Atlanta Falcons: Legal tampering period begins in free agency

The Atlanta Falcons now have permission to talk to agents of players whose contracts are set to expire.

Welcome to the “legal tampering” period of free agency. It’s a strange name, but it’s an important time for all 32 NFL teams. Free agency officially gets underway at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and beginning negotiations on Monday and Tuesday could be the difference between signing a player on Wednesday or not.

Here’s a summary of what the “legal tampering” period means for the Atlanta Falcons, according to Dan Hanzus of NFL.com:

"“During the two-day period, all teams have the right to negotiate “all aspects of an NFL player contract” with the certified agent of an impending free agent. Figures can be exchanged on a deal, but nothing can be agreed to or announced before the start of free agency on Wednesday.”"

Translation: The Falcons can speak with pending free agents and negotiate a deal. The contract can’t be made official until Wednesday, but it can be effectively agreed beforehand.

Maybe Bruce Irvin decides he wants to become an Atlanta Falcon, maybe Danny Trevathan will be on the way. We won’t know for sure until Wednesday, but the tampering period is an important part of the process. This is why we’ll see a flurry of deals announced shortly after the contracts expire.

Which players could be on the Falcons’ radar? Wide receivers Mohamed Sanu and Travis Benjamin are said to be among them. The Falcons are looking for a No. 2 wideout to complement Julio Jones. Doing so in free agency would mean the team’s five draft picks can be focused on defense.

Who do you want to see in Atlanta?

Next: Who would be the perfect free agent signings?

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