I will be taking this week to finalize the rosters of all teams. There are a few who did not have 53 players as of the last round of the FA draft, and we will use this week to get everyone up to 53 players. I'll also update the Action PC software to reflect these changes and will email the final roster spreadsheet to all league members.

You shoulld use this week to come up w/ the strategy you will use for your offense and defense. Once the rosters are taken care of, I'll be asking for each team's strategies and depth charts, which I will enter into the software also. Shortly after this is done, we will begin simulating the two preseason games. Immediately after that, the regular season will begin.

When's the deadline for guys we plan on signing to contracts?

That's going to depend on how quickly I can get the 53 man rosters finalized and how quickly I can get the spreadsheet out to everyone. Then, they can resubmit it w/ the lengths of the contracts they intend to sign their players to. Hopefully, that'll be done by the end of the week. I'm working on it, but w/ no internet access @ home and a ton of work to do, it's tough.

So, uh, I haven't gotten a new spreadsheet and I'm just wondering what's going on.

Rich has been busy. Its not just you waiting, but give the big man some time.

Right now, I'm in the process of re-inputting all the rosters onto the software we use for the sim due to my recent computer issues. After that's done, I will fill in the rosters of the teams who are absentee.

Also, there are a few player issues I have come 'cross that will need to be addressed, but I will do so w/ the particular teams involved.

I should have all rosters added (including the additions to the teams who need 53 players) tonight. I'll email the form for depth chart/strategy info out to all owners either today or tomorrow. I will also be emailing out the completed spreadsheet to all owners today or tomorrow. When you receive the spreadsheet, you will need to complete it w/ the lengths of contracts for your players.

Remember, all players last year were in their option year (except 2007 rookies), so they must all be signed to contracts of more than one year. The 2008 rookies (those just drafted) are in their option year now, so next year, they will have to be signed to contracts of more than one year.

If you do not receive the emails, that means I do not have a valid email address for you. The front page of the spreadsheet will have the email addresses I have received of all league members.

I thought you could also resign them to a one-yr deal if you are willing to accept paying them 20% more than last year?

Yeah. I forgot that was still in there. I thought that was one of the things I took out before I posted the final version. Oh well.

I suppose for this year we can go w/ the 1+20% rule, but it is something that will be revisited for the following years. Why? 'Cause I don't want owners keeping high priced (high ranked, for the most part) players on w/ a series of one year contracts since one of the main things that does is water down the free agent talent pool, which makes for even more inactivity (more missed and passed picks).

I actually like the ability to sign one-year deals, as its useful in building a team. You could change it to be so that players can be signed for 1 year, but after that, they must go into the free agent pool.

how bout a limit on the one year contracts?
then again, if you do the 1 year deal for a higher paid player, you must be prepared to pay an extra million or so for the guy in the first year. Afterwards is where it can become problematic as the owner could cheat the system by only raising 20% each yr. as opposed to the 0-20-40-60-80 % increases.

That was the idea, w/ the option year being the one year deal. As I said, it will probably be changed to reflect that after this season.

I noticed in the spreadsheet you had Daymeion Hughes listed as inactive.

He isn't, though. He just goes by the name Dante Hughes now.

I know zilch about fantasy football, but the team named the "Erie Slayers" has an OL and a good enough bunch of skill players to pound defenses senseless if they were in the real NFL.

Sim leagues are different from fantasy football since you have to manage an entire roster, not just skill players. Balance is the key in this game: having a solid offense, defense, and kicking game.


The Slayers will be a tough team to beat this year, but so will a few others:

Colorado
Las Vegas
Cincinnati
Philadelphia
Louisiana
Texas
Erie Assassins


All of these teams either have a ton of talent returning to a team that was already good, or have drastically improved their rosters and should see a big increase in the win column.

That's okay, keep under appreciating Indy, it happened last year and we made the playoffs despite being in a division with two other playoff teams and having a losing record and having one of the league's worst offenses. We like flying under the radar.

You won't be flying under the radar for long. Trust me.

I don't like the sound of that I was thinking maybe 10-11 wins this year and possibly taking the division now I fear I could go winless.

You definitely mistook that statement, then.

lol.

Rich, what does the time line look like for getting the spreadsheets back? I'm a bit busy atm (helping someone buy a house), so I'd rather put it off until next week when I can sit down for a couple hours straight and work out a bunch of scenarios for contract figures.

Also, was the cap penalty language ever added to the rules?

Still working on the cap penalty stuff. Since this is the first year w/ long term deals, we have some time before it affects us on a large scale.

I'd like to get the contracts, depth charts, and strategy sheets back from everyone by the end of next week, if possible.