The NFL free-agent frenzy may begin as soon as Monday afternoon if the NFL Players Association signs off on a timeline being discussed, according to a source. According to the projected timeline, the new league year would officially start next Tuesday afternoon. Until then: -- Teams can sign their own free agents and begin talking with other unrestricted free agents Monday afternoon. -- Teams can begin signing unrestricted free agents Tuesday at noon ET but those contracts would not take effect until Aug. 2. -- Teams can begin talking trades Monday afternoon. Any trades would become official on Saturday, July 30.