Free agency actually started on Monday, when the illegal tampering window yielded to the legal tampering window. It technically begins at 4:00 p.m. ET today.
That’s when the new league year commences. That’s when the negotiated contracts between free agents and new teams can be finalized. (Until then, the players can change their minds, as kicker Wil Lutz has already done.)
It’s when some players will be released, like Russell Wilson. He’s still under contract with the Broncos; he’ll be cut with a post-June 1 designation, and then he’ll sign with the Steelers.
It’s when planned trades that we know about can become official. It’s when trades we don’t know about can happen.
It’s when the cap numbers of the 51 highest-paid players must fit under the $255.4 million salary cap.
Will there be surprises? Maybe. For now, many of the moves to come already are known. When the clock strikes four, we’ll expect the unexpected. Hell, we’ll be actively rooting for it.
