2015 Off-Season Update

[rabbitrun]

Great new features! Would it be super annoying if I updated bio information for players besides just position changes. I mean it really has no impact on game but Blake Bortles is not 5'9

They could be entered but I'd probably put a lower priority on those kinds of updates that don't really impact things and not update them until after the injury lists and suspensions, etc. were completed.

I keep quiet on a lot of things here but this seriously one of the worst. Worried about his height? Goodell, I am sure has a life outside of this and should not have to worry about any of the petty details such as height...

[Knighty Knight]

Great new features! Would it be super annoying if I updated bio information for players besides just position changes. I mean it really has no impact on game but Blake Bortles is not 5'9

They could be entered but I'd probably put a lower priority on those kinds of updates that don't really impact things and not update them until after the injury lists and suspensions, etc. were completed.

I keep quiet on a lot of things here but this seriously one of the worst. Worried about his height? Goodell, I am sure has a life outside of this and should not have to worry about any of the petty details such as height...

Wow, the worst? Maybe you should keep quiet.

Look I'm not worried about bio information. I understand Goodell has a life outside of this which is why these automated features are great. I wasn't sure if he still needed to approve updated bios, I thought we could edit them much like adding a player.

Additionally, from my understanding, Goodell is developing this towards a paid gaming experience. If that is where he wants to take it eventually, you better believe details, such as height and weight are not petty. Would you pay to play Madden with a 5'9 Blake Bortles when he is 6'4 or 6'5. Granted, that would effect the game play in Madden, not so much here, but there is a higher expectation when people are paying for a product. The petty details better be right or how can the consumer trust you to get the larger details right.

I'm a very detail-oriented person, if you couldn't tell, it's what makes me great at my job. If I'm wrong about Goodell's desire to develop a pay for play model then you can ignore my input. If it's set up to where I can edit player edit info without an approval process then I am that type of person to correct the petty details. I enjoy this league and love being involved. Goodell does a fantastic job but I will always offer constructive criticism. I understand time constraints and the realities of the league and balancing work and life as well. It's ultimately his decision but I appreciate how Goodell opens certain aspects up for league input. Like he said this is an issue of low priority.

[Chad55]

With roster's due to cut down to 53 player's by September 10, will we be able to have the option to potentially place some of those cuts to our practice squad?

[Goodell]

Teams are able to select cut to the practice squad now. Those players are cut, and able for any team to claim prior to them landing on your practice squad. Once on the practice squad, those players are still not under contract and can be signed by any team at any time (you'll get the right to match any contract, though, and add them to your active roster if you wish).

Per our off-season discussions here:
http://www.fangm.com/sportstalk/viewtop ... 306#p13306

I'm going to remain working on some tweaks to avoid the cut to practice squad, another team claims them to cut to their practice squad circle. I hope that can be implemented this weekend before the 48 hour windows on claims is up.

So just a head's up when you think about claiming a player, you should only be claiming players you want to add to your active roster. If you're claiming them just to re-cut and try to get on your practice squad instead, that will likely be blocked before our season starts by checking that player's recent transactions and not allowing another immediate cut to practice squad again.

If you like a cut player (just not enough to add to your active roster) and would like them on your practice squad, the best thing to do would be to not claim them (since you don't want to pay them and give them spot on your 53 man roster) and just wait until that 48 hours is up and if nobody claims them to their active rosters they'll be available from the free agency page to add to practice squad at that time.

As mentioned in the link above, I'm hoping there will be some additional team controls over their claims and some additional requirements for a roster space to be available before claim can be fully accepted by a winning claim team.

[Knighty Knight]

This is a great addition I think!

Thanks for all your work, now let's play some football!

[robroach]

Love this feature!!!!! If you draft someone, you should get first dibs for practice squad. No more "vultering" players.

Great job on continued realistic changes to FanGm.

[Goodell]

Per my note above I've made a couple adjustments we discussed during the off-season to improve the cut-to-practice squad and other related issues ahead.

In free agency you can now directly add an eligible player directly to your practice squad (clicking on the practice squad link near top and then the player's name).
HOWEVER, I've adjusted this so it cannot be used as an advantage in trying to bid on that player. If you add a player to practice squad directly from free agency list, you will not be able to place an initial free agency bid on that same player for a week. Clicking to add a player to your practice squad is only for that purpose, so no longer will teams be able to add a player to their psquad and then immediately try to sign them to a contract too.

Another change is on claimed players. If a team cut a player trying to add them to their practice squad, you cannot claim that same player and immediately cut them to try to add to your practice squad instead. Those vicious circles should now be blocked, although I don't claim players in my league so haven't been able to fully test that, so let me know if you notice that not working as intended.

It was mentioned in my note above (from 9/4) not to put in claims for players that you didn't want to pay and have on your 53 man roster but only wanted to try to re-cut them to your practice squad instead. If you won a claim on such a player it should block you from trying to re-cut to your practice squad for 3 weeks. You can always just waive that player (just not directly to your practice squad) and add them from the free agency list if unclaimed.

I'm still going to also try to add some additional tools for managing your won waiver claims ahead, but for now these two changes should help with some issues complained about in the past.

[Goodell]

As we're two days from the start of the NFL season on September 10th (our deadline here for sim teams to be down to 53 man roster is the same day), you'll see some of our off-season notes transforming into regular season mode.

During the off-season even if you had 90 players only the top 51 counted toward the off-season cap. On the team roster pages now, we've flipped the page to regular season mode in order to ensure teams getting their roster in regular season form (53 man roster limit and under salary cap).

If you have over 53 players (as you still can prior to end of day 9/10) you'll likely see you cap space shrink since it's now counting everyone and not just the top 51 any more. As teams have 48 hours to correct salary cap issues, that'll coincide with the 53 man roster cut down deadline. If you're over the cap now temporarily because of that, don't worry just make sure you're under at the 9/10 deadline.

If you are under 53 players, it will also now be using the empty roster spot charges (435K minimum salary), as all teams must equally and fairly be paying at least 53 players.

We turn regular season mode on ahead of time so teams will be making final choices for how it'll be calculated in the regular season. Let me know if any questions. Thanks

[Ulrich82]

The changes sound great commish.

One question. Let's say I cut a player to PS and someone else claims him. Then they cut him because they intended to practice squad him but got blocked. Can I claim that player on waivers to cut to PS again? Otherwise, it becomes a race to add the player to PS at the end of the waiver period. Not complaining, because It's impossible to legislate against everything. Just wondering how this works.

[jerrydlux]

Not sure how my salary jumped 3.5 million. I know we were doing rule of 51 up until yesterday but the extra two players were 3.5 millions worth? Am I missing something or can someone explain it better for me?

thanks

good luck everyone!