Renegotiation in first stage of FA
 

The AI seems to renegotiate contracts in the first stage of free agencies, yet I cannot with my players for some reason?? When should I renegotiate? Before I hit the proceed to next season button? (too late if that's the case)

Renegotiation is the act of re-working a guy who already has some sort of contract in place.

No, I believe the first stage is for resigning your own FAs whose contracts have just expired.

This may be a known bug.

That's my point, it won't let you

Have either of you played previous FOF games?

This is not correct -- highfiveoh is right. This is extremely self-explanatory, so I have no idea why people don't get this. It says right there in the game that week one is for renegotiations only.

Week one of FA is for rengeotiations, which means only reworking contracts of players already signed for salary cap purposes. There is a known bug that has been reported where if you are over the cap you may not be able to renegotiate in week one.

After you sim the Super Bowl, you cannot negotiate with your restricted or unrestricted free agents until week 2 of free agency.

Actually you can negotiate with your RFA's in week 1. :)

Sorry for the mixup. I stand corrected.

So if you wish to keep a player from becoming a RFA or a UFA, you would need to negotiate the contract during the season? Correct? but the CPU does it during week 1 of free agency? Is this correct?

This is all perfectly simple.

Those of you who are playing in the match this afternoon move your clothes down onto the lower peg immediately after lunch, before you write your letter home, if you're not getting your hair cut, unless you've got a younger brother who is going out this weekend as the guest of another boy, in which case, collect his note before lunch, put it in your letter after you've had your hair cut, and make sure he moves your clothes down onto the lower peg for you.

If you're not getting your hair cut, you don't have to move your brother's clothes down to the lower peg. You simply collect his note before lunch, after you've done your scripture prep, when you've written your letter home, before rest, move your own clothes onto the lower peg, greet the visitors, and report to Mr. Viney that you've had your chit signed.

What a perfect name for that post.

Here's the explanation of whats going on week 1 that I've heard.

This period is there so existing contracts can be renegotiated. Computer and humans alike will do this during the first week. The only contact with unsigned players is with those you have total control over for now, your restricted free agents. From what I hear, this segment was mainly put in for multiplayer leagues to give a good time for everyone to accomplish these tasks.

To cap:
Can only rework existing deals with the single exception of RFA's
Human and computer teams do this a this point.

then why can I not vring up a player's contract to negotiate during this period?

You should be able to for restricted free agents (the ones with black bars on their circle)

Ok, yes I see, I can for RFA's, but not UFA's, which in essence means if you want to keep a player and not let him test the FA market, you'll need to renegotiate contracts for players who's contracts will be up the following year.

That's the way it works in the NFL, why should it be any different in FOF.

unrestricted = not restricted to negotiating only with you

I didn't realize that the NFL ran the FA period in rounds. Is this new this season? ;)

Yep, it's always been this way. Of course, one of them you will be able to franchise if you don't rework the year before.

I think the NFL calls them 'days'

Anyway -- does anyone use this feature? I suspect it's for MP, but the league I'm in runs a stage simply without hitting continue, so it's the same effect -- you can make offers to UFA's if you want, but they aren't considered until the next stage.

You are correct. I'm pretty sure it was implemented as a "last chance" to get as much cap room as you can to sign free agents in the second stage and beyond. It makes life a little more easier for MP Commish's.