One of the benefits of playing in the first game of the regular season is that the two teams who get their Week One contests out of the way early have dibs on signing vested veterans without having to essentially guarantee their full salaries.
Under the termination pay provision of the labor deal, any player with four or more years of service is eligible to receive -- once in their career -- their full salary for the balance of the season, if the player if on a roster at the start of the season. After Week One, the entitlement to termination pay shrinks dramatically.
Because the Cowboys and Giants have played their opening games, they can now sign those vested veterans without potentially owing them the full balance of their base salary.
That dynamic works against the teams play on Monday night, with the Bengals, Ravens, Chargers, and Raiders not able to avoid the possible full-season obligation until Monday night.
So with the Giants possibly needing defensive backs and the Cowboys possibly needing offensive.
