CPU Over the Cap

[TX.Leaguer]

Just started year two of my franchise and during preseason, half the teams are over the cap limit. I sim to the start of the regular season and it leaves 3 teams over the cap:

Eagles -22.9m
Steelers -540K
Vikings -4.12m

Anyone know if this is a glitch, or a way to fix it? I really really really hope this isn’t going to be an issue for the entire franchise. Makes salary cap obsolete and franchise completely unrealistic when a team is more than 20 million over the cap.

[scottyo60]

I think it’s due to how contracts are structured in real life versus Madden. From my experience last year everyone ends up cap locked and you can end up with a ton of space. Or say if say Von Miller goes unsigned the CPU will place them on a team at a one year cheap deal. Not sure how that works.

But then you can trade a position of need plus pick for said player and stack your team. In an 8 person manually controlled league I had to delete it because we are all really good and had a ton of cap space. The rest of the teams were so bad to a point we were putting up 1000 yard offensive games on all pro heavily cpu favored sliders.

You definitely have to manipulate things to help the computer out.

[Richie71]

I'll take a look towards the end of my 3rd season soon. I did notice at the end of season two that AI teams were either over or very close, minimising the ability to make any trades.


My team is over the cap by the way, yet continuing to play. I selected the 5th year option for a player and I think that's what took me over, but wasn't checked for a cap breach at the time of agreeing the option. I am able to play with no restrictions, just can't sign any FAs.

[smonee]

I have a way to fix it in CFM Owners mode

1. Go to owner profile setting and clear your cap penalties. That should free up some space.
2. If a CPU team is over cap, add yourself to new user profile. Take over that team, clear cap penalties. Release high dollar contracts with low cap penalties.
Example: the Saints had a 73 overall DT with a 12m contract with no cap penalties. Released him and got 12m freed up.

Retire as the owner once you are done.

You can only take over each team one time and retire.

All of it sucks, it's a fix. The games AI should be better, especially for the cpu.

[TX.Leaguer]

Appreciate the responses. Was disconcerting that it was year 2 and two teams were well over the cap. I’d be less concerned if I was 5 years in. With nothing crazy going on in the first year, I can only assume every franchise will encounter this.

I looked at the rosters closely last night and both teams well over the cap had a lot of high paid players in the last year of their contracts. Hoping it should work itself out in the off-season.

Hopefully it’s a one off and not going to be an issue the entire franchise. My biggest worry is a team so far over they can’t sign basic free agents for more than one season. Could end up with a team below the minimum roster requirements and an auto victory for their opponents.

[scottyo60]

I believe every contract is back loaded and this is what causes the issue. You can go in and manually edit those contracts. I may get too invested but I’ll restructure bad years and extend deals based on how players do. I’ll edit players as well in hopes the cpu will play them.

[Ueauvan]

i was sure i posted about this previously but i cant find it.

in the second year some teams ie LV and PHI are in deep doodoo with cap. it shows at week 3 preseason and if you sim to start week 2 of the season it still remains.

last year you could fix it usually by finding a player who resigns ie is 3 yr contract 3 yr remaining, where yr 1 monies are significantly less than year 2/3. edit the player by moving from year 1 to year 2 and back and save. that doesnt work this year so decrease the total salary by 10k and save. it will smooth out over time.

with the eagles i cut both DEs and Jeffrey resigned 2 then from fa iirc and a scheme fit fa wr. if in doubt where there is an old or low over player with low penalty by high salary for the year left can cut and resign or find a fa.

its stupid that this happens, it is also stupid that i cant see cap in the future like 2k5 or what my picks are likely to cost. id also like to be able to use cap space now and adjust contracts in the future like happens in real life. money now is worth more than money in the future.

[TX.Leaguer]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ueauvan

its stupid that this happens, it is also stupid that i cant see cap in the future like 2k5 or what my picks are likely to cost. id also like to be able to use cap space now and adjust contracts in the future like happens in real life. money now is worth more than money in the future.

Great points and agreed. Madden needs to either completely mimic real life and/or give complete control of everything to the user. Having an imperfect system with limited control isn’t an answer. Would like to see teams be able to move contract money around like in real life. Unused cap needs to be carried over to the following year like real life as well.