Undrafted Free Agents

[PackerFanatic]

Have any other leagues out there run into issues with UDFA's getting far too much money? I think it just obscene when a guy that wasn't good enough to get drafted is raking in $6 million this year just because his ratings appear to be good. My suggestion would be to actually hide those ratings in-game (since if it were still draft time, you wouldn't see those ratings, and you are going for an unknown guy anyway so why would you know those ratings? You still see the bars) But obviously that isn't an option now, so is there something other leagues are doing to overcome this? Maybe it has to do with teams having a lot of cap room, but it just doesn't seem realistic at all.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by PackerFanatic

Have any other leagues out there run into issues with UDFA's getting far too much money? I think it just obscene when a guy that wasn't good enough to get drafted is raking in $6 million this year just because his ratings appear to be good. My suggestion would be to actually hide those ratings in-game (since if it were still draft time, you wouldn't see those ratings, and you are going for an unknown guy anyway so why would you know those ratings? You still see the bars) But obviously that isn't an option now, so is there something other leagues are doing to overcome this? Maybe it has to do with teams having a lot of cap room, but it just doesn't seem realistic at all.

The best thing to do to overcome this is to join a league filled with people who realize that all of those 15/60 type guys suck donkey balls.

[QuikSand]

In all seriousness, I think this is really just a cosmetic symptom, rather than a real problem. Some people have unusable cap space, and there's no real benefit to leaving it unspent, so they take a plunge on a few big-blue stiffs who don't end up helping their teams at all. No real effect on the league's balance of power, really. I think that's why most leagues haven't seen fit to really act on this particular problem -- and instead might be more worried about the root causes for all that cap space, for instance.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

In all seriousness, I think this is really just a cosmetic symptom, rather than a real problem. Some people have unusable cap space, and there's no real benefit to leaving it unspent, so they take a plunge on a few big-blue stiffs who don't end up helping their teams at all. No real effect on the league's balance of power, really. I think that's why most leagues haven't seen fit to really act on this particular problem -- and instead might be more worried about the root causes for all that cap space, for instance.

My initial smart-aleck response notwithstanding, Quik's right here. Heck, if I had 59 players under contract with no holes to fill, I'd spend every dime of my remaining cap room on some 15/60 stiff just on the extremely rare chance that he gets hit by the Volatility Stick Of Life. (I did exactly this in IHOF with a late 7th round pick this year, actually. I think the guy was 6/58 or something like that...)

[PackerFanatic]

That makes sense. Thanks guys

[Firefly]

It's always fun to watch them drop afterwards, too ...I mean, the ones other teams signed.

[perez24]

I've been lucky with a few undrafted free agents, particularly at skill positions, but I just sign them to keep regular season starters from playing in exhibition games.

[Yoda]

I tend to look at them as 'free' 5-7th round draft picks. Occacionally there are guys with interesting bars or combine scores that I'll want to give a try out.

[mtolson]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

My initial smart-aleck response notwithstanding, Quik's right here. Heck, if I had 59 players under contract with no holes to fill, I'd spend every dime of my remaining cap room on some 15/60 stiff just on the extremely rare chance that he gets hit by the Volatility Stick Of Life. (I did exactly this in IHOF with a late 7th round pick this year, actually. I think the guy was 6/58 or something like that...)

Quick and Sky:

Do either of you see this as potential problem with future salaries of upcoming FA. Will this not affect the high 5 salary for a position ? I kind of pictured that it would, meaning your stud FA will now have an increased salary demand or that the designatation process becomes usless as it will render very high salaries that just get negiated down.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by mtolson

Quick and Sky:

Do either of you see this as potential problem with future salaries of upcoming FA. Will this not affect the high 5 salary for a position ? I kind of pictured that it would, meaning your stud FA will now have an increased salary demand or that the designatation process becomes usless as it will render very high salaries that just get negiated down.

No, because the deals are for one season only. They have no contract at the time the designation is calculated.