2016 DATES: Free Agency and Draft

[Goodell]

Looking through the check-in notes (sorry if I missed a message about conflicts otherwise but tried to gather everything in that one place for check-in notes), there are a couple of times that seem to possibly fit and avoid mentioned conflicts.

Starting free agency later next week could work well, as we'd get in a lot of the peak activity prior to some noted conflicts a week later, plus the NFL draft will be in the news and hopefully drawing people to activity here. Dates in May between the listed conflicts are tough, but end of May before some June conflicts (including my own which is important as I need to run things) would work. We usually do the draft closer to the NFL draft, but with free agency starting late we could give a later draft a try this year to see how that goes. If most don't want to wait and are cool with peak free agency and the draft overlapping here, we could also do our draft right after the NFL draft next weekend after our free agency started earlier in the week. Our draft usually takes a couple of days for those who haven't been here before.

I'll be away June 4-8th. Other conflicts mentioned were May 5-8, May 10-15, May 12-26, and June 6-15. As I have mentioned, we'll try to keep those in mind but almost impossible to find an ideal time for 96 different teams.

[chiefbrody]

I will be away from May 5-th-8th as well but am open to starting the Draft May 1st if that is the most popular option. If that is the case, I would suggest starting free agency as soon as possible as many teams draft strategies will depend on free agency as well as the possibility of draft picks being involved in free agent bids for tagged players.

[bigphil44]

I for one am dumbfounded that there would actually be people that would vote to have the draft start less than 4-5 days after the start of our free agency. That makes zero sense to me other than the fact that some GM's here have zero patience. How are we going to hold the draft when GM's are still trying to build their team through free agency; especially the newbies taking over for inactive GM's? Can we at least give them a couple of weeks to get a better idea on how they may want to build their team? Also, I can see it now, your in a bidding war over a top free agent while being on the clock at the same time. Really? Are people that impatient? I understand if you have to be out of the country or are on vacation and you voted because of travel and etc....., but yes I'm calling you out if you voted to start the draft May 1st. Please be kind enough to explain your reasoning for this because I can't see why that would be a good idea?

[jerrydlux]

With FA starting so much later, I agree with Phil. It would be a case of the rich getting richer because newbies would have no idea what's going on and unfortunately some GMs may try to take advantage of that.

[kevinl]

Well I voted for Sun may 1st because I actually just looked at Whichever items started on the weekends. I didn't notice that they ran together which isn't good. My thing is that 4 years ago I pleaded to not have the draft on a certain day because I had graduation, you can't even have a phone out to draft (keep in mind I had 4 first round picks). Do you know what day we started, yes on my graduation. So I don't care if we have conflicts, like someone mentioned we should pick a day to start FA and the draft way in advanced. That way it's on you to work around those dates. I for one wouldn't be happy starting anything in June.

[Ritz Blitz]

I'm impatient.

[jmdaz44]

It'd be great if Free Agency could start on a weekend. I can't be very active on here during the work week (which is ironic because I'm writing this at work right now - not the norm) and feel like I'd miss some bids and signings. Of course, that's to others' advantage so maybe that's why people want it to start mid-week. I voted to start it on Friday so I can monitor and participate in the first few crazy days of FA during the weekend.

[soonertf]

It'd be great if Free Agency could start on a weekend. I can't be very active on here during the work week (which is ironic because I'm writing this at work right now - not the norm) and feel like I'd miss some bids and signings. Of course, that's to others' advantage so maybe that's why people want it to start mid-week. I voted to start it on Friday so I can monitor and participate in the first few crazy days of FA during the weekend.

I don't think anyone picked Wednesday to spite monday-friday workers (which I am a mon-fri guy too but with some flexability). I think they just picked the earliest day available. I don't think there is a perfect date that fits everyone's liking. I don't like wasting my whole weekends online(especially Saturdays). It's sort of like the presidential elections right now. We have several options, but none are really that good.

[Jared A]

Thank you to everyone who voted for May 27 draft! and April 27 start of FA.

[Knighty Knight]

It's sort of like the presidential elections right now. We have several options, but none are really that good.

Speak for your own party.

I don't get the weekday vs weekend debate for free agency. We get 5 bids to use over 24 hours. This is not something that requires lots of time or effort throughout the day. If it does then you're doing it all wrong.