2018 Off-Season Update
Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 2:00 am
Let's get the new year started. While we're working to get everyone back, we've opened up some team-only management options to enter decisions before free agency.
Teams can now apply franchise or transition tags on pending free agents and set tender levels for restricted free agents. Decisions on 5th year options for 2015 first round draft picks (for players selected in sim drafts only) are also available. You must enter these decisions prior to free agency starting later this month.
Teams should also now be able to cut players, restructure contracts, and sign a player to LTC before free agency.
Keep in mind only elite players should be tagged, as they'll be set to make NFL franchise/transition tag elite salaries (top 5 or top 10 at their position). If you don't want to lose a pending free agent but they aren't quite good enough for an elite franchise tag salary, remember you get unlimited bidding toward keeping your own free agents.
If you want to KEEP a franchise-tag quality elite player, the best option is to select one of the exclusive franchise tag options. That'll automatically tag and then sign the player to a long-term deal that you've chosen. Make that choice carefully, as some of those options include a 1-year no-trade clause. All of those choices include a signing bonus based upon the tag amount. Once tagged to exclusive franchise tag with contract terms, that player is no longer on the market and on your team at his new chosen contract value. You probably also want to check the LTC options for the player prior to using tag on them.
UFAs cannot be traded. Pending UFAs can only be traded if they are first franchise tagged, then the player signed to 1-year tender contract, and then traded as a tagged plaeyer to another team.
If you want to TRADE a franchise tag quality player, you want to select non-exclusive tag (with matching rights and getting 2 first rounders if you don't match offers). That'll allow you to later click to sign the player to a 1-year tender and then trade them as a signed active player on that 1-year franchise tag salary. You could also trade a player you do exclusive franchise tag at 5- or 4-year long-term deals, but would have to eat the signing bonus as dead money.
Transition tag isn't used much in NFL any more, but you have that option here. There is no compensation if you lose a transition tagged player (unlike non-exclusive franchise tag) but you do get matching rights to match any offer they get in free agency. Offers must be near that transition tag value, so don't transition tag a player if you don't think worthy of a top 10 NFL salary at their position.
For restricted free agents (RFAs) that have 3 years or less, you can set a compensation tender amount based on the NFL values. If you put a 1st round tender on a RFA, you can either match any offers that player gets on the market or get a 1st rounder if you don't match. If you choose the original round tender, that's based upon the actual NFL draft round for that player (so if player drafted in reality in the 7th round, their original round tender would net you a 7th rounder if you don't match offers). Select to make a restricted free agent to unrestricted, and they'll become UFA on your roster so you'll have unlimited bidding on them in free agency like any other UFA on your squad.
Players on your practice squad last year aren't eligible to be RFA, only young players on the active roster. Practice squad players from last year have been turned into UFA so you'll have unlimited bidding rights to try to sign those players in free agency.
You can also now enter decisions for first rounders with 5th year options in 2019. It is NOT recommended to pick up a 5th year option EXCEPT for truly elite players as these drastically increase the salary and cost of tag/LTC options ahead. If no decision entered before free agency starts the option will not be picked up. For simplification of league operations, option choices are based upon transition tag value (for top 10 picks) and 2/3 transition tag value (for 11-32 picks) this year applied to next season's salary if option picked up. If not picked up, player will be a UFA for your team when his contract expires after this year with the usual options (tagging, LTC) at that time for UFAs.
LTCs, restructures, and cuts are now available. Do not cut players listed as UFA for your team. Those are free agents. Even if you don't want them or care about your unlimited bidding rights for them, you don't want to cut them as if another team signs one of your UFAs it helps you in compensatory pick considerations for next year's draft. So don't cut UFAs.
Before I turn trades on, I want to set the draft orders so teams know exactly what pick they're dealing with before swapping selections and being confused about what pick they dealt. That'll involve also doing compensatory picks from last off-season's free agency + making some adjustments for comp picks being tradable and tagged players not, so will take a little bit. Depending upon how much time I get for that, trades will come online next week.
If you are new or have questions about this, please send me a PM before you make your decision. We don't like re-dos here, as it's a lot of manual work and we setup these systems to avoid manual work. If there's a lot of manual work, I can't keep the leagues going, so go slow, make good decisions, and ask me before you do anything if you aren't sure or even just want advise.
Expect more and more roster options to be available as we get ready for the new season.
Teams can now apply franchise or transition tags on pending free agents and set tender levels for restricted free agents. Decisions on 5th year options for 2015 first round draft picks (for players selected in sim drafts only) are also available. You must enter these decisions prior to free agency starting later this month.
Teams should also now be able to cut players, restructure contracts, and sign a player to LTC before free agency.
Keep in mind only elite players should be tagged, as they'll be set to make NFL franchise/transition tag elite salaries (top 5 or top 10 at their position). If you don't want to lose a pending free agent but they aren't quite good enough for an elite franchise tag salary, remember you get unlimited bidding toward keeping your own free agents.
If you want to KEEP a franchise-tag quality elite player, the best option is to select one of the exclusive franchise tag options. That'll automatically tag and then sign the player to a long-term deal that you've chosen. Make that choice carefully, as some of those options include a 1-year no-trade clause. All of those choices include a signing bonus based upon the tag amount. Once tagged to exclusive franchise tag with contract terms, that player is no longer on the market and on your team at his new chosen contract value. You probably also want to check the LTC options for the player prior to using tag on them.
UFAs cannot be traded. Pending UFAs can only be traded if they are first franchise tagged, then the player signed to 1-year tender contract, and then traded as a tagged plaeyer to another team.
If you want to TRADE a franchise tag quality player, you want to select non-exclusive tag (with matching rights and getting 2 first rounders if you don't match offers). That'll allow you to later click to sign the player to a 1-year tender and then trade them as a signed active player on that 1-year franchise tag salary. You could also trade a player you do exclusive franchise tag at 5- or 4-year long-term deals, but would have to eat the signing bonus as dead money.
Transition tag isn't used much in NFL any more, but you have that option here. There is no compensation if you lose a transition tagged player (unlike non-exclusive franchise tag) but you do get matching rights to match any offer they get in free agency. Offers must be near that transition tag value, so don't transition tag a player if you don't think worthy of a top 10 NFL salary at their position.
For restricted free agents (RFAs) that have 3 years or less, you can set a compensation tender amount based on the NFL values. If you put a 1st round tender on a RFA, you can either match any offers that player gets on the market or get a 1st rounder if you don't match. If you choose the original round tender, that's based upon the actual NFL draft round for that player (so if player drafted in reality in the 7th round, their original round tender would net you a 7th rounder if you don't match offers). Select to make a restricted free agent to unrestricted, and they'll become UFA on your roster so you'll have unlimited bidding on them in free agency like any other UFA on your squad.
Players on your practice squad last year aren't eligible to be RFA, only young players on the active roster. Practice squad players from last year have been turned into UFA so you'll have unlimited bidding rights to try to sign those players in free agency.
You can also now enter decisions for first rounders with 5th year options in 2019. It is NOT recommended to pick up a 5th year option EXCEPT for truly elite players as these drastically increase the salary and cost of tag/LTC options ahead. If no decision entered before free agency starts the option will not be picked up. For simplification of league operations, option choices are based upon transition tag value (for top 10 picks) and 2/3 transition tag value (for 11-32 picks) this year applied to next season's salary if option picked up. If not picked up, player will be a UFA for your team when his contract expires after this year with the usual options (tagging, LTC) at that time for UFAs.
LTCs, restructures, and cuts are now available. Do not cut players listed as UFA for your team. Those are free agents. Even if you don't want them or care about your unlimited bidding rights for them, you don't want to cut them as if another team signs one of your UFAs it helps you in compensatory pick considerations for next year's draft. So don't cut UFAs.
Before I turn trades on, I want to set the draft orders so teams know exactly what pick they're dealing with before swapping selections and being confused about what pick they dealt. That'll involve also doing compensatory picks from last off-season's free agency + making some adjustments for comp picks being tradable and tagged players not, so will take a little bit. Depending upon how much time I get for that, trades will come online next week.
If you are new or have questions about this, please send me a PM before you make your decision. We don't like re-dos here, as it's a lot of manual work and we setup these systems to avoid manual work. If there's a lot of manual work, I can't keep the leagues going, so go slow, make good decisions, and ask me before you do anything if you aren't sure or even just want advise.
Expect more and more roster options to be available as we get ready for the new season.