Today we learned that the Patriots placed a first round RFA tender on Malcolm Butler. This blog hopes to explain the RFA tender process.
BACKGROUND:
A restricted free agent is a player with 3 or less accrued seasons at the completion of their contract. The team can choose one of three right of refusal tenders on the player. A first round tender, second round tender, or original draft position tender. Each tender has an assigned contract value amount. Another team can attempt to sign the player to a new contract, but the original team has the right to match it.