from NFL site: http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d815da1d2&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true Q. What is the Final Eight Plan? A. During the Final League Year, the eight clubs that make the Divisional Playoffs in the previous season have additional restrictions that limit their ability to sign unrestricted free agents from other clubs. In general, the four clubs participating in the championship games are limited in the number of free agents that they may sign; the limit is determined by the number of their own free agents signing with other clubs. They cannot sign any UFAs unless one of theirs is signed by another team. For the four clubs that lost in the Divisional Playoffs, in addition to having the ability to sign free agents based on the number of their own free agents signing with other clubs, they may also sign players based on specific financial parameters. Those four only will be permitted to sign one unrestricted free agent for $5.5 million (estimated) or more in year one of the contract, plus the number of their UFAs who sign with another team. They also can sign any unrestricted free agents for less than $3.7 (estimated) million in year one of the contract with limitations on the per year increases. In the case of all final eight teams, the first year salary of UFAs they sign to replace those lost cannot exceed the first year salary of the player lost with limitations on the per year increases. They can sign "street" FAs, ie players cut/release thus having their contract voided and enter FAs via the street so to speak.
The teams that reached each conference championship game can't sign a FA unless they lose one. The question is does losing a player VIA a trade count? Those teams are also limited on how much they can pay a FA.
Trading away a player or trading for a player does not change the ability to sign UFA, until a UFA is signed away from you as a final 4/8 team. Also, you can not trade a UFA since its not yours to trade...but you can trade a RFA however.
I believe they can get Atogwe since he's a RFA not an UFA, Sharper is UFA though and not sure about Clarker? Names not ringing a bell LOL
