2015 NFL Free Agency Breakdown

The NFL hasn’t played a game since early February, but it manages to stay in the news constantly. The end of one season brings the hope of better things in the next for 31 of 32 teams. The 32^nd, the Super Bowl champion, tries to hold onto whatever it can.

The next frenzied wave gets unleashed on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET. That’s the official start of the 2015 League Year and the beginning of the free-agent signing period.

Torrey Smith has already announced that he won’t be playing with the Ravens in 2015.

Because the NFL now allows agents to talk to teams before the true start of free agency, news of many big-dollar deals has already leaked out.

Look for talented defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to sign with the Miami Dolphins for $114 million over six years with $60 million guaranteed, forsaking the Detroit Lions. Baltimore Ravens receiver Torrey Smith seems to be headed to the San Francisco 49ers. Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas is eyeing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The contracts the players sign are not always what they seem. Unlike baseball or basketball, NFL contracts are not fully guaranteed. Teams can cut players at any time and not owe them anything but the portions that are specifically guaranteed, such as signing bonuses.

Often, the final years of the contract carry inflated salaries that the team has no intention of paying. But those numbers pump up the value of the deal and the player’s and agent’s egos.

The first gush of free agency will subside in a few days as teams begin to concentrate on the NFL draft at the end of April. Then the “secondary” free-agent market will supply more parts for these machines.

So few games, yet so much action and intrigue.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .