53 Man Roster Cut-Down : Sept 4

[Goodell]

NFL Schedule:
September 4 - Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players.

The NFL deadline for the cut-down to 53 man roster is September 4th. A handful of days later the NFL season gets kicked off.

We'll use that same deadline for our teams to get down to 53 (but use end of day on the 4th so you know which guys were kept in reality). The extra time before our sim will allow me to single out teams that maybe are inactive or need GM replacing with some time to do that before our sim season starts.

I'll be working to get 1st round draft pick signing functionality up today, as well as soon updating the league universe of players, player grades (as posted at ESPN for Madden rankings), and list of retirements/suspensions and position flexibility if there are changes to the official NFL roster listed positions (as well as going through some old message I have for position requests) in preparations for the new season as the actual NFL rosters for this year take shape. I'll also soon take another crack at getting all the remaining draft picks signed to prevent unrealistic low round holdouts. The depth chart will probably be altered a little also per some off-season discussions to get more players involved (not just one designated kick returner all game, etc.)

The season is getting closer. I don't believe our sim teams need to make final roster decisions about which backup LB to keep before the NFL makes their decisions (as who is kept or not in reality is often very important to who we'd want to keep -- as are pre-season games where guys like that get more opportunities to showcase themselves), but the real decisions will be made soon and ours immediately upon theirs.

Let's start to get ready for some regular season football coming soon. Roster cut down to final 53 less than 10 days away...

[Goodell]

We'll get practice squad functionality also going at least a couple days before 9/4 (if not by this weekend) so that teams can cut youngsters and then immediately go to add them to their practice squad.

Can't add players to practice squad yet, but I'll post an announcement when you can in the upcoming days and before the 53 man roster cutdown deadlines.

[Goodell]

Another thing to keep in mind. This is the first year we've had our waiver wire system in place prior to having our practice squad activated.

There is an informative article on the last days of training camp cuts, waiver wires, and adding to practice squads in reality:
http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2010/8/24 ... ined-rules

So the way it will ultimately work this time around once we get the p-squad up and going for next week will be:

- Team cuts drafted player.
- That eligible young player goes thru waivers for 48 hours where anybody can claim at the current contract.
- If unclaimed they will be listed as UFAs.
- Teams can add eligible UFAs to their practice squads once we have those available.
- Player on p-squad remains a free agent not under contract that anybody can sign in free agency, but the home team can match the offer and add them to their roster.

It used to be that teams had an edge in adding their own cut players to their p-squad because they could do it immediately right after cutting them, but with the waiver time now built in, I think I might modify the cutting process slightly.

I might try to add a "Cut and sign to practice squad" option from the team roster for next week, and if the player makes it through waivers they'd automatically go to the home team p-squad instead of having to have the home team add to their squad from the free agency list. Of course if they are claimed they wouldn't go to the p-squad, or if the team already had 8 on the squad they would become UFAs and the team would have to cut someone off p-squad and manually add them later.

[RebelFan]

Good idea about the "cut and add to practice squad" feature.
I was actually going to suggest that, but then I finished reading your post.

[Dan R.]

+1 on the "Cut and Add to Practice Squad" option. It's just a really good idea, IMO.

[larry linke]

Many players who are cut by the NFL on cut down day are immediately picked up. Can we have our roster cut down pushed back to Tuesday? Also, if I remember correctly, all teams don't immediately announce thier cuts.

Larry
Minnesota (AFFL)

[Goodell]

Many players who are cut by the NFL on cut down day are immediately picked up. Can we have our roster cut down pushed back to Tuesday? Also, if I remember correctly, all teams don't immediately announce thier cuts.

Larry
Minnesota (AFFL)

If there is a lot of uncertainty on that day over who has made teams we can look at an extension possibly, but it would be my expectation that by the end of the day that we'll have all sorts of announcements earlier or even the night before as to the 53 man rosters.

In any event, I don't think we'd want to see 80 man rosters after that cut-down deadline. If a team is at 54 or 55 and awaiting word on a guy going to IR or not or if they have a popular player expected not to pass thru waivers, etc. that's a little more understandable but we gotta push to get the rosters cut down generally.

We did it later in years before probably, but had a lot of vocal frustrations this year over roster sizes this year and team over the cap and teams not signing draft picks and a general feeling that we need to get the rosters cut down once the real rosters are cut and not be lackadaisical about that.

I think the 48 hour correction window fits here and gives some of that very last-minute last-spot flexibility. If a team over after the cut-down date they'd get a warning to correct it. Shortly after the real life situations should be a little clearer and our sim team could resolve their own last spot or two quickly in response. But if a team was outright blatently trying not to adhere to the cut-down date and ignoring the rules others are following and carrying 80+ players even after the cut-down deadline we'd have to have some discussions and possible replacement with others on the wait list wanting a team.

[Goodell]

I have now added a new option you'll see in the pull-down at the bottom of your team roster page.

You can now check a player(s) with 3 years or less experience and select Roster Transaction: Cut Player to PRACTICE SQUAD.

All those players must clear waivers before they can be added to your practice squad 48 hours later. Any team can claim the player at the current contract during that window. Once cleared, if you have less than 8 on the p-squad, instead of going to free agency they'll go to your practice squad. If you don't have room, I'll just send the player to free agency. All player on p-squads are without contracts and would be free agents as well that any team could sign any time. You just get rights to match the offer for p-squaders on your practice fields and familiar with your systems to match the offer and keep the player on your active roster instead of letting them sign elsewhere. In order to move a drafted or young player from active to cut to p-squad automatically, they must have been under contract with you (not a holdout) and actively practicing with you to have that relationship of keeping them still on your practice squad. Otherwise any outright cut player/holdout who passes through waivers will be able to be added to p-squad from the free agency pages. I'll add that to the free agency tool later this week once young guys cut start having their 48 hour waiver windows expire.

Before GMs just immediately added guys cut to p-squad manually after cutting, so this waiver claim period could be interesting for drafted players cut. If you claim a cut young player, you are taking on their existing contract and filling an active roster spot. It's good that we are getting a little earlier start on the 53 man roster cut-downs as the waiver period after the massive cuts could require some additional maneuvers by teams once they see if they got their claims or not. Teams will have 48 hours to make corrections to get under 53 or back under cap.

[larry linke]

Do we get any roster relief for a player who has been placed on the PUP list ??

Also, can you give me the option to place Lars Tate on IR

Larry
Minnesota

[chiefbrody]

Also, when will 2012 picks be playable?