Cutting Dead Weight and Contract Suggestions

[BrnwsBucksFanNC]

I have noticed quite a few of the newer players getting into Salaray Cap trouble and a big part of it seems to be over cutting dead weight and the contracts the players get. So I thought I would let you know how I do things and hopefully help some of you out. Trust me...I made my fair share of mistakes with this game so this is info that I have gleaned from the boards and my numerous personal mistakes, and my few successes.

1. Cutting Dead Weight: We all want to get rid of the over-paid no talent players who are riding the bench and getting 7 mil a year to do so. However, dont jump right into doing that. Sometimes it costs more to get rid of them than to keep them. For example, when I took over the Browns I had DT Shaun Rogers, POT 79 and injured, but had a 6 year deal paying him 6.5 mil a year. So to cut him would have cost me over 20 mil. Would I have loved to get rid of him...you better believe it!! But, I could not afford that hit. So he rode the bench for 3 seasons and then when his salary and penalty matched...he was gone. So look at the money saved and the penalty before cutting someone and unless you are fat with cap room dont cut someone who is going to take a big chunk of your cap room.

2. GM Suggestions for Cutting Dead Weight: Be very careful here. Some of the GM must smoke something before they come in. Chris Staymates explained the logic behind some of the suggestions the GMs make...but they still are crazy. Anyway...when they suggest you cut "dead weight" dont automatically cut them, even if they are a back-up. Before I even look at the option, once I see the name I go to the "Roster" screen and look to see what the penalty is to cut them. If it is alot more than the savings, sometimes you need to keep them to make sure you have cap room to sign draft picks. If they are still expendable after the start of training camp...consider cutting them or trading them away. But remember, the cap hit comes out of the next year's money if you cut them in training camp.

3. Contracts: Be very careful of signing a player to a contract loaded with incentives. Yes, we all want to keep that star WR. But look at the incentives and compare what they want to their production. If they want 1.25m for 20 TDs, 1000 yards, and the Pro Bowl and last year they exceeded that then it is probalby not a good idea to give them that contract because if it is say...a 5 yr deal and they do that every year you just added 3.75 mil to the contract every year for a total addition to the contract of 18.75 mil!. In negotiations with you top players dont counter more than twice per negotiation. Even if he is moving down. Check to see how much their counter offer comes down and also check their personality. If they are a "Superstar" and they start at offer 36 and after 2 counters are only to 34...you are in for a long negotiation. Also....dont be afraid to walk out yourself. Some players will have their approval of you go up if you walk out on them the first few times before you offer them anything. If they dont sign for what you are willing to pay...dont sign them. dont break the bank to keep 1 player.

The main objective is to get through your first year. Most of us use that as a time to evaluate players and coaches. So dont try to do it all at once. I fired all of my coaches but one after the first year and had a list of 15 players to get rid of...it just took me 3 years to do it. So be patient and have fun!

Sorry for the long post...just hope it helps. If anyone sees anything that I got worng...please say so and add to this as needed.

[ebongreen]

The only thing I would change to your post is that you can see what the penalty would be for cutting a player much more easily through the Trade interface than the Roster list. The Roster shows you the contract length and bonus, but you have to calculate the remaining bonus manually. On the Trade Away screen it shows you the current cap penalty with no work on your part.

Beyond that, my backups are either low-round draftees & developmental players or one-year street FAs. At least with the English draft path, unless some team does something monumentally stupid and releases a diamond-in-the-rough, IMO you're better off getting backups through the draft than through unrestricted free agency.

[TheDMG]

Quote: Originally Posted by BrnwsBucksFanNC

So dont try to do it all at once. I fired all of my coaches but one after the first year and had a list of 15 players to get rid of...it just took me 3 years to do it. So be patient and have fun!

Sounds familiar. I took over the Redskins in my current 'chise to see if I could undo Danny Snyder's handiwork - needless to say it takes a lot of patience. I was finally able to get Antwaan Randle El, Cornelius Griffin, Ladell Betts and London Fletcher off the books before the fourth league year started. I would have loved to have traded Chris Cooley first thing because I picked up a playbook (Cincinnati's vertical offense) that's made for a blocking TE (Reggie Kelly's been the TE every year since Marvin Lewis arrived) and about the only passing routes for Cooley are on plays I've made. I won't be able to get rid of him until at least year five.

Randle El, though has been the most frustrating because, after year one when he was my third wide-out, he's been inactive most of the year and taking up a huge chunk of cap. Occasionally I've needed to activate him to be a KR/PR, but otherwise he just stares at me from the end of the bench with eyes filled with dollar signs.

Making the tight rope even more interesting is that I'm in the English path and have lots of elite talents at bottom dollar contracts right now but they're all going to be coming due soon. I've been very, very careful to make sure that my cuts didn't put cap penalty into this year because this is the year when I have something like 8-12 players with 90 over potential coming into the last years of their rookie deals. Most will be restricted free agents, but I want to lock up as many as I can beforehand. So I'm sitting at $40 million in cap room and it feels more like $3 million. I love this game.

[Sanchez_Mareno]

Quote: Originally Posted by ebongreen

The only thing I would change to your post is that you can see what the penalty would be for cutting a player much more easily through the Trade interface than the Roster list. The Roster shows you the contract length and bonus, but you have to calculate the remaining bonus manually. On the Trade Away screen it shows you the current cap penalty with no work on your part.

Yeah roster screen shows total bonus, trade screen shows bonus remaining

Good thread

[coachchris]

I usually go to the roster screen pick the player that the GM is suggesting I cut and hit release which brings up a screen that tells you exactly what the penalty is and how much you are saving off the cap. I then just exit the screen before releasing and go back to the GM suggestion and either cut or keep the player.

By the way great suggestions by the OP.

[DreadedSteeler]

Quote: Originally Posted by coachchris

I usually go to the roster screen pick the player that the GM is suggesting I cut and hit release which brings up a screen that tells you exactly what the penalty is and how much you are saving off the cap. I then just exit the screen before releasing and go back to the GM suggestion and either cut or keep the player. By the way great suggestions by the OP.

Yep, this is what I do...easiest way to find out what the penalty would be.

[slacker2]

Quote: Originally Posted by coachchris

I usually go to the roster screen pick the player that the GM is suggesting I cut and hit release which brings up a screen that tells you exactly what the penalty is and how much you are saving off the cap. I then just exit the screen before releasing and go back to the GM suggestion and either cut or keep the player. By the way great suggestions by the OP.

That is the best way to do it