NFL Teams Can Sign Free Agents Without Surrendering Compensatory Picks

Now that he ever-important June 1 deadline has passed, the Falcons suddenly are sitting on more than $3 million in additional cap space, as Jeanna Thomas noted yesterday. There's one added advantage to that cap space: Any free agents the Falcons sign now won't have an impact on the compensatory draft pick equation.

These are the rules of the NFL, and they're helpful for those free agents who have lingered on the market all this time. If you're sitting on additional cap space thanks to post-June 1 cuts and players you might be interested in won't cause you to lose out on a compensatory draft selection for 2015, it's a hell of a lot easier to pull the trigger.

Expect the Falcons to poke around the market, but you'll likely see the team get more aggressive about any signings after other teams have started making their cuts, not now. Still, keep an eye on players like Jermichael Finley, among others, as the team looks to add depth and competition at positions that are still a bit weak.

Anyone you hope the Falcons will target?