Notwithstanding Section 4(b) above, if a player is drafted by a Club and, during the period between the Draft and the next annual Draft, signs a contract with, plays for, or is employed by a professional football team not in the NFL during all or any part of the 12-month period following the initial Draft, then the drafting Club (or any assignee Club) shall retain the exclusive NFL rights to negotiate for and sign a contract with the player until the day of the Draft three League Years after the initial Draft, and shall thereafter have a Right of First Refusal as described herein, and the player may receive offers from any Club at any time thereafter. The player shall notify the NFLPA and the NFL of his desire to sign a contract with an NFL Club and of the date on which the player will be free of his other contractual obligations of employment, if any. Within thirty days of receipt of such notice by the NFL or the date of the availability of such player, whichever is later, the NFL Club that drafted the player must tender a Player Contract as set forth in Section 3 above to the player in order to retain its rights to that player, as detailed below.

For a player to whom the drafting Club retains the exclusive NFL rights pursuant to Section 4(a) above, the Club must tender a four-year NFL Player Contract for the Minimum Active/Inactive List Salary for such League Years, within the thirty-day period specified in Subsection (a) above. If the player is released through waivers, the player immediately becomes an Undrafted Rookie, with the right to sign an NFL Player Contract with any Club, subject to the provisions of Article 7, and any Club is then free to negotiate for and sign a Player Contract with such player, without any Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.

For players with respect to whom the drafting Club retains a Right of First Refusal pursuant to this Section 5, during each League Year the player shall be treated as if he were a Restricted Free Agent not subject to Draft Choice Compensation, as described in Article 9, Section 2, except as otherwise set forth in this Section 5. For such players subject to a Right of First Refusal, the Club must tender a four-year NFL Player Contract for the Minimum Active/Inactive List Salary for such League Years within the thirty-day period specified in Subsection (a) above. The amount of such tender and/or any Player Contract entered into with the player shall not be subject to the Rookie Compensation Pool. If the Club does not make or withdraws the Required Tender, the player immediately becomes an Undrafted Rookie, with the right to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, subject to the applicable provisions of Article 7, and any Club is then free to negotiate for and sign a Player Contract with such player, without any Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.