Apologies to the Friday night open thread but this is your brand new open thread for the evening.

Tonight is the "soft launch" of the 2013 NFL free agency period when teams can contact the agents for unrestricted free agents. It all gets going at 11:00 p.m. (Arrowhead Time) and, yes, part of the reason I'm posting it now is I'm worried I won't be able to stay awake.

I've been excited about this three-day negotiation period, what with all the rumors likely to come out. But it sounds like there won't be a "deal in principle" with anyone. Or at least there shouldn't be. Via ESPN's Adam Schefter, an NFL memo sent to NFL teams:

"Clubs are advised that prior to the beginning of the new League Year it is impermissible for a club to enter into an agreement of any kind, express or implied, oral or written, or promises, undertakings, representations, commitments, inducements, assurances of intent or understandings of any kind concerning the terms or conditions of employment offered to, or to be offered to, any prospective Unrestricted Free Agent for inclusion in a Player Contract after the start of the new League Year. Any announcement of an agreement or an agreement in principle by a club or another party, including, but not limited to, a certified agent, player, or media organization may subject the club to a tampering investigation."

Here are all the rules for what we've been calling the "legal tampering" period.

Update: The games really have begun. The Chiefs signed Dunta Robinson.

Update 2:

Even with Dunta Robinson in the fold, the Chiefs have shown an interest in CB Sean Smith early on in the contact period.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 9, 2013