Re-signing players

[K_cin]

What are the negative effects of signing a player in the last year of his contract so he does not become a free agent? I know you swallow some bonus from the original contract. But if you cap can handle that hit is their any negative effects of doing this?

[hukarez]

I have a nasty habit of backloading contracts. Then again, I'm also a horrible GM with no concept at all with contract negotiations. Personally, I cringe when I start seeing cap costs in the tens of millions.

To be very honest, I try and re-sign before the final year of a player's contract is up, and pending on their performance, I'm hoping there's at least a good three years before it balloons in the end. I've never used the 'Cap Out' offer...in fact, I honestly have no clue what that does.

[Cap Ologist]

The only real negative would be if he isn't worth resigning. I usually prioritize resigning my offensive and defensive lineman first, my quarterbacks and defensive backs second, and if i have a sentimental attachment to my running backs, wide receivers or linebackers then i might resign them if I have extra cap room.

I've found that with the offense and defense that i run that these are the most important positions for me. I can usually find a 1000 yard rusher and can make do with WR who are rated in the 40's-50's.

So, here is some advice on how I decide who to resign.

1. I look at how old the player is. If he is over 30, then I try to resign him to a deal with a smaller bonus and larger base amounts.

2. I look at how many games he's missed over the previous seasons. I hardly ever resign backups, so this mainly applies to starters. If over the last two or three seasons, my player has missed at least 4 games, I might pass because I don't want to pay someone who will probably not be there for all 16 games.

3. I look at the stats. How is this player performing compared to someone else who might still be signed on my team. For example, if I have a DE who had 11 sacks last year, one who had 10 sacks, and then a back up who had 7 or 8 sacks, I would probably let my starter with 11 sacks walk and then promote my backup.

4. Is the position one that I value? Like I said earlier, there are some positions that just aren't that vital to my schemes and by not spending unnecessary money there I can keep a more competitive offense and defense on the field. otherwise, I find myself with a great offense but lousy defense or vice versa.

5. The only time I would resign a backup is if he's starting to show me something or if he is a mentor. I try to give at least every player on my team some quality playing time during the season, so I can evaluate them better.

Ok, well I hope that helps, it was probably a little bit more than what you wanted to know. The best way to be successful is to find what you want to do offensively and defensively, and then spend your money on those positions that are important to your success.

[hukarez]

Reflecting back on the original post...

I think the only 'negative' effects to re-signing a player (aside from incurring any other cap hits for future years), would be performance. In a case like this, unless he's an above average position player...I wouldn't bother re-signing.

[Taur]

In a case like this, unless he's an above average position player...I wouldn't bother re-signing.
If the price is right, why wouldn't you resign your player for Team Cohesion reasons alone?

[hukarez]

If the price is right, why wouldn't you resign your player for Team Cohesion reasons alone?
In most cases, it's when I have a hunch that my particular player's going on a decline. Plus, I'd like to start getting younger players in on the action. I've had instances where I've had a player with a distinguished career - but according to my scout, their ratings are significantly below average. While team cohesion might be nice and all, I've noticed that some of the younger players I have seem to be blending in well with the system.

Aside from young and skill, experience is something I'd like to work on with my younger players. By the start of the following season, everything just seems to work out for me. That's just me, though. There have been some cases where I've had to bite the bullet, and keep a star veteran who's skills haven't declined. But the moment I start seeing a drop in performance, I usually have my mind made up.