Historic Draft & Roster Files (File Reupload 15-Mar-11 + Draft tweak)
 

*Update*
I've updated the files to 2008, plus gone back and re rated alot of the older players using data from pro-football-reference.com. I think the files will be available for 90 days so if anyone is interested in hosting them just do so and post the link in this thread. I've added players like Ernie "The Express" Davis, who never played in the NFL due to injury. If you find any weird errors let me know, because I haven't checked all the files yet. That is all. Enjoy!
*End Update*

What is available?

Roster files for every year between 1960 and 2008 and draft files for every year between 1961 and 2008.

How are they different from what is already available?

Instead of being based on the draft picks for whichever year, all of the players were entered into a database and the draft files were created from this. Basically it means that players that went undrafted are included now. So the big benefit is all the extra players included, the downside is there ratings are generated from a single value and special modifiers. However I feel that the players in these draft files still exhibit very individual talents so you won't see alot of similar player types.

What is included in the files?

12400 players over 45 years, this pretty much includes every player who ever played in the NFL.
Each player has was entered into a database and given an overall rating (like the one used in the player file), return ratings and special ratings (Running for Qb's, pass rush, run defense for the d line and so on and so forth)
These ratings were used straight up for the roster files.
The draft files used this data with some modification. In the draft files each player is given a rating for their position specific rating (Run defense, Pass rush for Dline) that is dependant on their overall rating and their special ratings. The ratings don't transfer over straight up (an overall of 2 does not mean a player gets a rating of 431 across the board (in the draft files players are rated between 375 and 625) the rating follow more of a log scale.
One question you might have is how was player aging taken into account?
For example John Elway was drafted in 83 and was 23 years old and was given an overall rating of 9 (One of 34 players to have a 9 overall) with a special rating of 9 in QB running, in 1997 Elway would be 37 years old so what is his rating? What I did was split the league into two position types the first one QB's and Kickers, age pretty well and can still play good at an older age and everyone else, who's rating will start to dip as they get older. So Elway would take a hit in his overall ratings at age 32, 35, 38 and 40. So by the time he is 37 he has taken two hits and is rated a 3 overall and his scrambling would be a 5 (special ratings take less of a hit over time)

What is not included?

Draft position did not make it in, this might effect contracts a bit and maybe I'll add it in the future.
Jersey numbers, players weight and correct salaries are also not included.
For players weight, way too many players were below the cut off for position switching so i bumped them all upto the minimum plus a little random bit.
For the salaries I set a cap number of 100 million in 2005 then projected that back to 1960 given a 5 % increase every year, so the salary cap in 1960 is 11.7 million or so. Then using NFLPA data for the last couple of years I found out what the average player in the NFL makes as a percentage of the salary cap, then I said that is what a veteran player who has an overall rating of 2 would make. I discounted salaries for players with less than 5 years of experience or if they were rated less than 2 overall, and increased salaries for players rated over 2.
Contract length was set to however many years the player played on the team, so for Jim Brown in the 1960 roster files his contract would expire in 1965.

How do I use these files?
Download the roster and draft files from here, and csv files: hxxp://rapidshare.com/files/345649435/draftcsv.zip



For example say you want to start in 1978:
- Download the roster and draft files and unzip them into a folder
- Open up FOF 2K7 and say yes to begin a new game using an alternate player file
- I would suggest not using the full x factor when importing the file
- Then you should start in the 1978
- When you start the 1979 season, before you hit start free agency, remember to import the 1979 draft file

How was expansion handled?

Basically if a team didn't exist, I generated players of random experience with an overall rating of 0.
Expansion Teams are:
Vikings - 61
Falcons - 66
Dolphins - 66
Saints - 67
Bengals - 68
Seahaws - 76
Buccaneers - 76
Panthers - 95
Jaguars - 95
Ravens - 96
Browns - 99
Texans - 02

Why does this hall of famer suck?

The X - factor, even when turned off still has a large influence on ratings, great players will tend to be great but it is not always the case.

Errors?

So if you find any errors in the files, just report them in reply to this post, hope you enjoy the files!

Dude, I *PROMISE* you won't get in trouble for an http link to the domain I use to host the downloads. :D

Holy, no friggin way batman. I am gonna try this out 4 sure. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

How long did that take ? This sounds like exactly what I was going to do once I had the time (which woulda been --- uh, sometime when the weather turns to never).

No offense to the other roster sets, but most of the older ones I found difficult to play without doing a draft. Hopefully, this is as accurate as you say !

Thanks again - gonna DL now :)

Just to be clear, I have to import the draft every year? Correct?

I love you.




Really, I do.

Well, just to help you with a little feedback. The download - smooth, quick - good link.

All the files advertised are in there.

I've quickly went through some seasons (just loading and scanning a few rosters & ratings).

All I can say is again .. Thanks. Amazing. Rosters are sound, although it seems a little preseason juggling will be in order for a lot of teams to meet the FOF roster position minimums. (But, that's not you - just the NFL doesn't have the same requirements). So far, the ratings are actually better than I expected.

Again, WOW & Thank You.

To Gotee - yes. Every offseason, you'll import the draft.

PS - Almost forgot - Thanks !

If ever I loved a man, it would be you.

Thank you a billion times.

Awesome!

Excellent! Thanks Doug and a special thanks goes out to you nilodor. AWESOME!

Any chance of getting the csv 's posted to these roster sets? -- thanks

Correct

1987 didn't work for me.

How do you stop the Texans from being in early leagues?

You can't - the only option is rename them to something less offensive/annoying.

Nilodor - WOW. The detail in this project is unbelievable.

I seem to be getting a problem with that one as well, I did I quick check and I'm not sure what is up with it, I'll take a better look later. I did test out all of the draft files and they work and I tested several roster files (but not all) so most of them should work, this is the first one I know of that doesn't.

A couple of other notes,

- Players will appear on a team from the year they were drafted, not the year they first played. This is most significant in the early 80's draft files and the involvement of the USFL and in the 60's files when it was common for players not to play at all the year they were drafted.

- If a player didn't play for a year after their career started, they will be assigned to the team they last played for. So Doug Flutie will still be on a team when he was in the CFL, or Jim Kelly will appear on the Bills in 83 and 84 before he joined the NFL. This is neccessary because of the way the draft files are made, if I didn't make this concession players would appear in multiple draft files.

- Strike players were handled as follows (3 games in 1987)
- if they played at another time they are in the file.
- if they played the year before or after the strike then they will appear in the 87 roster file
- if they were drafted in 87 they will appear

just an fyi for any other noobs out there --

You can't try to import the fdt file without a draft as it will lock up --- (unless someone knows how to do this?)

Absolutely awesome job nilodor. Thanks!!!

nilodor, thanks so much. I've been using the old files and I'm up to 1988. I'm going to use the 1989 draft file you created next!

Just wow. Nilodor: awesome job!

Spreadsheet updated with these.

Wonderful resource, nilodor...many thanks.

Thanks alot!

Yes!!!! Thanks a Ton! I can now start My Charger Dynasty in 1980! All the seasons all the player any year to start from..... awsome!!!!! :)

Yeah, thanks a bleedin' bunch. I had a stack of things I was planning on doing today and now I'm going to have to play around with this instead. Dammit!

Unbelievably detailed and, well, fantastic work. You rule. A lot.

Very nice. This may actually get me to play SP.

nice work, nilodor. Thanks.

OK. Once again thanks a ton. In the spirit of helping out - I tested every season. It appears all seasons from 1987-1995 are not taking. **edit -- all the rest are perfect.

Not complaining at all ... just thought the info may help you to isolate the problem.


JJ, Joiner & Winslow. Big Louie, Big Hands & Deano ... My favorite single season team ever ! (Outside of Detroit of course :))

I will too if Jerry Rice is still amazing in these sets.

I started my season in 1972 with the Pittsburgh Steelers so I can relive the glory days of the 70's. The set is awesome. Jack Ham, Terry, Franco..............thanks Nilodor. You are the man!

I'll check them out and see if I can find out what is up with them. Thanks.

Can someone please clarify for me how to do these? I tried to import the 85 season and the Texans and Panthers etc have players and are included in the schedules. How do you get the appropriate number of teams as there was in 85?

:rolleyes:

So basically you play with the Texas, Panthers Jags, etc as expansion teams in 1985? That sucks.

I found starting off in 1960 with a full draft, you end up with two Jack Kemps in the game.

I found the problem with the 87 - 95 files (Blame Dave Wyman) and fixed jack kemp's double in the 60 file. I've sent the updated zip file to the HNIC, so when he updates it you'll be able to get em.

Done.

Damn you! :)

Had a nice SP career going and now this has to come out.

Thanks Nilodor, very much appreciated!

This is fantastic.

Thank you !

Outstanding work. My favorite mode of play is SP with historical players and this extends the depth another ten years back from the 1970 set previously available, PLUS expands the flexibility almost infinitely by allowing start with any team/any year.

You are to be commended and awarded a spot in my own FOF HoF as a special contributor.

Is there a known (easy) method to create a universe of all-time teams (for example, 74 Steelers, 85 Bears, 01 Rams) across years ?

This would be SO sweet !

So, if I move franchises around before the beginning of the game because I want to switch the divisions, will that completely frick up the starting rosters?

If you come up with a list of which vintage you want for each team I could put it together for you.

It won't change the rosters, say you move the Redskins to Poughkeepsie, all the players who were supposed to be on Washington will be on Poughkeepsie.

How can you edit these new roster files. When I open the file the file is unreadable. Note the new roster file icon itself is not like the ones I can edit, the cvs files with the "a" in excell file icon which are readable. Can anyone assist?

To be clearer: I can open the file type: Microsoft office excel comma separated values file that I downloaded but I cannot open the new historical files.

The file type stated on those file state: CVS which give you a players name, a lot of lines and symbols and then another players name several lines down and so on.

Don't think you can. This set is not a cvs set; but an .fdt file. I am pretty sure there isn't anyway to edit .fdt files.

Nothing in Jim's games are just eye candy... he has a reason for EVERYTHING. :)

Finding out why it's in there is the hard part. Here, I think it just shows you how important a good QB is.

Doug, I figured to change the names and ratings in each Player file roster Nilodor had to edit the files in the first place. There must have been a Microsoft office excel comma separated values file. Of course, my logic could be wrong.

Geesh, you're a tricky one. Gotta search around in different threads to catch your replies ?

These draft files are great! Thanks a lot.

I am getting into the 2000's now but I don't see a 2006 draft file anywhere. I downloaded the 2007 one but is there one anywhere for 2006?