Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

[Dcourtne]

Here are my Questions :
(1) What is the most you would spend on a single player either from a % of cap or avg $$$ annually perspective? In other words, what's the most you would pay to keep your superstar?
(2) How does the player's position impact your answer?
(3) How do you handle aging players? Do you trade or cut at a certain age while they have value or do you keep til retirement?

I usually don't spend more than $15m per year on anyone and try to stay closer to $10. This let's me have a well rounded team but also means I've got a revolving door at some positions like QB. I've got a QB resigning coming up that should breach the $20m barrier. Im considering taking the plunge just to do something different - I think it would be fun to keep a QB long-term and take a shot at some of the career records. But I'm concerned about how that decision will shape the rest of my team. I also tend to trade older players away while they have value in order to acquire replacements to develop at other positions.

[SpectreBugg]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

I don't have too many rules when it comes to salary, other than not overpaying guys too much.

I do try to stay loyal to long term players though. If it's a guy i drafted, or a guy that has been with the team for a long time, I'll try to find ways to use them and keep them around. As positions like WR and DB slow down, I keep them as situational players until they retire, or until I simply can't afford to keep them around anymore.

[Josiphos]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

If I find a franchise QB, he's mine no matter what price I have to pay. Basically build the team around him as most important part. I think that's pretty realistic.

Positions that I don't care at all about :

K, P (all interchangeable)

RB (basically can get by with a 66 OVR guy)

TE (last year they were more powerful....this year, scrubs seem to work)

Positions that I really spend money on:

CB, OT, OG (vitally important)

WR (a change from last year....when you could get away with any 62 OVR fast scrub. This year punishes you on catching ability if they don't have it . They are worth the money IMHO)

Undecided so far : LB and DE DT (not sure if they are worth the cash yet, only in season 2)

I will usually trade guys away with life left in them, if the offer is good or they are just going to be too much money. If I'm going to be unable to re sign a good young prospect the next year...then they gotta go. An example is Jason Peters....his contract was 10 M and his Madden ratings were decent, but he's only got 1-2 years before retirement. I traded him to a contender for a 3rd rounder I think

[GoBigRed29]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

1) As much as is needed!
2) Position does matter a bit....for me, HB, QB, LBs, O-Line, and secondary are my highest paid positions. I love having a dominate run game, controlling linebackers, and my secondary often plays man coverage, hence they need to be great.
3) I tend to trade older players unless I really like them(had for a looooonnngggg time/big part of my team). I don't think I've ever run into a situation where my cap space is a big problem, even when I'm retaining higher end talent.

[mrprice33]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

Trade back
trade back
trade back
trade back

Don't have a non-qb under contract past 33 yrs old (30 for RBs), no players older than 26 and under 70 OVR.

[ParaAut]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

For winning itself I think it would be best to just look for a new QB every 4-5 years and trade away the old one. Saves you so much money and you get 2-3 nice picks for the new guy. Could be true for some other positions too. In the past I handled it like that, but I found it that it is too easy. A drafted QB instantly plays well, but you have space for 2-3 other very good players - not realistic!

Basically with last year's version I changed my strategy that it reflects real life better. Oakland will not trade Derek Carr, just because there are 2-3 future superstar QB's in every draft. So I try to keep my star players as much as possible (even in higher age as long they are useful and the cap allows it) and only let them go if I have an idea how to replace them.

Most important for me is D-Line and O-Line, so I focus on them - sometimes quite expensive, but also very realistic.

[timhere1970]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

I am currently trying to make the game more difficult. Keeping anybody with a chance at the hall of fame which requires a legacy score of 10 thousand I beleive. So if they are on track for that I am not getting rid of them any more. I started last night not drafting anybody before the fourth round. My highest player was a 74 te, everybidy else was in the 60's. May move up to 3rd round with the new lesser classes. Going to wait and see if I can develop these guys. They all have the physical skills to play their position for me so I only have to upgrade cheaper intangibles. I will have money to resign veterans this way I believe.

I sim the playoffs and most of the regulag season, play four games a year, week 4, 8, 12, 16. I have only won three super bowls and am in 2027. I won the first season with code kessler in for an injured rothlisbe4ger. I have only won twice more with no starters below. I have gone undefeated once. I have gone undefeated four other times in regular season only to lose first playoff game to inferior talent so I have no reason to believe having high overalls everywhere actually matters when simming the playoffs. My goal now is to stack the hall of fame and that means keeping old men.

[vicaddict]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

I never had to resign players above an 90 OVR, so I can't answer that one.

However, when it comes to players, I tend to be very loyal. I gave Joe Thomas a 5 year contract when he was 33. Unfortunately he retired a year later. I don't care for age that much and after a couple of years your team will be so good, you can afford to have some starters slowing down a bit.

When it comes to positions, I don't set priorities, either. Although, I like to be stable at positions, so signing a young kicker and punter and keeping them, is important. In my last franchise, I signed Blair Walsh in Free Agency. Great Kicker for years to come.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

Here are my Questions :
(1) What is the most you would spend on a single player either from a % of cap or avg $$$ annually perspective? In other words, what's the most you would pay to keep your superstar?
(2) How does the player's position impact your answer?
(3) How do you handle aging players? Do you trade or cut at a certain age while they have value or do you keep til retirement?

I usually don't spend more than $15m per year on anyone and try to stay closer to $10. This let's me have a well rounded team but also means I've got a revolving door at some positions like QB. I've got a QB resigning coming up that should breach the $20m barrier. Im considering taking the plunge just to do something different - I think it would be fun to keep a QB long-term and take a shot at some of the career records. But I'm concerned about how that decision will shape the rest of my team. I also tend to trade older players away while they have value in order to acquire replacements to develop at other positions.

(1) I don't have a limit. Realistically though when it starts getting upward of $15-20MM per season, my palms get a little sweaty.

(2) Position matters. Obviously QBs/LTs/pass rush will make more. Other guys are more replaceable. Also it depends on the scheme. I will generally splurge a bit more on my lines than elsewhere because I play power run/base 3-4 with an emphasis on stopping the run. I need good big uglies.

(3) I tend to not want guys making big money after they hit 33-35 years old. I usually won't sign someone in their mid 30s unless it's a 1 or 2-year deal and I have a huge need. As for players that I've drafted and developed or have been with my franchise for a long time, I'm more of the mind to keep them their whole career and see if they can get career records and into the HoF.


Some other concepts that I go by...

-For free agents that I KNOW will be with me for the duration of their contract, I will beef up their signing bonus and drop their overall cap number by reducing the salary. If there's minimal risk of cutting them, this can save a little bit of cap space and keep the player rolling in guaranteed money.

-If there's a free agent that I feel only so so about, maybe he fills a current need but isn't a huge upgrade, I will take the opposite approach. I will give him less guaranteed money, but give him a higher salary knowing that I can always cut or trade the player if a better option arises.

-For backups I don't like to spend a lot. I usually try to keep younger developmental players with good physical traits as backups that are happy making less than $1MM per year.

-I will also keep in mind the positions that are coming up for big $$$ contract renewals at the end of the year and look extra hard in the draft to scout for replacements. If I find some, then I tend to let the veterans walk.

-I like to have a good chunk of wiggle room. If the cap is $155MM, I would rarely get above $140MM or so...I like to have enough slack to fit in a major impact player under the cap at any given time and capitalize on the poor cap management of other teams.

[ajra21]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

Here are my Questions :
(1) What is the most you would spend on a single player either from a % of cap or avg $$$ annually perspective? In other words, what's the most you would pay to keep your superstar?
(2) How does the player's position impact your answer?
(3) How do you handle aging players? Do you trade or cut at a certain age while they have value or do you keep til retirement?

I usually don't spend more than $15m per year on anyone and try to stay closer to $10. This let's me have a well rounded team but also means I've got a revolving door at some positions like QB. I've got a QB resigning coming up that should breach the $20m barrier. Im considering taking the plunge just to do something different - I think it would be fun to keep a QB long-term and take a shot at some of the career records. But I'm concerned about how that decision will shape the rest of my team. I also tend to trade older players away while they have value in order to acquire replacements to develop at other positions.

my rules before M17 were very different to those in M17 because the salaries are now much more realistic, even if they're not perfect. but i'll try to address your questions:

1. generally, i only pay big buck for three positions: QB, pass rusher & LT. that said, i've never signed a QB for more than $16m per years because i've always signed them before they break out. normally sit them for their first two or even three years.

had a six year CFM on M17 i've just ended. in my first draft, i found a quick dev QB in the 6th round. he sat for a year before taking over due to an injury. he signed a six year mega deal just before i started a new CFM.

money is less important for older players when compared to length of deal. once paid jj watt $25m for a one year deal at the age of 33yo cos i had cap space one year. but i wouldn't have given him two years at $15m per year.

2. generally, i won't pay CB or RB. i draft them, use them & move on. occasionally, if someone special comes along, i'll deviate from that plan. for instance, when i've had a cheap pass rush and OL, i've kept a more expensive CB. right now, my OL & pass rush are cheap so i'll extend carlos hyde soon.

3. depends on the player & position. the chance of me having a 31yo RB, WR, CB on the roster (beyond a cheap backup). OL will usually be done by age 32yo, unless they're a complete stud. once had a LT who never dropped dropped below 97 despite retiring at age 35yo.

now, M17's regression system is making that less likely and causing guys around 29yo to become less effective.

don't normally trade players away because the CPU values them too highly. if a team is interested in a player of mine i'll do a manual trade with them for a much lower return. for instance, i had 30yo terrance knighton on the trade block. he was 84 OVR. NE offered a first round pick. a dozen other teams offer better than a 4th round pick. i trade him to NE for a 5th via the manual trade option.

[ajra21]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

I never had to resign players above an 90 OVR, so I can't answer that one.

However, when it comes to players, I tend to be very loyal. I gave Joe Thomas a 5 year contract when he was 33. Unfortunately he retired a year later. I don't care for age that much and after a couple of years your team will be so good, you can afford to have some starters slowing down a bit.

When it comes to positions, I don't set priorities, either. Although, I like to be stable at positions, so signing a young kicker and punter and keeping them, is important. In my last franchise, I signed Blair Walsh in Free Agency. Great Kicker for years to come.

what was joe thomas' OVR when you re-signed him?

[vicaddict]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

what was joe thomas' OVR when you re-signed him?

I think, my former statement wasn't accurate. He was the only 90+ player that I resigned. He was still a 99, if I am not mistaken. I gave him another 5 year contract with 15 million bonus in total and only 7 million per year. I considered that to be cheap at the time, but when he retired a year later, he never paid back the bonus. He must have planned it all along. Well, he deserved it.

[AshamanCarnage]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

I'm part of a 4-man online CFM and usually follow the same formula for building my team. Trade away players 28 or older with big contracts, if you have a big contract and you're under 85 overall you'll be traded as well. I bring in young defensive players at the key defensive positions (DT, OLB, CB) and will sign them to big contracts.

The other positions don't get much big money from me, I can get by with 70 overalls from almost all the other positions except my o-line which I'll shell out pretty decent salaries for.

[WhoDat45]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

In you guys CFM are u seeing alot of high rated free agents in the offseason because in all my test CFM all im seeing is 82 is the highest free agent it seem all the teams resign their players

[timhere1970]

Re: Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

In you guys CFM are u seeing alot of high rated free agents in the offseason because in all my test CFM all im seeing is 82 is the highest free agent it seem all the teams resign their players

Yes, but mostly from my team.