FOF2K7: Hold your breath when you hit that "Begin Camp" button!

[Ben E Lou]

(or whatever it is called)

Well, we've asked for it, and now we've got it. It appears that the big negative dropoffs from both draftees and veterans are happening primary during the training camp stage. I've seen a non-injured aging veteran drop 29 points, going from one of my better starters to a guy I should have cut before preseason started. (I let him play a few games in the regular season, and he sucked just as bad as his ratings indicated.) Here are a few players in my current training camp:

9th-year FB comes into camp 61/61, comes out 50/50.
I signed an 8th-year RB in free agency to catch the ball out of the backfield. He was 48/48. Now he's 42/42.
My TE was one of the better ones around 2 years ago, at 60/60. He came to camp last year and dropped to 53/53. This year, he just dropped to 44/44.
I have a veteran guard on my team. From year 8 to year 11 his ratings (all drops at training camp) have been: 65/65, 59/59, 53/53, 47/47.
I signed a 9th-year 48/48 offensive tackle. Bam! 43/43 after training camp.I could go on, but you get the point. What's interesting to note is that none of the veterans who have been on my team for a while dropped any at FA1 or FA2. It all shook down in training camp, when I actually get to see 'em practice. Nice!

[Narcizo]

I used to do a lot of contract negotiations at the start of free agency in FOF2004. I'm quickly learning that, if possible, it pays to wait until after camp.

I have to say that I don't really like the amount that players' ratings seem to change (who am I kidding, "drop") - particularly when it's out of the blue. Possibly it's because the game considers the overall strength of the league to be too high at the start of the game and players lose ratings accordingly. I've seen players who have been starting for me and entering into their 5th year or so plummet in ratings. And I still have yet to see a break-out.

In fact that whole thing rather reminds me of the HFL. It seems that the game starts with a shed-load of great players but years and years of not overly great drafts (outside of the top 16 picks or so) drops the overall talent level of the league.

[jeff061]

Yep, I've been bitten by trading away players due to having what I percieved as draftee replacements that fell through after training camp.

[Ben E Lou]

I've seen players who have been starting for me and entering into their 5th year or so plummet in ratings.That's interesting. I haven't seen that yet for a 5th-year guy (although I assume there are still random, volatility-related veteran busts, and wonder if that's what you're seeing). The drops I've seen so far all appear to be due to aging. I wonder if the -29 guy I saw was a combination of both aging and a veteran bust.

Yes, I agree about contract renegotations. I've gotten to where I only do the ones needed to free up cap room at FA1.

[CraigSca]

It's funny, but as Jim has shrunk the range of years veterans maintain their ratings, FOF2k7 behaves more like a college game (e.g. the need to replace players much more often).

[Adgnash]

(or whatever it is called)

Well, we've asked for it, and now we've got it. It appears that the big negative dropoffs from both draftees and veterans are happening primary during the training camp stage. I've seen a non-injured aging veteran drop 29 points, going from one of my better starters to a guy I should have cut before preseason started. (I let him play a few games in the regular season, and he sucked just as bad as his ratings indicated.) Here are a few players in my current training camp:

9th-year FB comes into camp 61/61, comes out 50/50.
I signed an 8th-year RB in free agency to catch the ball out of the backfield. He was 48/48. Now he's 42/42.
My TE was one of the better ones around 2 years ago, at 60/60. He came to camp last year and dropped to 53/53. This year, he just dropped to 44/44.
I have a veteran guard on my team. From year 8 to year 11 his ratings (all drops at training camp) have been: 65/65, 59/59, 53/53, 47/47.
I signed a 9th-year 48/48 offensive tackle. Bam! 43/43 after training camp.I could go on, but you get the point. What's interesting to note is that none of the veterans who have been on my team for a while dropped any at FA1 or FA2. It all shook down in training camp, when I actually get to see 'em practice. Nice!

Is there a tool to track ratings and how they increase/drop overtime?

[gstelmack]

Is there a tool to track ratings and how they increase/drop overtime?

See http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=53713. It's called Change Tracker.

[Adgnash]

See http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=53713. It's called Change Tracker.

Thanks bro!

[Olsson]

So here I was preparing for the 2010 season, after a couple of seasons where I got knocked out in the divisional playoffs.

The draft went pretty well, and got a couple of talented players.

Going through the team after the training camp of course I was curious to see how my younger players did and to my surprise found that my stud RDE had dropped an amazing 45(!!) points in current, from 89 to 44.

I wouldn't be surprised if the player was 30+ years, but he's going into his fourth year of competition, 27 years, and has a volatility of 25.

Anyone else experienced this ?

[jeff061]

Yep, I had a RB go from 45 to 14.

I like it. A major premium is put on youth. And since these drops happen post camp you need to take into account the risk of signing and extending vets. I find myself shelling out a ton, more so than past versions, to get guys in their 5th and 6th years since I know I'll have them in their prime for the next 4 or 5.

Edit: Thought it was a vet :). I had a rookie RB that made it through training camp at about 35/60. Slightly above what I was expecting. The game crashed on me and I had to revert to a pre-camp save, and the same player came through at about 10/12 the second time through. Lot of randomization it would appear.

[AlexB]

edit: wrong thread :o

[gstelmack]

Going through the team after the training camp of course I was curious to see how my younger players did and to my surprise found that my stud RDE had dropped an amazing 45(!!) points in current, from 89 to 44.

I wouldn't be surprised if the player was 30+ years, but he's going into his fourth year of competition, 27 years, and has a volatility of 25.

Anyone else experienced this ?

That's called a veteran bust. I'm assuming no injury was involved here? I had a DT do that to me in 2k4.

[Olsson]

That's called a veteran bust. I'm assuming no injury was involved here? I had a DT do that to me in 2k4.

No injury involved. I just thought. I've seen players drop, but 45.. That's a lot!

[M GO BLUE!!!]

Has anyone seen any players rebound a year later to previous ratings?

The only time I ever saw anything like that was in 2k4, where I signed a guy as a veteran mentor who was recovering from a major injury. The next year, he EXPLODED in ratings (I don't know what his pre-injury ratings were though.)

Sometimes stud players show up out of shape, or have other factors involved in leading them to fall off the planet in terms of ability (Alonzo Spellman, anyone?)

I have yet to experience any pleasant surprises with FA or veteran "Booms"

[JeeberD]

I've had several veteran booms in MP leagues, so it is possible.