2015 Off-Season Update

[sportznut]

As I'm tying up some loose ends here and there, is our deadline tonight at midnight or tomorrow at 11:59 PM?

Just want to know if I have to wrap this up tonight, or still have tomorrow to get it done.

Thanks.

Ideally by the time the NFL regular season officially starts when the first game starts Thursday night. If there are stragglers that'll give me from Thursday to early next week when we sim to ensure everyone in compliance when we start (even if the league needs to make some moves on some team behalfs or replace GMs).

Cool. Thanks.

[robroach]

Question

So I traded for C Barrett Jones. I cut him to the practice squad. Another team claimed him and then immediately released him. If he clears waivers, does he come back to my practice squad or is it first come first served once he's available to be signed to a practice squad?

[Goodell]

Question

So I traded for C Barrett Jones. I cut him to the practice squad. Another team claimed him and then immediately released him. If he clears waivers, does he come back to my practice squad or is it first come first served once he's available to be signed to a practice squad?

No, if they are claimed they can't be waived to practice squad but they can be waived. Once waived and unclaimed, they go to the list of eligible practice squaders in free agency.

[jerrydlux]

Is it possible to add a feature for when we cut players to our practice squad it says that in the league transaction page? I think this would help with people claiming players as much. Once they see that the player is being "cut to practice squad" they know that if they claim them they have to keep them on their roster.

Just a thought I had.

[Goodell]

Is it possible to add a feature for when we cut players to our practice squad it says that in the league transaction page? I think this would help with people claiming players as much. Once they see that the player is being "cut to practice squad" they know that if they claim them they have to keep them on their roster.

Just a thought I had.

All suggestions welcomed and it's possible we could do a little tweaking to the language there. However, I must emphasize that it doesn't matter here if a player is cut to the practice squad or not for other teams.

If a player is claimed (no matter if cut to the practice squad or not) they are ineligible to be waived to practice squad in the short-term by the claiming team. If you claim a player, it should be for active roster purposes only. No matter what. No matter if the previous team was trying to get them to practice squad or not. Claims are not for trying to build practice squad. The only way teams will be able to waive to practice squad is for their OWN player development (drafting or free agent signings), not on the backs of claiming other team waived players. To add someone to practice squad that a team didn't develop themselves, they have to be in the available psquaders in free agency, not through claims at all.

There may be additional changes coming in regards to claim management but not a high priority at the moment with the seasons starting, but may be added as the season goes along but that wouldn't change this.

[Goodell]

It's not a new rule this year, but just a reminder that veterans who are on your sim roster for week 1 have their contracts guaranteed. That means if you have a veteran and he's on your team for our week 1 sim but you decide to cut him week 8, you'll be paying his full salary against the cap and not just half his salary. If you cut a veteran now and re-sign him during the season for week 2, for example, they aren't guaranteed salaries.

We'll probably sim mid-week once I gather all the stats and get things going for the new season.

[robroach]

So I trade for C Barrett Jones this offseason. I cut him at final cuts. And cut him to my practice squad. He is then claimed by Atlanta two days ago. They IMMEDIATELY cut him. So I wait two days to try to sign him to my practice squad. I have literally checked 3 or 4 times since last night for him to be there so I can sign him to my practice squad. And guess who he just signed with - Atlanta. That is BS. I totally got screwed in that situation. And that is not just a luck thing for Atlanta, they have been claiming and cutting several players. Is there anything we can do about this?

[Goodell]

So I trade for C Barrett Jones this offseason. I cut him at final cuts. And cut him to my practice squad. He is then claimed by Atlanta two days ago. They IMMEDIATELY cut him. So I wait two days to try to sign him to my practice squad. I have literally checked 3 or 4 times since last night for him to be there so I can sign him to my practice squad. And guess who he just signed with - Atlanta. That is BS. I totally got screwed in that situation. And that is not just a luck thing for Atlanta, they have been claiming and cutting several players. Is there anything we can do about this?

The ultimate answer is he's a free agent. Under contract with nobody. Not them, not you. Nobody. Free to sign with anyone -- including your team. Just place a bid and sign him if you want him. The practice squad team can match it, but only if they have cap space and only if they'll make roster room for them to be on active roster (usually having to cut another player).

I get that people care a lot about their practice squad players. From a league perspective, though, too much. Practice squad players are NOT property of any team. Nobody has them under contract. Nobody is paying them. Nobody likes them enough to keep them on their 53 man roster at the moment. The team that does like a practice squad player enough to pay them CAN do just that at any time.

Once we sim in a couple of days there is COST associated with any claim in the regular season once game checks start. It's at least one week's salary whether they spend only 10 seconds on your team.

Practice squad players = free agents, though. Free to sign with any team at any time.

We made a change this year toward ending some of this (where players would get endlessly claimed and cut and claimed and cut over and over and over with different teams trying to get someone to their practice squad) by making claimed players ineligible to be cut to practice squad by claiming team. So we made that change and will monitor further and adjust in the future further as warranted. Getting ready for the season now, though, so re-doing the claim system further at this moment beyond this first wave of changes is a low priority over actually starting games, but it's something we'll keep monitoring and keep improving so that feedback is something we'll take in mind when that time comes.

My advise is that the ONLY way to ensure you have a player you really really want is to pay them and have them on your 53 man roster. Anybody else is free for any other team to sign at any time as they are under contract with nobody.

[Knighty Knight]

So I trade for C Barrett Jones this offseason. I cut him at final cuts. And cut him to my practice squad. He is then claimed by Atlanta two days ago. They IMMEDIATELY cut him. So I wait two days to try to sign him to my practice squad. I have literally checked 3 or 4 times since last night for him to be there so I can sign him to my practice squad. And guess who he just signed with - Atlanta. That is BS. I totally got screwed in that situation. And that is not just a luck thing for Atlanta, they have been claiming and cutting several players. Is there anything we can do about this?

[robroach]

Um............I have 9 guys on my practice squad and all 9 were in camp with me.