Panthers tender contracts to free agents

With the NFL's free agency signing period set to begin on Monday, the Carolina Panthers have tendered contracts to their five restricted free agents and six exclusive rights free agents, who in effect remain tied to the team.

A player who is finishing his third season in the League and whose contract expires after the 2005 season qualifies as a restricted free agent. Any player with an expiring contract but with less than three years in the League is an exclusive rights free agent. Carolina can retain the rights to these players by making a qualifying contract offer or tendering a contract.

Restricted Players Tendered Exclusive Rights Players Tendered

Pos Player Round Drafted Pos Player

S Colin Branch Fourth (2003) DT Jordan Carstens

LB Vinny Ciurciu Undrafted FB Casey Cramer

CB Ricky Manning, Jr. Third (2003) DT Atiyyah Ellison

DT Kindal Moorehead Fifth (2003) S Jermaine Hardy

TE Mike Seidman Third (2003) WR Efrem Hill

The Collective Bargaining Agreement between the League and its players predetermines the salary level for the tendered qualifying offers. With Carolina's restricted free agents, the Panthers tender offer ensures a right-of-first-refusal for these players, plus the potential for draft-choice compensation in some cases should the players sign elsewhere. With exclusive rights players, Carolina's tender offer wraps up exclusive negotiating rights with that player for the entire coming year.

A restricted free agent can negotiate with any club through April 21. If the player has not received an offer from another club by April 21, the restricted player's negotiating rights revert exclusively back to the Panthers. Prior to April 21, if the restricted free agent accepts an offer sheet from a new team, Carolina can match the offer and retain him. If the Panthers do not match the offer, they can possibly receive draft-choice compensation. In most cases, a restricted free agent is tendered what is called an original tender. This ensures the right-of-first-refusal plus draft pick compensation, but only if the player was originally drafted when he entered the League. In the event compensation becomes due, the draft choice surrendered by the signing team would be the same as the round in which that player was originally drafted.

There are two higher levels for a restricted free agent, both at higher salary amounts as well. A first-round tender could be made to any player, regardless of that player's original draft position. In this case, the team still retains the right to match any offer, or the team may choose to accept a first-round pick from the signing team. The first-and-third restricted free agent tender is similar, except the draft choice compensation increases by the additional third-round pick received.