Free Agency Questions

[graygoosetwelve]

A couple of questions regarding free agents.

First, how do you know if a player on your roster is going to be a restricted or unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The help file says this about restricted free agents: "Unsigned, but not enough service to become a free agent. You still have rights to this player, but he remains unsigned. At the beginning of training camp, he will become a free agent if unsigned." But how do you know how much service is required to be an unrestricted free agent.

Also, I signed my starting safety to a 4 year contract, and I decided to throw an incentive in the final year, of 8 interceptions, to void the contract. After finishing the 3rd year of his contract, he became an unrestricted free agent, even though he had only 1 interception that year, and only 2 for his career. He was injured at the time, but I don't think that would have anything to do with it. I ran the sim twice and both times this happened. Maybe this is a bug, I am not sure.

Thanks a lot guys.

[QuikSand]

A free agent who is not yet into his 5th season is restricted -- in FOF 2007 that means nobody else can offer him a contract until after the draft, so you have exclusive rights to negotiate with him until then.

[JeffW]

If the player is released or renegotiated at any point, he won't become a restricted free agent, I think/

[MizzouRah]

Also, I signed my starting safety to a 4 year contract, and I decided to throw an incentive in the final year, of 8 interceptions, to void the contract. After finishing the 3rd year of his contract, he became an unrestricted free agent, even though he had only 1 interception that year, and only 2 for his career. He was injured at the time, but I don't think that would have anything to do with it. I ran the sim twice and both times this happened. Maybe this is a bug, I am not sure.

Thanks a lot guys.

The incentive means if he doesn't get 8 int's, his contract is voided. Basically you're telling a player if he wants that fat last year check, he needs to do X in or his contract becomes voided.

[graygoosetwelve]

From the help file: "Players can also receive an incentive in their contract. The incentive is in the form of a level of performance a player must reach. If the player reaches that level, the last year of the contract becomes null and void. The player then becomes a free agent."

[QuikSand]

We seem to have multiple questions flying around in this thread.


Players whose contracts expire become free agents. If a player reaches an incentive to have his contract voided, it works the same way. These players still show up on your roster list in the following year's free agency stages (until someone else signs them) but they also show up as free agents.

If such a player has at least 4 years experience (showing up as a 5th year player), he is unrestricted and other teams can bid on him. If he doesn't yet have 4 years - he is restricted, and nobody else can make him an offer until after the draft. (The help file may be obsoleted in this respect -- the cutoff used to be training camp, but now it's the draft)

If you release a player, even one with fewer than 4 years experience, he goes into the FA pool and becomes an unrestricted free agent, open to offers from any team.

[graygoosetwelve]

I understand the restricted/unrestricted part of free agency, although I think it is 4 years experience to become unrestricted.

There, however, seems to be disagreement when it comes to the incentive voiding the contract. This is because the player did not reach the incentive, yet the contract was still voided. He remained on my roster screen, just like an unrestricted free agent, but his contract was voided.

[QuikSand]

The incentive means if he doesn't get 8 int's, his contract is voided. Basically you're telling a player if he wants that fat last year check, he needs to do X in or his contract becomes voided.

This is incorrect. The incentive works just as GG12 suggests -- reach the incentive, and the last year is voided.

The case he describes sounds like a bug to me.

[JeffW]

If you release a player, even one with fewer than 4 years experience, he goes into the FA pool and becomes an unrestricted free agent, open to offers from any team.

If a player is cut and signed or renegotiated in his first three seasons, doesn't he become an unrestricted FA when he finishes a contract?

I could be totally wrong on this one.

[Northwood_DK]

But when do I use the “Void Ctrct” button on the playercard then?

[QuikSand]

If a player is cut and signed or renegotiated in his first three seasons, doesn't he become an unrestricted FA when he finishes a contract?

I could be totally wrong on this one.

I think you are wrong here, at least in FOF 2004. I haven't heard of anything new in FOF 2007, but I am quite sure that players in FOF 2004 with expiring contracts are restructed - regardless of the circumstance of their contract history. Guys you cut just go into the unrestricted pile, but if their contract just expires before year five, they remain restricted -- no matter whether they were on original draftee contracts, undreftad rookie contracts, or were cut by another team and signed by you some other time.

[MizzouRah]

This is incorrect. The incentive works just as GG12 suggests -- reach the incentive, and the last year is voided.

The case he describes sounds like a bug to me.

Yeah, I think I'm confused and I don't have the game here at work to see what I'm thinking either.

Sorry for the confusion - I wouldn't think that would be broken though - especially in v2k7.

[QuikSand]

But when do I use the “Void Ctrct” button on the playercard then?

I haven't had the occasion to use it yet, but I am guessing that's the way to get out of a contract with an injured player... I know injury settlements are part of the new game, so perhaps that's what this is for.

[highfiveoh]

Pressing F1 leaves me to believe that "Void Ctrct" only has use for commissioners in MP play.

[Dutch]

I haven't had the occasion to use it yet, but I am guessing that's the way to get out of a contract with an injured player... I know injury settlements are part of the new game, so perhaps that's what this is for.

Commissioners may use the Void Contract button to void any player's contract without penalty in a multi-player game. This button is not available in the single-player game. - Helpfile

[MizzouRah]

From the help file: "Players can also receive an incentive in their contract. The incentive is in the form of a level of performance a player must reach. If the player reaches that level, the last year of the contract becomes null and void. The player then becomes a free agent."

Sorry, I think I've been mis-understanding this all along. :eek:

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