Your Cap Management Strategies

[stinkubus]

Quote: Originally Posted by Aestis

Try $18-$19M+. I think he'll just surpass whatever Clowney signs & become the highest paid defensive player in the league. And that's another reason cap is such a joke in Madden. The cap keeps going up, but what guys ask for doesn't. So it just gets easier & easier to retain talent. Cap starts off at a ridiculously easy place (seriously--in Madden so many teams start with $20M-$50M in cap when most of them IRL have more like $1M-10M) and only gets easier from there.

There are currently 14 teams with less than $10 million in cap space. That's fewer than half. The median is roughly $11 million, but there are teams (Browns, Colts, 49ers, Bears, Texans) will considerable space available.

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space

[TMJOHNS18]

I sign my guys as close to real market value as I can. I look up the top salaries per position (overthecap.com) and give guys deals based where I feel they'd slot in.

For example, TE Trey Burton was a free agent after 2017 season. Signed him to a 3yr 21.5m deal, which was way over what the game market value was. Signed him with a $10m bonus based on where he fit https://overthecap.com/position/tight-end/

This was prior to his real signing, which ended paying him slightly more on average.


As far as CPU goes I'm OK with what they pay players. For one it's a CPU so there's no real planning. And two the salaries offset when they pay a starting WR $8m and the 4th string $4m.

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by TMJOHNS18

I sign my guys as close to real market value as I can. I look up the top salaries per position (overthecap.com) and give guys deals based where I feel they'd slot in. For example, TE Trey Burton was a free agent after 2017 season. Signed him to a 3yr 21.5m deal, which was way over what the game market value was. Signed him with a $10m bonus based on where he fit https://overthecap.com/position/tight-end/ This was prior to his real signing, which ended paying him slightly more on average. As far as CPU goes I'm OK with what they pay players. For one it's a CPU so there's no real planning. And two the salaries offset when they pay a starting WR $8m and the 4th string $4m.

I'm wondering if it's worth it to do the top contracts for the CPU via 30-team control to ensure that teams value that talent correctly.

That overthecap website is amazing. I didn't know about that. I think that could be very useful for making cap management more realistic in the game if you're willing to do the work yourself.

[Ueauvan]

only players i resign are franchise qb, udfas that are worth developing after eligibility is up, or my returner/st wr/hb/db, or stellar kicker if i have one. occasionally i may do a HB if their bcv/elu/spd are high.
and if a player is up that i plan to use elsewhere, wr to TE, SS to LB, to develop or fill a need

[TMJOHNS18]

Quote: Originally Posted by Trojan Man

I'm wondering if it's worth it to do the top contracts for the CPU via 30-team control to ensure that teams value that talent correctly. That overthecap website is amazing. I didn't know about that. I think that could be very useful for making cap management more realistic in the game if you're willing to do the work yourself.

I matched a lot of contract extension from 2017 that were signed in game to reflect their real-life counterparts, as well as signing Free Agents to realistic contracts to match 2018 offseason.

Early in the CFM I think it's ok to do so, but I've moved away from changing much. If I see a young QB signs a rather cheap extension I will go in and bump it up to a more respectable amount, due to the amount of cap teams have available starting off.

The problem you may run into is after a few seasons the mean average OVR at each position will drop and there may be a large amount of capable starters hitting Free Agency who demand a reasonable salary. Will be a bit much to handle so many and adjust to a more realistic market value.

One thing I would do is keep in check QB salaries. When a good QB hits free agency I take over as QB needy teams and offer the same contract. This way QBs get paid better and it's a good trickle-down for cap management for the CPU.

Outside of QB I think the CPU will spend a decent amount per each position in total, so I wouldn't worry too much about how much they spend on one player. If you adjust too many salaries you may end up with teams up against the cap and releasing way too many quality players and no teams bidding on them. Users will make room to sign these quality players, the CPU will not.

A good thing is either the game inflates the Franchise Tag or it adjust to the current contracts. A few years into my CFM and I had to let Jameis Winston walk because his tag was set at $28.5M and I only had $29M of space. Downside is he only wanted like $18M a year with the average salaries above $27M, but given team situation it was tag or walk.

[RogueHominid]

Quote: Originally Posted by TMJOHNS18

I matched a lot of contract extension from 2017 that were signed in game to reflect their real-life counterparts, as well as signing Free Agents to realistic contracts to match 2018 offseason. Early in the CFM I think it's ok to do so, but I've moved away from changing much. If I see a young QB signs a rather cheap extension I will go in and bump it up to a more respectable amount, due to the amount of cap teams have available starting off. The problem you may run into is after a few seasons the mean average OVR at each position will drop and there may be a large amount of capable starters hitting Free Agency who demand a reasonable salary. Will be a bit much to handle so many and adjust to a more realistic market value. One thing I would do is keep in check QB salaries. When a good QB hits free agency I take over as QB needy teams and offer the same contract. This way QBs get paid better and it's a good trickle-down for cap management for the CPU. Outside of QB I think the CPU will spend a decent amount per each position in total, so I wouldn't worry too much about how much they spend on one player. If you adjust too many salaries you may end up with teams up against the cap and releasing way too many quality players and no teams bidding on them. Users will make room to sign these quality players, the CPU will not. A good thing is either the game inflates the Franchise Tag or it adjust to the current contracts. A few years into my CFM and I had to let Jameis Winston walk because his tag was set at $28.5M and I only had $29M of space. Downside is he only wanted like $18M a year with the average salaries above $27M, but given team situation it was tag or walk.

Excellent points all around. I know the OVR of the league drops in subsequent seasons, which affects salaries.

I'm thinking it might be worth it to control the bidding for guys in the upper-tier of FA and then let it ride for the rest. Like, making sure that QBs, edge rushers, and corners get their money.

I'm also thinking about controlling extensions for the league and making some veteran cuts at the end of the season, too, to create more realistic veteran talent distribution in FA and to ensure that teams make smart choices on whom to re-sign.

I agree about the general spending being OK because some middling guys want larger contracts in Madden than they'd get IRL, so it's probably only necessary to control the top-end salary guys.

I'm wishing 32-team control were a little more robust and easier to do in Madden.

[Aestis]

Quote: Originally Posted by stinkubus

There are currently 14 teams with less than $10 million in cap space. That's fewer than half. The median is roughly $11 million, but there are teams (Browns, Colts, 49ers, Bears, Texans) will considerable space available. https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space

Yes, right now cap only counts the first 51 players, no practice squad, no injury replacements, and we aren't even past the crucial June 1 date yet. Roster bonuses can change that, too. For many teams, the amount of technically 'free' cap right now is extremely misleading vs what they are projected to be at before the regular season begins.

Talk to me when week 1 hits. Sure, there will be some teams with 10M+. But it's NOTHING like Madden. Teams with only a few mil IRL will show as having 15 in Madden. Teams with 10-15 IRL will show as having 30-50.

[ForUntoOblivionSoar∞]

It’s easy as pie playing single player, but in an online sim league, things get hard a few years in, because you WILL have to win drawn out bidding wars to get good free agents. And by “good” I mean young guys with 79-85ish OVRs who have outstanding physical traits. The market for those players skyrockets, and when that occurs, then the real intricacies of cap management come into play.

That is just yet another reason why I highly recommend finding a group of 31 like minded people and joining a sim league.