2011 OFF-SEASON PRIMER

[ctnreds]

Anybody know harddawg123 or Andrew P? Andrew's been a good GM for a long while. When
harddawg was added he mentioned having some friends in the AFFL on his waiting list post.

Don't like to replace GMs, but it's been nearly 3 months without a log in there. Had messages out to them both in all communication channels listed.

Yea I know harddawg123, he's been my best friend for 6 years now. I can vouch for him.

[Goodell]

Anybody know harddawg123 or Andrew P? Andrew's been a good GM for a long while. When
harddawg was added he mentioned having some friends in the AFFL on his waiting list post.

Don't like to replace GMs, but it's been nearly 3 months without a log in there. Had messages out to them both in all communication channels listed.

Yea I know harddawg123, he's been my best friend for 6 years now. I can vouch for him.

Thanks. More than vouching, though, would need to have him back online and managing the team if you can get a hold of him as free agency isn't too far away and want all teams signed-in and ready to go, or have some guys on wait list looking for teams to manage.

[Goodell]

Another free agency reminder people should keep in mind. On the homepage for each league, as well as your team roster and free agency page, there is a running count of UFA signings/losses this off-season.

Keep in mind that just as in the NFL, we'll award compensatory picks to teams that lose more UFAs than they sign. The worse the UFA losses (quality and quantity), the higher the compensatory pick. Those start at the end of the 3rd round through end of the 7th round.

I don't know that it should be a primary thing to focus on if you have salary cap space and trying to improve you team, but if you don't have much cash to re-sign your own players just know that if you end up losing more UFAs than you sign, you'll likely get some compensation for that loss in the next draft.

[Goodell]

Also with the new rule from last year that all teams had to know when someone was going to drop the compensation required for restricted/tagged players for fairness in bidding, just a reminder that if you click on your OWN RFA/tagged player in free agency that it'll let you modify their compensation at the bottom of the form there. That'll update it in free agency for all and make that the official compensation required for bids. You can't accept less compensation from one team than you've advertised is the price for bidding to all other teams.

So click on your own free agent in free agency if you want to change their compensation requirement.

[Goodell]

Finally got to the waiver claims. If you got someone you claimed originally but no longer want, if they have no SB, you can cut them and there is no cap hit for that with unguaranteed annual salary (since no games played yet).

[Goodell]

Deadline for submitting bids on RFA or tagged players on free agent market:
FRIDAY 8/26 11:59PM ET.

At that time, all RFAs or tagged players who haven't received bids will return to their teams at their existing 1-year contract value.

Also...

All Roster Bonuses will be paid by the team holding the player at that time, and that roster bonus transaction will not be movable. If a player is cut or traded after this upcoming Friday who had a RB paid then, the RB payment will stay on the paying team even if the player moves off the roster.

All UFAs will lose their team assignment and just be placed onto the market with no team having unlimited bidding rights for them. As such, any new bids after Friday will not impact the compensatory pick considerations.

We will also setup practice squads then so that teams can start to finalize their 53 man rosters and 8 man practice squad units if desired with the regular season getting closer by then. After Friday, teams will have the option to again cut a player to the practice squad, and if that young player (must be under 4 years service) CLEARS WAIVERS then he'll be moved to a team's practice squad. Teams can also add qualifying players on the free agent market to their practice squad after Friday. Practice squad players are essentially still free agents not under contract that any team can sign at any time, but if another team signs someone off you practice squad you can match the offer and add them to your 53-man roster instead if desired.

With off-season free agency closing and no more matching uncertainty and rosters in flux as much, we'll also start cracking down on the salary cap compliance more then as we get all teams ready to go and under the caps for the season. For waiver claims, after that Friday date, I will no longer award claims to teams who cannot fit that claimed player under their salary cap.

Any tagged player without bids during off-season free agency will have extension options announced at that time.

Free agency will continue to run 24/7 under the same basic rules, but none of the player remaining in the free agency poll will be restricted after Friday, and the only matching considerations will be for practice squads once those are setup on Friday.

All teams will have to be at 53 men or lower by the start of the regular season and be under their salary cap.

[Goodell]

Just a reminder that lots of things happen by the end of the day today (Friday). Any restricted/tagged players without bids will return to their teams and be taken off the market. Any UFA player will have his team association removed (no more unlimited bidding). Roster Bonuses paid (so if you are unsure about a guy with a roster bonus trade/cut on Friday or you'll have that RB all year). Practice squads coming. With no matching situations or big free agents on the market, losing much of that free agency cap flexibility moving forward.

Deadline for submitting bids on RFA or tagged players on free agent market:
FRIDAY 8/26 11:59PM ET.

At that time, all RFAs or tagged players who haven't received bids will return to their teams at their existing 1-year contract value.

Also...

All Roster Bonuses will be paid by the team holding the player at that time, and that roster bonus transaction will not be movable. If a player is cut or traded after this upcoming Friday who had a RB paid then, the RB payment will stay on the paying team even if the player moves off the roster.

All UFAs will lose their team assignment and just be placed onto the market with no team having unlimited bidding rights for them. As such, any new bids after Friday will not impact the compensatory pick considerations.

We will also setup practice squads then so that teams can start to finalize their 53 man rosters and 8 man practice squad units if desired with the regular season getting closer by then. After Friday, teams will have the option to again cut a player to the practice squad, and if that young player (must be under 4 years service) CLEARS WAIVERS then he'll be moved to a team's practice squad. Teams can also add qualifying players on the free agent market to their practice squad after Friday. Practice squad players are essentially still free agents not under contract that any team can sign at any time, but if another team signs someone off you practice squad you can match the offer and add them to your 53-man roster instead if desired.

With off-season free agency closing and no more matching uncertainty and rosters in flux as much, we'll also start cracking down on the salary cap compliance more then as we get all teams ready to go and under the caps for the season. For waiver claims, after that Friday date, I will no longer award claims to teams who cannot fit that claimed player under their salary cap.

Any tagged player without bids during off-season free agency will have extension options announced at that time.

Free agency will continue to run 24/7 under the same basic rules, but none of the player remaining in the free agency poll will be restricted after Friday, and the only matching considerations will be for practice squads once those are setup on Friday.

All teams will have to be at 53 men or lower by the start of the regular season and be under their salary cap.

[Goodell]

Make sure to update your depth chart (link from your team roster) before NFL games start Sunday morning, as we'll freeze depth chart changes then. I will go through each team and make automatic changes for those teams who have ineligible guys still in the depth chart (injured or no longer on team) moving up the highest rated player into that spot.

[paulco]

Any idea when week 1 is gonna sim?

[Goodell]

Any idea when week 1 is gonna sim?

First one a little more involved changing everything to a new year and archiving all the old stuff still. Still finishing/verifying some of the last grades too. Should have the new stats in there soon and probably sim tomorrow.