2010 Declaration date question

[emerald]

I see last year the roster declarations were here in Chat forum with 1st on Aug 28th through last declaration on September 2nd...
Is that about the same this year? I see the earliest declarations can be made is Aug 15th but most teams seem to wait to see how preseason shakes out.
What is the absolute last acceptable date (deadline) for 2010 declarations?

[Burt the Butcher]

Based on the rules - Not sure why its not more straight forward - I guess that is where you come in John ;-)
---------------------------
The deadline for the announcement of the length of the contracts of players picked up in free agency or the rookie draft will be August 15th each year by midnight (the night before the start of the In-Season Free Agency period which begins on August 16 each NFL season). No player can be traded unless his contract years are declared BEFORE the trade is announced.
------------------------------------
The In-Season Free Agency period begins at 12:00am ET the same evening the Off Season UFA period ends
---------------------------------------
Monday August 29 at 11:59pm - this will be a flexible date each year that basically commences the day after the 3rd pre-season games end (4th for the few teams that play 5). This will be approximately 7-10 days before the NFL regular season kicks off - 2005 Off-Season Free Agency ENDS

Tuesday August 30 (flexible date to be the day after contracts and DS are declared) - opening of 2005 In-Season Free Agency

So taking all this into account, the 3rd pre-season week ends Sunday August 29th, Contract Declarations are due by Midnight Eastern, Sunday August 29th

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Looks like we have a discrepancy, don't we?
After the 3rd Preseason game makes more sense (than the Aug.15), as to give owners time enough to make a decent decision on players.

OF COURSE... a team could declare before, should they desire.

But what about RFA's? I think 8/15 is the earliest they can be traded. So maybe that gives a couple of weeks to move RFAs before having to make final roster declarations on rookies & UFAs?

[Burt the Butcher]

I believe August 15th was the date on 2005 when the rules were written...has this always been the date used in Frenzy?

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

I just searched back 3 seasons... and it's always been the end of August. Guess we need to strike the Aug. 15 date from our rules!

[Burt the Butcher]

Once again, RFA's are bound by same restrictions as contract declarations:
"RFA's cannot be traded prior to the start of in-season free agency (August 15th)."

August 15th was the date of start of in-season FA in 2005...it's still a flexible date based on when the 3rd pre-season week ends in NFL...

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Okay... just to be clear for the entire league... rookies/RFAs/UFAs(offseason) all have to have contracts declared by 11:59pm EST Sunday, Aug.29, 2010. Rookies can be cut without cap hit. Everyone else, however, if they're cut, counts against the cap.

Thanks for helping us get this clarified gang!

[Burt the Butcher]

One more timing question...are declarations due before IR opens, or do both happen at same time, thus we are able to place a player on IR at the time we make our declarations?

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

roster declarations are due BEFORE IR designations can be made. So there must be room on your roster (TS or Active) BEFORE placing a player on IR. Thus salary/roster designations are due by 11:59EST... and IR can be made as of 12:00amEST and later.

[Burt the Butcher]

OK, thanks Jim..that is what I figured and it makes sense...

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Checking the dates... I believe the post we've been using by BURT has a discrepency... it says Monday, Aug. 29 at 11:59pm. It's supposed to be the day AFTER the last week 3 game... so technically, the deadline should be Monday, August 30. And IN-SEASON free agency begins Tuesday at midnight.

FYI... teams who have declared can still make changes before tomorrow night's deadline.