On Thursday, all the free agent signings are supposed to be made official after almost a week of players hanging in limbo. For Tarvaris Jackson, Sidney Rice and numerous other Seattle Seahawks who just inked contracts, it's been a waiting game. They can show up to practice, sit through meetings and watch film, but can't actually take the field to work with their teams.
According to the timeline released at the end of the NFL lockout, Aug. 4 was the day for free agents. Their contracts would be made official then, coinciding with the new collective bargaining agreement being put into place. But ESPN's John Clayton says not to fast (via Doug Farrar).
@ClaytonESPN says on @BrockandSalk that the lingering CBA issues could delay free agents playing with their new teams until early next week.
Teams are already behind the curve after an offseason without mini-camps and team activities. Now, with even less time to bring new players into the mix, teams such as the Seahawks are way behind. With a new offensive coordinator and new-look offense, the Seahawks need all the time on the field they can get, especially with their new players.
Any delay could severely hamper the Seahawks and many other teams. As of now, this is just Clayton speculating, it seems, but there is a possibility free agents could still be on the sidelines through the weekend. Even with the NFL lockout over, we're continuing to see lingering affects.