<P> Like the other major sports leagues in the United States, the NFL maintains protocol for a disaster draft . In the event of a' near disaster' (less than 15 players killed or disabled) that caused the club to lose a quarterback, they could draft one from a team with at least three quarterbacks . In the event of a' disaster' (15 or more players killed or disabled) that results in a club's season being cancelled, a restocking draft would be held . Neither of these protocols has ever had to be implemented . </P> <P> Free agents in the National Football League are divided into restricted free agents, who have three accrued seasons and whose current contract has expired, and unrestricted free agents, who have four or more accrued seasons and whose contract has expired . An accrued season is defined as "six or more regular - season games on a club's active / inactive, reserved / injured or reserve / physically unable to perform lists". Restricted free agents are allowed to negotiate with other clubs besides their former club, but the former club has the right to match any offer . If they choose not to, they are compensated with draft picks . Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any club, and no compensation is owed if they sign with a different club . </P> <P> Clubs are given one franchise tag to offer to any unrestricted free agent . The franchise tag is a one - year deal that pays the player 120% of his previous contract or no less than the average of the five highest - paid players at his position, whichever is greater . There are two types of franchise tags: exclusive tags, which do not allow the player to negotiate with other clubs, and non-exclusive tags, which allow the player to negotiate with other clubs but gives his former club the right to match any offer and two first - round draft picks if they decline to match it . </P> <P> Clubs also have the option to use a transition tag, which is similar to the non-exclusive franchise tag but offers no compensation if the former club refuses to match the offer . Due to that stipulation, the transition tag is rarely used, even with the removal of the "poison pill" strategy (offering a contract with stipulations that the former club would be unable to match) that essentially ended the usage of the tag league - wide . Each club is subject to a salary cap, which is set at US $143.28 million for the 2015 season, US $10 million more than in 2014 and US $20 million more than in 2013 . The salary cap for the 2016 NFL season was $155.27 million . The salary cap for the 2017 NFL season was about $167 million . </P>

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