2015 RULES: Suggested Topics

[Goodell]

I have some notes of issues brought up throughout the year by others, and a list of my own intentions on areas that could be improved. I'm thinking this year's off-season rules discussions will not be too lengthy (lots of big changes made in the past, perhaps just some smaller tweaks ahead now), but I created this thread for others to add issues they'd like to be discussed if they weren't addressed by some of the rules topics that will be posted in the coming days.

[tino38]

I have been wondering about this for a bit with out LTC. Last year we had a lot of large contracts that gave a bunch of S/B but hardly and salary. If we have a 5-10 higher rated players that get handed huge S/B with little salary, that will then mean rookies either in this class or a future class with be slapped with very small LTC values come time for their chance at a 2nd contract. I believe right now LTC is only based on Salary and Roster Bonus right? Just something I've been wondering about for the future.

[Goodell]

I have been wondering about this for a bit with out LTC. Last year we had a lot of large contracts that gave a bunch of S/B but hardly and salary. If we have a 5-10 higher rated players that get handed huge S/B with little salary, that will then mean rookies either in this class or a future class with be slapped with very small LTC values come time for their chance at a 2nd contract. I believe right now LTC is only based on Salary and Roster Bonus right? Just something I've been wondering about for the future.

It's something to keep an eye on, as we continue to look at those formulas and tweak as needed for the best results. Once I move things to 2015 season finances we'll be able to look at the LTC numbers generated for the new year better through those systems and see if problems coming up to be adjusted. That might be a topic of further discussion, especially once we see how some of the options are looking and if some tweaking should be done there due to market shifts in order to generate the fairest prices ahead.

There may be some differently structured free agent signings that show up smaller salary than they should be in the LTC calculations. There may be some over-pays by other teams that show up too. All of our league-defined contract structures for LTCs and tagging show up with high salaries to maintain that annual value. Definitely will be some odd contracts out there that might shift some LTC calculations one way or another a little for some, but in the end hopefully it generates mostly fair prices on the whole. If not, we'll need to tweak that calculation further as needed ahead.

[Knighty Knight]

Wondering if we will be continuing to increase minimum salaries? This year will rise from $420K to $435K.

Also we should consider add veteran minimum salary benefit rule if not to difficult to design and implement.

http://www.spotrac.com/blog/nfl-minimum ... discounts/

[Goodell]

Wondering if we will be continuing to increase minimum salaries? This year will rise from $420K to $435K.

Also we should consider add veteran minimum salary benefit rule if not to difficult to design and implement.

http://www.spotrac.com/blog/nfl-minimum ... discounts/

My expectation would be to keep pace with the lowest minimum salary NFL increase for youngsters (upping it to $435K for both bidding and empty roster spot charge purposes).

Veteran minimum contracts are more complicated in reality. If you're 5 year vet it's a different number than a 9 year vet. In part because we don't want to have to rely upon needing 100% perfect NFL service tracking and in part for not over-complicating our scripts, we've just had a simplified approach with two minimum salaries. One for rookies and one for veterans in general based upon the 4-6 year NFL level. Last year that was 730K. This year keeping pace would make it 745K.

Last year we had a poll with 3 options to not keep pace, keep pace completely with NFL with various veteran minimum prices for different years, or keep pace with that more simplified approach with just one veteran minimum salary level. That option was by far the most supported, so we'll continue with that ahead and just bump those levels up slightly to continue to keep pace with those NFL levels.

http://www.fangm.com/sportstalk/viewtop ... f=7&t=1038

In some ways allowing all veterans (even 10+ years) to still be signed at the 4-6 service level we use for all is kind of like that Veteran Minimum Salary Benefit Rule. Because we don't use real money and not actually paying people, arguably there's not much game benefit to bidding higher contract to a player but having its cap amount be less since player not really getting that extra cash. Kind of perhaps over confuses free agency bidding if everyone's bidding 745K but it really means something else on the cap. It feels like mostly a real player benefit for real cash in their hands beyond the cap considerations more so than for our cap management game, but it's something to look at. I do have some additional polls coming on additional requirements for the short-term minimum veteran contract bids to make those more realistic and that could be part of that discussion.

[Goodell]

For us, if a long-time NFL vet can sign a 1-year minimum vet contract at their experience level but only have it count against the cap similar to a 2-year vet under that real rule, the simpler way to do that here might be to tweak the free agency bidding requirements slightly.

For just one-year deals, possibly just use the rookie minimum salary limit of $435K for all. That way even higher experienced guys could get a lesser cap figure on the books (like the Veteran Minimum Salary Benefit Rule mentioned) but it would only be under certain conditions like that very short 1-year deal with no SB -- for the roster depth types. That way it wouldn't get too complex making people bid at the veteran minimum price but have it show up on the roster cap as rookie minimum amount.

If you wanted to place a multi-year bid on a veteran player (or pile up the signing bonuses), that veteran minimum salary of $745K would kick in when checking to accepting the bid or not.

You could sign a player to a longer 3-year deal at $435K, but only if they weren't a veteran with over 2 years qualifying for the veteran minimum treatment. The only way a veteran could get a cap salary below $745K vet minimum would be on a 1-year deal only, and that could be justified based upon that NFL rule of veteran minimum guys counting less against the cap.

[Knighty Knight]

I like the idea you suggested of simply tweaking one year deals to league minimum for veterans. I'm all for simplicity.

[Jared A]

I would like the option in our "restructures" to make it front loaded or back loaded. Only two per team per year, but you can go either way with the money.


I don't think we're ready for front loaded contract offers though, but that could be a discussion too.

[Ben C.]

I would like the option in our "restructures" to make it front loaded or back loaded. Only two per team per year, but you can go either way with the money.


I don't think we're ready for front loaded contract offers though, but that could be a discussion too.

Don't we already have the option to have a front loaded contract offer?

[Ben C.]

Speaking of LTCs, I'd like to see us discuss increasing the number allowed to 2 per year. I've been pleased with how the contracts have worked out as they seem pretty fair.