
“If teams sign players, they are not counted against the compensatory pick formula,” NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport explained Monday night on Total Access. “In other words, they do not hurt future draft choices. So, you have some players that are simply in a waiting game.”
Teams with money to spend won’t find a drying pool of talent, especially on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.
Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and defensive end Ezekiel Ansah are the highest-ranked unsigned players on NFL.com’s list of Top 101 free agents of 2019, which was published before the start of the new league calendar year.
And in a league where pass rushers are at a premium, Ansah and his 48 career sacks should experience an uptick from interested teams willing to be patient as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
“He had a checkup recently with an expert,” Rapoport said. “He’s going to be ready about early on or midway through training camp. That’s a good sign for him.”
Other players of note from NFL.com’s Top 101 list still seeking a home include cornerback Morris Claiborne, linebacker Jamie Collins, running back Jay Ajayi, safety Glover Quin and outside linebacker Shane Ray, among others.