TSN’s Farhan Lalji and Matthew Scianitti discuss how players and GMs have felt about this year’s new negotiating window.

What do you hear from general managers and agents about the new negotiating window rule this year?

Lalji: I don’t think it completely eliminated tampering, but a number of GMs and agents I talked to who were a little bit cynical going into the process actually believe there has been a bit of a difference made. They do have a better sense of what the actual marketplace is for their players. And for GMs, they have a better sense for what they’re looking at having to pay to get guys. In terms of formal offers to the league, that’s been negligible, but there is a better sense of what the market is.

From a player prospective, players have now been able to talk to coaches and really get much more comfortable with where they might potentially be landing and what their roles are going to be, as opposed to having to make a rushed decision at the opening of free agency. I do think it’s had a positive effect.

The shadow of 2019 still hangs over this free agency because so much money was committed to quarterbacks last year. In terms of the creative accounting that teams are going to have to do to account for those big QB deals, how will that affect free agency?

Lalji: And teams are even paying the mid-level starters more. Guys like Vernon Adams, Matt Nichols, Nick Arbuckle, and others are getting paid substantially more and that’s had an effect too.

But also, don’t minimize the effect of the minimum salary that has now gone up by almost $10K to $65K per player. So if you had 10-11 players on entry-level deals a year ago, all of those players need to be given raises. Plus, you’re expecting another 10-11 players, including your draft picks, to come in this year and they’re going to be paid more than what you normally budget for.

You’ve got the high-end with the quarterbacks, you’ve got the low-end being paid more, and the veteran players, both Canadians and Americans, are being squeezed out right now dollar-wise.