2020 Off-Season Update

[Goodell]

A few quick notes about free agency starting in less than 10 hours (noon ET on Friday).

We have adjusted the minimums for young players under 3 years to $610K. The new veteran minimum is $910K. Previously those were 450K and 760K.

Like last year, there are no 1-year bids on the first day. That's to help keep down an avalanche of cheap minimum deals flying through as well as reflect the reality that NFL players don't sign veteran minimums quickly but end up going to that if no other interest. viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1619#p18875

Once free agency starts, you get unlimited bids toward your own players and 5 bids per 24 hours on other players. If you place a bid at 10:01, it will renew and you'll get that bid back 24 hours later at 10:01 tomorrow. If you place another bid at 10:15, you'll get it back 10:15 tomorrow.

On strategy, to each their own, but sometimes you come out of day 1 better if you aren't the very first bid on players but wait to see how the markets develop and bid accordingly with a little patience. The early bird doesn't always get the worm, but sometimes puts in 5 bids quickly to see them all immediately countered and they get nothing out of day 1 but frustration.

There are no do-overs in free agency. I'll only make a fix if you fat-finger an extra zero or something and you contact me immediately. Look at your bid carefully before submitting. ESPECIALLY if your bid includes a signing bonus (guaranteed money you can't ever get out of no matter what cut/trade/retire). You and only you will ever pay the signing bonus. You can trade a player or cut them to get rid of their unguaranteed annual salary, but whatever signing bonus you bid you will pay one way or another no matter what (either split up over the years of the deal as cap value if they remain on your team or as a cap hit when moved off the roster).

I have reset the compensatory picks for UFA gains/losses. Only UFAs gains/losses who are associated with teams with unlimited bids count toward compensatory picks. You aren't eligible for any compensatory picks if you sign more UFAs than you lose. If you sign a UFA with a similar grade to a UFA you lose, those cancel each other our for compensatory pick considerations. Also only the top 32 eligible biggest free agency losses get compensatory picks and teams can only get 4 max. Compensatory picks go toward the 2021 draft, not this year's upcoming draft. There is a running compensatory pick chart on the league homepages.

Should be fun as the best time of the off-season with free agency and the draft approach. If you have any questions let me know.

[Goodell]

I have gone through the restricted free agents (RFA) for those with original tenders (or no tender entered by some teams) and checked their NFL draft status. I've put in the NFL draft round as compensation in applicable cases and no compensation for undrafted free agents in the NFL marked as restricted free agents here with no NFL draft round for compensation.

[Goodell]

Also make sure to do a little research on the players you're putting especially big bids on. We use real injuries, real suspensions, real retirements, etc. A player's grade today can go up or down later. There will be another madden grade update usually before the season and then weekly grade updates.

[robroach]

Will the veteran minimum for a one year deal be $610k now?

[Goodell]

Will the veteran minimum for a one year deal be $610k now?

Yes, tomorrow I'll turn the ability to enter 1-year bids on and the minimum for any 1-year deal will be 610K.

[tino38]

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[Goodell]

Yup, that's how I feel too.

If you watched the NFL draft or reading articles about draft picks, our draft pages are now up!

- See your exact pick windows of when your picks will be due.
- Rank players in draft queue, just in case you don't show for your pick window you'll still get a player you like based upon your ranking.
- Mark your picks if you want to move up or down, so that other teams looking to move will find trade partners.

Our draft will start Saturday, May 16th. Click the draft link in top menu.

We'll end peak free agency with franchise tags, matching/compensation and unlimited bidding, etc. a week before that.

[Knighty Knight]

The minimum roster spot cap hit needs to be updated from $450k to $610k. I know it doesn’t really mean anything until the season starts but it does throw of the salary cap calculation but a decent amount for those teams under 53 right now. May already be in the works but just though I’d mention it since I just noticed.

[robroach]

Question: I just checked the Draft Que and noticed nobody had multiple positions - T/G, OLB/DE, etc. When is that added? And who makes those decisions? Position flexibility can make a big impact on where a player is drafted.

[Goodell]

Question: I just checked the Draft Que and noticed nobody had multiple positions - T/G, OLB/DE, etc. When is that added? And who makes those decisions? Position flexibility can make a big impact on where a player is drafted.

For the draft process, we've never had multiple positions on the draft queue to keep it simple and because of the options to choose the best available player at a primary position. They'd get multiple positions (if they play multiple positions in reality) once they are on the team rosters here. People can submit position changes to me from the player profile page as usual or send me a PM if you notice a player who should be listed under a different primary position for draft or made available for multiple positions once on team rosters.

If you want to draft a player because he's going to be a center in reality but listed as a guard on the draft page, for example, just draft the player because he'll be made eligible for center if his NFL team is using him as a center.