How do I match a bid on an RFA?

[Wheeler Dealer]

How do I match a bid on an RFA?

Do I get a task on my clipboard or do I have to initiate some action on the Free Agent or Roster menu?

I know I read once that a FB will never come up for bids and you will lose him unless you "bypass" the FA market but I forgot how that was done.

[cutter73]

You get a notification to match RFA offers the same way you do to bid on FA's during free agency. It's kind of easy to miss sometimes because it pretty much looks like all the other FA bid things and it's easy to click out of it without thinking.

As far as FB's, I assume what people would do is just to cut the player and resign him before he becomes a RFA. Players only become a RFA after their third year in the league and if their contract runs out that third year. So you cut him during pre-season of his second year and resign him immediately to a 1 year contract. He'll come to you during the regular season of that second year wanting a new contract. His new contract will likely be for at least 3 more years, which will mean he's under contract after his third season and won't be a RFA.

Alternatively, you could probably just cut him outright after the third season before the offseason. That would mean you don't ever make a RFA offer to him since he's not on your team, and he should go straight to the FA pool where you can bid on him like any other FA. This isn't as good an option because other teams will likely drive the price up in the bidding, and may even start bidding on him as soon as you cut him. But if you're already that far in your career, that may be the only real option you have so I figured I'd mention it.

If there is another way to do it that's easier someone will come along to correct me.

[Mike3207]

If you cut a RFA (or any player) during the offseason period prior to the 18 day countdown, you can sign them to a 1 year deal and keep their play knowledge. Ebongreen recommends this for all RFAs you want to keep.

[Wheeler Dealer]

Yikes!!! Josh Johnson and Mario Manningham lost all their playbook knowledge during the RFA process. I didn't have to match an offer.

I did find there is a time between the Pro Bowl and the end of the season where you can drop a player and resign him for the coming year. Players kept their playbook knowledge when I experimented with this. I didn't do this during my first career since it appears to be too abusive and would make the game too easy but if this is the only way to avoid the bugs in the RFA process I will do it for those players.

Zack Bowman (CB) came back without losing his accumulated playbook knowledge! He was on IR for 3 months beginning with 3 weeks to go in the season so he would have been healthy again about the time the RFA bidding was going on. One other difference, I increased the tender recommended for Johnson and Manningham but not Bowman.

A. Serna didn't have any playbook knowledge and the verdict is still out on X. Omon, (RB 75 OVL). Omon is still a free agent even though lower rated HBs have been up for bids!

Omon is a strange case, I picked him up in a late round based on comparable player info. I was delighted to find he had a 90 potential but soon found my glee to be premature, his learning was low and his rating progressed very slowly. He passed the "eye" test so I kept him, pleased with the results he got.

In conclusion, if your RFA is a FB or if you intend to tender high and match all offers then you should drop and resign the player between the pro Bowl and the end of the season. You simulate the RFA Process for these players and keep their playbook knowledge.