FanGM

As I finish getting everything ready for 2014 off-season, I wanted to give people the opportunity to let me know when they have big conflicts over the next two months. We can't gear an entire schedule for 96 teams based upon one individual's schedule, but if we have several people not as available during a particular week it might be considered as we pick our free agency start and draft dates.

About the draft, it's moved back into May in reality this year. "The 2014 NFL Draft returns to primetime, with the first round taking place Thursday, May 8, followed by the second and third rounds on Friday, May 9. Rounds 4-7 will be held Saturday, May 10." We're usually start our round+ a day soon after the real draft ends.

OFF-SEASON SCHEDULE EXPECTATIONS:

- I believe we'll have GM check-ins and setting franchise/transition tagging this week. LTC signing also at that time.

- We'll set a date for free agency start (based partially upon feedback received as well as discussed changes needed to scripts). We'd probably give teams 2 weeks or so before that to ensure everyone has come back (or been replaced) and entered their tags, etc.

- Trading will open up probably about a week before free agency starts.

- We'll do the draft shortly after the NFL draft.

These are all tentative ideas with no firm dates yet and still work I have to get done in order to have them happen. We'll also soon finish up off-season rules discussions as we gear up for new season action so if anything big remaining you'd want to discuss let me know.

I'm at the point where I probably need to see about expansion and making more things happen here or just be content in keeping small but transfer some responsibilities to others. We'll make a push for making more happen first, as I'm optimistic that we'll expand league(s) this off-season but probably not until the existing league off-season is largely over and we head into a down period before training camps. The new leagues if they happen will first be open to new people without a team (and existing players as need to fill spots) and probably starting an entry fee to join for new players in new leagues ahead (not impacting existing players with existing teams on existing leagues). Don't contact me about a spot in those yet, as not sure it'll even happen but won't until after all our free agency and drafts for existing leagues, and if so we'll have more on that and processes at that time.

With a 24 hour clock, I don't see FA being an issue at all, but when it comes to the draft, I'd like to be around as much as humanly possible.

Either way, here are some important dates where I won't be around most or all of the day:

3/31- Tigers Opening Day. Its a holiday here in Detroit, and I'll be out all day and night. There might be a beer or 3 involved.

4/26- Spartan Race- my first race of the year on this day. I'll be traveling to Indiana, so I'll be gone all day.

5/18- 5K. I won't be around for at least the morning, and perhaps part of the afternoon.

Sportnut, what part of Detroit are you from? My dad was born in Dearborn and my family lives in the metro area (Rockwood, Taylor, Lincoln Park, etc.).

As for dates I will be away on safari Wed April 9-Sun April 13 with no internet access. However, starting free agency on April 13 would be no problem for me.

Knighty Knight wrote:Sportnut, what part of Detroit are you from? My dad was born in Dearborn and my family lives in the metro area (Rockwood, Taylor, Lincoln Park, etc.).

As for dates I will be away on safari Wed April 9-Sun April 13 with no internet access. However, starting free agency on April 13 would be no problem for me.

I grew up in St. Clair Shores, lived in Roseville for a bit after the Marines, Eastpointe and Clinton Township after getting married.

They are all on the eastside, just outside Detroit.

I will make any day work here!!

thanks
al

sportznut wrote: 5/18- 5K. I won't be around for at least the morning, and perhaps part of the afternoon.

You'd better do some better training if running 3.1 miles makes you miss 3/4ths of a day. Just kidding!

Jared A wrote:

sportznut wrote: 5/18- 5K. I won't be around for at least the morning, and perhaps part of the afternoon.

You'd better do some better training if running 3.1 miles makes you miss 3/4ths of a day. Just kidding!

Nice. Actually, I'm running it with a friend's kid (my niece for all intents and purposes). The drive is about an hour in each direction, and I figure we'll hang out a little bit afterward too. The 5K I did last year, I came in at just under 24 minutes. I'm not as fast as I used to be. Anything under 27 minutes, and I'll be satisfied.

Two weeks of non-stop work behind me means I'm good to go until the little one arrives sometime around June 4. Then I'll be around...just at weirder hours

Considering that nothing we do really requires more than a check-in once every 24 hours, I don't have any strict conflict dates. However, my work schedule significantly opens up after the first week in April.

I'll be out of town April 12th-13th, but would have limited internet access - not a big deal.