New England Patriots Went on Free-Agent Frenzy Monday si.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from si.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
NFL free agency 2021: Justin Herbert, Seattle Seahawks, Marcus Mariota among the winners and losers after Day 1
Updated Mar 16, 2021;
Posted Mar 16, 2021
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback is probably smiling after the Chargers made major improvements to their offensive line by signing top-tier free agents on Day 1 of the free agency period. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)AP
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Day 1 of the NFL’s 2021 free agency period kicked off with plenty of financial fireworks Monday. The league’s “legal tampering” period started Monday and the cash started flowing early and continued nonstop despite a sharp reduction in the league’s salary cap for each team in 2021.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
On Wednesday afternoon, the NFL’s 2021 league year will officially begin. As has been the case every season since 2013, the start of that new season as well as free agency are preceded by the so-called “legal tampering period” a three-day window that is often mentioned but does spark plenty of questions.
So, what is its exactly? And how does legal tampering impact the New England Patriots and the league as a whole? Let’s dig into the matter to find out.
What is the legal tampering window?
In 2013, the NFL wanted to crack down on pre-free agency tampering by clubs via the introduction of the legal tampering period a 52-hour window during which all pending unrestricted free agents are allowed to enter preliminary negotiations with the other organizations in the league, not just the ones that still hold their rights until the official start of free agency on March 17 at 4 pm ET.