Lurker > KCF0107

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80696234

new topic

To Do:
- Record draft in my notebook
- Create new topic + confirm if I want to do Friday and Sunday sim dates and start on the 16th

I am almost never right about Rookie of the Year, but I actually went 2-2 last season picking Bengals WR Kenny Golladay and Browns OLB Andrew Van Ginkel.

Picking defense is more of a crapshoot. On offense, we have seven players at the heavy counting stats positons (QB and HB) slated to be week 1 starters as well as a handful of WRs. I will go ahead and pick Orcas QB Tua Tagovailoa as my Offensive Rookie of the Year pick and defenses tend to favor LBs for the same counting stats reason, so I'm going to say Seahawks OLB Dre Greenlaw for Defensive Rookie of the Year

NFC Seeding

Playoff Teams
1. St. Louis Rams
2. San Juan Orcas
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Dallas Cowboys
5. New York Giants
6. Seattle Seahawks

Playoff Contenders
7. Las Vegas Pumpkins
8. Green Bay Packers
9. Atlanta Falcons
10. Washington Commanders
11. Chicago Bears
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13. Philadelphia Eagles
14. San Francisco 49ers
15. Detroit Lions
16. Carolina Panthers

NFC South

1. San Juan Orcas
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Carolina Panthers

The Orcas looked fantastic on defense (ranked 3rd I believe), and everyone but the QB looked good on offense. The Orcas finished 7-9 and out of the playoffs thanks to said QB, Jameis Winston, who went from Super Bowl-winning, QB of the Year to someone who was arguably the worst first-half QB and finished with 21 INTs and a career-worst 57.2% completion. Perhaps he should have been given another chance since he has only two seasons as a starter, but the Orcas went ahead and drafted Tua Tagovailoa in the first round round. The team returns every other starter from last season, which is also nearly every starter from their SB-winning season. QBs are always so volatile, and we have no previous history for Tua, but if he is good from the start, we could be looking at more than just a division crown for the Orcas.

The Falcons have been neck-and-neck with the Orcas for a few seasons now, and they finally broke through with a division crown last season. They have some of the league's best at several positions, none more notable than RT Tony Ugoh and HB David Johnson, a match made in heaven. They've had really poor preseason injury look as of late. They only lost one starter to a season-ending injury this time, so they look to be in good shape for a repeat run to the top. There isn't a whole lot to say about to say about this time as they are simply a solid offensive and defensive team that does well to limit turnovers. They have their difficult games at home and more winnable matchups on the road, so that's good. Having their schedule be heavily fronted with home games and end the season with six straight road games is not ideal, but that's what they have to work with.

The Buccaneers had three top two picks in consecutive years. QB Trevor Largent was a bust, HB Alvin Kamara had a very ugly debut as the full-time starter with a sub-1000 yard season with 0 rushing TDs and 4 fumbles, so he could be a second bust. The other was OLB Bradley Chubb who has 402 tackles, 10 sacks, and 12 INTs in four seasons, so that's nice. I bring them up because after spending heavily on RFAs in earlier seasons, the team put their eggs in the baskets of these players as they could not be major players in free agency. It blew up, but things could be looking up this season. The OL still plays at a high level, the work on the defense looks good as they are now balanced with quality starters everywhere, and the pass-catchers remain an underrated bunch. Assuming the defense continues to make strides, it's really coming down to their QB and HB play again this season. I don't know about Kamara, but I have a good feeling that Justin Herbert will be better than Largent (it would be hard not to). In terms of win-loss record, they could be one of the most improved teams this season, and that could put them in the conversation to win the division.

After years of draft whiffs and grabbing the wrong free agents, everything came crashing down (again) last season. Due to financial reasons, they had to get worse this season to put them on a path of getting better. That being said, they look to have much better depth this season, so I think that they can still be competitive to a certain degree. They are currently running a 3-4 D this season. I don't think that the DEs are up to the task, but I suppose time will tell. This is a make-or-break season for several draft picks/free agent signings that haven't quite worked it out, so at the very least this should be an informative and interesting season for the team.

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

The Vikings have lost to retirement, trade, or free agency: HB Dion Lewis, G Caleb Benenoch, DE Adrian Clayborn, MLB Alvin Williams, and CB Xavien Howard. They will not be easily replaced and certainly not right off the bat. While they probably won't cruise to an 11-0 or whatever record they started with last season, they should still be the favorites in the NFC North even though the rest of the division is intriguing. They still have an excellent secondary, OL, and passing game. The front seven is in a bit of flux, but it should be serviceable enough. The running game is a big unknown as they hand it off to first rounder Jeff Wilson Jr., but as exhibited last season, the passing game is more than enough to overcome an injured or inconsistent running game.

The Packers lost QB Tyrod Taylor (and others) to retirement, which means the last starting true scrambling QB is no more. As such, I have no idea what to expect from the offense, but HB Austin Ekeler is coming off of a 1100 yard, 4.3 YPC season, and the OL having reaped the benefits of a scrambling QB is highly rated. QB Tavian Carter has a decent slate of people to throw to in Harry Dougles and Seth DeValve. I think that they can be sneaky good on offense. If that's the case, they will be one of the playoff favorites as this defense looks good and has been playing great. They have a great injury situation, and they play four of their first five games at home. They include some quality defenses in the Vikings, Orcas, and Eagles, so we will have a better idea of what this new-look offense will be like soon enough.

The Bears spent significant resources on the defense bringing in CB Quincy Wilson, DE Carl Nassib, and backup MLB Kurt Paulding. It's not a finished product, but the defense looks pretty good right now. Offense is another issue. HB Dexter McCluster is out for the season with Giovanni Bernard coming in. Injuries plagued his 49ers tenure, and he's been merely serviceable as an injury signing in subsequent years. QB Teddy Bridgewater has alternated between great and okay years in Chicago, and given his crop of pass-catchers this season, the trend might unfortunately continue for the Bears. The OL might not provide a ton of blocks, but they seem to have good ratios, especially along the interior. I'm more intrigued than optimistic about this team, but the schedule seems fair enough that they could string some wins together to be in the playoff hunt.

The Lions spent some much-needed effort on retooling this team. While I think that they are another quality offseason away from being a playoff team, they should be more competitive and avoid a third straight #1 overall pick. That being said, no team was as screwed over by preseason injuries as the Lions. The lone bright spots on offense have been the WR duo of Torrey Smith and Josh Doctson. Doctson is out for the season, and Smith is currently out for half the season and could be placed on IR. Their best defender is MLB Bryan Vinson and while isn't too long, being gone at least four weeks is a big blow for a rebuilding defense that could use his weekly presence. I hope that they don't get too discouraged by a schedule that is very road heavy to start before ending seven of their final nine games in Detroit.

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. New York Giants
3. Washington Commanders
4. Philadelphia Eagles

Coming off of their worst season since their run of dominance starting in S7, I think the Cowboys can get back into the playoffs. Everyone in this division is excellent and questionable at multiple things, but I'm most optimistic about the Cowboys. They have a last place schedule that includes the Buccaneers and Lions and a non-conference slate against the AFC East. They were one of the worst running teams last season, but HB Phillip Lindsay was very promising in a small sample size and looks to be the best HB they've had since Darius Walker retired after S14. QB Cam Newton is replaced with Andy Dalton who has shown to spread the ball around a lot more, which is great for offense with WRs Sammy Watkins and Davone Bess and TE Travis Kelce. The OL showed improvement last season and added Andre Smith at RT. The elite DL is back again and adds rookie Josh Sweat as a the rotational guy, the underrated MLB Sam Crooks, who makes every defense he plays for better, is making the Cowboys his final stop, and the safeties have been coming along nicely. I think that the Cowboys can threaten to field a Top 10 O and D again and perhaps vie for a bye.

The Giants probably blew everyone's expectations last season by getting a first round bye and reaching the NFC Championship game. Their defense was the main reason, but the offense with the addition of QB Aaron Murray and much improved OL play were also critical. I'm a bit skeptical if that was a sign of things to come, and they now lack a real receiving threat, so I think that they will probably slink back to single-digit wins, but in spite of the overall success from the division last season, this is a very much a winnable one even with a lesser roster, so they can go back-to-back if things fall their way.

I have long been bullish on the Commanders, and it appeared that everything was coming together until a late season collapse saw them miss the playoffs. Now they lost DT Christian Covington and WR Selwyn Lymon and the OL continues to shuffle. They aren't the most talented team, but they have a lot of the "right" players to make me believe in them, but they will probably take a step back this season and find themselves outside of the playoffs unless the defense is roughly a Top 10 unit and/or HB Ezekiel Elliot gets back on track.

The Eagles have one of the more stark contrasts between offense and defense. The issue is with this team, they do almost nothing particularlu well. QB Taysom Hill is uninspiring with his career highs in yards and TDs is 2354 and 15. HB Leonard Fournette is a career 3.7 YPC rusher. The best pass catcher is probably their TE, and he wouldn't make my Top 10 list at the position. The OL is the best part, but there's certainly a talent issue there. They've lost Hill and their presumed #1 WR for most of the season, and if they do decide to grab replacements, there's certainly better options but none that make me think that they can change the fortunes of this offense. We've seen elite defenses with poor offenses (and the Browns for the opposite) make the Super Bowl in recent seasons, but this team seems like the playoffs might be a longshot.

NFC West

1. St. Louis Rams
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Las Vegas Pumpkins
4. San Francisco 49ers

Without doing any research into this, I want to say that the Rams have made the playoffs every season in QB Ryan Tannehill's career, and have won the division in most of them. The loss of FS Harrison Smith to retirement, OLB Casey Palmer to free agency, and CB Quincy Wilson to RFA shouldn't have too much of a negative effect on a perennially Top 5 D. In what is becoming a trend league-wide, the left side of the OL has really struggled, and Tannehill has shouldered a larger load than usual due to an increasingly unreliable running game (thanks to both ineffectiveness and injuries), which has affected his efficiency and turnover rates. While not an elite HB, newly signed Jeremy Hill has not had a season with a sub-4.0 YPC as a starter and has only missed two games in his career, so he might be exactly what this team needs in a HB, and he's an above-average pass-catcher to boot. I would say that the Rams are the most vulnerable that they've been in a while (and yes I'm aware that they didn't win the division last season), but the defense is too elite and passing game too prolific to expect this team to have to get in via a wild card in back-to-back seasons.

After some really ugly seasons, the Seahawks have been .500 or better in three of the past four seasons, and have really done well at accruing and developing talent. It hasn't worked all the time as their interior OL keeps acting as a revolving door of disappointments and nobody has stuck with FS Byron Jones in the secondary. With several retirements, the front seven looked a bit shaky, but with their draft and free agency, I think that it looks good. The interior OL and running game, definitely correlated with both being equal to blame in my opinion, is what I think will be the most critical factor for them this season. It's held them back for so long, and it has to work out someday. Their ceiling is surprisingly high if they can turn it around, so I will put them second as a result.

The Pumpkins won the NFC West for the first time last season, and while their floor is still great with an elite defense that returns 10 of 11 starters and an offense that has further beefed up their already great-performing OL, there are some major questions for this team. Their bid to acquire HB Jamaal Williams resulted in him staying with the Colts, so they let MVP finalist and award-winning Kenyan Drake walk and replaced him with second-year HB Raheem Mostert. He had 14 carries last season, so he's as much of an unknown as anyone. Being a second-year HB though, the odds are not in his favor that he will be great this season, and at the very least he will not be as wildly productive as Drake was. The WR corps lose the Hall of Famer Gonzie Massey but speedsters Jakeem Grant and John Ross have, in small samples, exhibited great performances as a #2 and slot receiver respectively. They are moving up in their roles, so it's fair to question them, though I'm personally not too worried. While the starting defense looks fantastic, the depth took a great hit, especially at DL where there's plenty of rotation in a 4-3 D. This team had a career season last year, and while they will likely drop off a bit, they have only had one losing record (7-9) in the past five seasons, and I don't expect there will be a second in six.

The 49ers had a fast start last season before faltering thanks to HB Thomas Rawls' injury giving way to Jerrick McKinnon's 3.3 YPC in a run-heavy offense. That simply won't do. Kyler Murray's passer rating went from 60.4 to 73.8, but he passed for less than 2000 yards again, and Rawls isn't good enough to shoulder the load on offense, so you have to wonder what is the best-case scenario on offense this season. While the defense is not on the same level of the Rams or Wildcats, the 49ers D is still a fairly reliable unit with enough weaknesses to not be expected to be among the elites. With good health, the 49ers should be able to avoid double digit losses, but I just think that the rest of the division will be too much for the 49ers to handle to take the NFC West. A surprise run at a wild card isn't out of the question.

AFC Seeding

Playoff Teams
1. Columbus Pioneers
2. Portland Express
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Miami Dolphins
5. Mexico City Browns
6. Buffalo Bills

Playoff Contenders
7. Denver Broncos
8. Jacksonville Jaguars
9. Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Oakland Raiders
11. Baltimore Ravens
12. Kansas City Chiefs
13. Indianapolis Colts
14. New England Patriots
15. Tennessee Titans
16. New York Jets

AFC South

1. Columbus Pioneers
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Tennessee Titans

The conference's #1 seed from a season ago brings back every starter from last season except for DE Henry Anderson (Ravens) being replaced by Jordan Willis. There probably aren't many DE pairs weaker against the run than what the Pioneers are starting, so that might be their achilles heel. Other than that, it's hard to imagine the arguably the best offense/defense combo in the conference being outside of the playoffs. The rest of the division is in roster transition, so they should be heavy favorites to win the AFC South again, especially having no injuries entering the regular season. They do not have an easy schedule though. They do not face a team that had a losing record from last season until Week 10 (Panthers) and the only in-conference team they face that did is the Express whose issues last season were well documented and won a playoff game anyway!

The Jags haven't had a great QB since Drew Brees, and now they hand the reins to rookie Jalen Hurts. He's surrounded by some pretty good offensive talent, though both starting Gs are injured, including one for the season. Rookie QBs can play strong right off the bat, so while Hurts is an unknown at this point, this isn't like starting a rookie HB and one can be optimistic about it. I'm more worried about the defense. Well, worried isn't the right word, but I feel it is a more of a concern than the offense, even though the defense has performed stronger than the offense in recent seasons. The secondary has moderately good talent, but there's no star there, and while the Jags have spent several 1st-4th round picks on DL in recent years, nobody has really emerged to complement DT Billy Walker and DE Cordero Moore. They are 33 and 36 years old respectively, so as a team that largely ignores free agency, they really need someone to help the team form their future at the line. That's a long-term thing obviously, but for the present season, they do lack run defenders outside of the aforementioned two. This is not an ideal division to have run defense problems. I think that this team can emerge as a potential AFC South champions if Hurts has a great rookie season, and my concerns on defense turn out to not be an issue this year.

The Colts have done a complete 180 to where I'm just confused on what to expect out of them. They went from an elite defense with a mediocre offense to a good offense and poor defense. It's clear that they haven't adequately replaced those that have retired on defense, especially in the secondary. Talent-wise, this is one of the weakest secondaries in the league as a result. They spent some resources in free agency to shore up some of their LB woes, so the front seven should hopefully be closer to their recent peak. Their OL has made some big strides over the years, and they traded for G Caleb Benonch and his 7 blocks per sack allowed for a career. HB Jamaal Williams has been one of the best at his position, and WR Tavon Austin has emerged as a good #1 option. The question on offense is now QB Baker Mayfield who regressed hard with a 69.8 passer rating and his first season without a postive TD:INT ratio (13:13). As long as he keeps his turnovers low, I'm not too worried about the offense this season. I think their playoff hopes all hinge on the defense. They do get to face the NFC South and with a third place schedule, the Chiefs and Jets, so the schedule is somewhat favorable in terms of matchups. The structure is all weird though as their final six games are at home, and they have a six game road trip in there.

The Titans have long had talent issues, but they've managed to put in some respectable records for the most part as of late, including 8-8 last season. I didn't agree with their decision to spend yet another 1st on a QB after the first two flamed out, but they had tons of cap space to get a bridge QB starter, make major improvements at OL and FS, and just get some much needed depth. While they can still do some of that, they sat out of free agency, giving them the weakest roster in the league. With what moves they can make, I don't think it will be enough the make them a true playoff contender, but maybe it will be enough to not make this a lost season.

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Davenport Browns
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Baltimore Ravens

Statistically, the Bengals were either the second or third-best AFC team last season. They retained in-season signings that boosted them, and they signed upgrades elsewhere (QB Andrew Luck and DT Orlando Lewis). This team has improved its record in three consecutive seasons, and with last season resulting in "only" a 9-7 record, they can easily extend that to a fourth season. They have used the draft, RFA, and free agency extremely well to where there are no structural weaknesses on this roster. Losing RT Joe Thomas for roughly half the season blows, but the only issue I have with this team is HB depth, but with Derrick Henry starting all 16 games in four of his five seasons, the odds are in the Bengals' favor of not needing a lot out of the backups (though they have the cap space to sign someone now or when needed). The Bengals have an odd schedule structure with heavy road/home runs, including the first four games on the road. That will be a good test on what to expect from this team.

The reigning AFC champions and back-to-back AFC North champions have moved to Iowa and with relatively high expectations. They had the number #1 offense last season and an absurdly low turnover rate. You have to expect some regression. They let some defenders go or saw them retire, and while those players weren't immediately replaced (OLB Kwon Alexander and SS Chris Browning) with comparable players, they did sign DE Adrian Clayborn for some much needed DL help. This defense has finished in the 20s though the past two seasons, so you have to wonder how much you can expect them to improve, if at all. With it being unreasonable to expect to be as lucky on offense, it will fall on the defense to make enough strides to get back into the playoffs. The schedule will do them no help as they begin with dates against the Pioneers, Bengals, and Pumpkins, two of them being on the road.

The Steelers are not one to make major changes to maintain their good-enough floor, and this offseason was no different as they bring back every offensive starter, elevated someone at OLB to take over for the retired Adam Tufts, and the only major change being trading for a new DT as they transition to a 4-3. The offense limits their ceiling, so they are banking on the 4-3 alignment getting their defense back to some of the great levels they experienced in their most recent playoff years. Week 9-14 is a brutal stretch, but if they are at .500 as they exit it, they will be in a good position for a playoff push.

The Ravens arguably have the second-highest ceiling in this division, but I'm going to temper my expectations and put them last. They were a statistically poor team last season, but managed to get a 10-6 record anyway, largely on the back of a torrid second half by HB Doug Martin. Talent-wise, the Ravens had a very weak front seven last season, and they spent a lot of cap space resources this season to fix it. They have new DEs in Henry Anderson (90) and Bobby Ford (88) and LBs in Rodney Sylvester (87) and Nick Vigil (87). None of them are elite players, but getting significantly more talent than what they had last season is a great start at least. I do not expect their defense to finish near the bottom again at any rate. My eyes are going to be on the offense this season. HB Doug Martin was very slow out of the gate last season, QB Sam Darnold regressed after a decent rookie season, and a few parts of a normally elite OL haven't been performing great lately. Out of all the AFC North teams, they had the most productive offseason, but they could easily improve offensively and defensively and have a worse record, which is what I'm expecting.

AFC East

1. Miami Dolphins
2. Buffalo Bills
3. New England Patriots
4. New York Jets

Statistically, the Dolphins were the best team in the league in terms of total defense, total offense, and turnover differential. They finished 8-8 and snapped their long playoff streak because they were hit with the injury bug hard in the final quarter of the season. Unfortunately, they lost three Hall of Famers to retirement (QB Sam Keller, HB Jacquizz Rodgers, and CB Joe Haden) as well as another high-end, long-time starter (G Max Jean-Gilles). The defense is healthy entering the season, so there's no reason why they shouldn't be expected to perform as usual. The only questions really are on offense. Can QB Daniel Jones (64.1 passer rating in 3 starts last season) be an average QB at least in his first full season as a starter? Can HB Samaje Perine build off his surprisingly rookie season (4.0 rushing YPC, 959 yards from scrimmage) and emerge as a reliable HB so early in his career? Can the LT (Kaleb McGary and his 75 blocks vs 17 sacks in two seasons) and LG (rookie OT Jawaan Taylor) spots not be liabilities for a team with young starters at QB and HB? This is not a daunting division, and they are by far the best team, but the Dolphins probably need one or two of those questions to be answered in their favor if they don't want to lose out on the division in consecutive seasons.

The Bills won the division and a first round bye despite being statistically a bad team with offenses and defenses ranked in the 20s. Overall starting talent hasn't been an issue, but their depth has always been among the league's worst, so it would be interesting to see how much they are being shellacked on both sides of the ball when they have substitutions. Team strategy is probably also a factor, but that too is ultimately speculation. This is probably their most complete team in quite awhile with the additions of DT Christian Covington, CB Fabian Moreau, and SS Quentin White, so I think that they should be competing for a playoff spot until the end. They only lost one starter to a short-term injury, but the schedule isn't great. I suppose the best stretch is right out of the bye where they play the Jets, Chiefs, and Raiders in three out of four weeks, but there just doesn't seem to be other points where they would be favored to string together consecutive wins (maybe home dates against Patriots and Eagles in Weeks 14-15). They can make back-to-back playoffs, but it's going to be a lot tougher this season even with a superior team on paper than they had last season.

The Patriots are similar to the Raiders in which they have a great defense and an offense that has been dragging them down. They basically need the same things to go their way. QB Brodie Garrett needs to improve upon his morribund rookie season (67.6 passer rating, 13:14 TD:INTs) and with rookie HB Gus Edwards currently first on the depth chart, I guess you just have to hope that he isn't the worst starting HB this season. Unlike the Raiders, the pass-catchers are a worrisome bunch. Gone is Julian Edelman and in for him is WR Josh Reynolds (0 TDs in 16 games and 7 starts) alongside Martavis Bryant (21 receptions in 9 starts). Blocking TE Cameron Brate did haul in 42 receptions if that makes you happy. Every starter from this elite OL is 33 or 34, so you have to feel for them that they don't have a Dexter McCluster type of player worthy of their blocking talen, but who knows, maybe this season will be different. At least their injury situation is good at the start.

The Jets have a sneaky great set of pass-catchers and OL, and they have several studs on defense. It's too bad that there are a lot of holes still. QB Deshaun Watson never built upon his promising rookie season with passer ratings of 67.8, 55.8, 67.8, and 67.4 since as he enters the final season of his contract. HB Joe Mixon had a bounceback season with a 4.1 YPC (1992 rushing yards even!), but he has yet to break free from the pack and really feel like one of the greats at the position. The defense has some talent and depth issues all around, and now there's a gaping hole at the second CB position. It just doesn't seem like this team has the right personnel to get them back into the playoffs, but a great coaching strategy could make a huge difference if they want to get into the wild card hunt.

AFC West Prediction

1. Portland Express
2. Denver Broncos
3. Oakland Raiders
4. Kansas City Chiefs

No team in this division offers the offensive and defensive certainties that we've come to expect over the past several seasons from the Express. This is an elite defensive team that brings back nine of its 11 starters with the replacements being a 1st round pick and a higher end free agent. 10 of its 16 games are against the NFC North and Broncos/Chiefs/Raiders, so it would be a shock if they didn't have another great defensive season. The reason why they finished just 7-9 last season (albeit with a division crown and playoff win) was because of their running game. HB Lamar Miller was injured and the team lacked depth to where they ultimately finished 32nd in rushing. That forced the team to pass more, definitely at the highest rate of any user team, which led to a bloated turnover total. Now the depth issues still remain, but it is slightly better to the point that we hopefully won't be seeing Freddie Timmerman of the 70 rating start any games. If the running game rises to even below average, I think that things will settle down for them and they will be one of the favorites for a playoff bye.

The Broncos are coming off of their worst season where their offense and defense were sort of a disaster. After a string of great seasons as an in-season injury signing, HB Melvin Gordon is getting the full-time gig, and the Broncos desperately need a reliable HB after having failed to replace LaMarcus Coker all those seasons ago. While QB Andrew Luck was solid, they trun to their first round pick from last season Aaron Ward. He had a ghastly 49% completion in limited time last season and a negative TD:INT ratio, but his YPA would have topped the league if spread out for a season, so he's intriguing, especially with the trio of WR Demaryius Thomas, TE Dwayne Allen, and #2 overall pick WR D.J. Moore. While not the elite unit from its heydey, the OL is still solid. The Broncos were one of the best defenses for a long time, but they slipped into the 20s last season, and you have to wonder if their poor offensive showing/poor luck were the main culprits based on their talent and players' histories. I'm definitely counting on some improvement there. The Broncos open the season with four straight divisional games and two more at home before the bye. Their only injury right now is their starting C, but they went and got a better one as a replacement. They are in a prime spot to get out of the gate with a great start. I think that they have the potential to get back the division crown, but if not, they should certainly be in the wild card discussion assuming they reach their bye with a winning record.

The Raiders were in terrible financial shape, and they had to let some people walk. It took some work, but they should still be reliable on defense with a great secondary and a front seven with plenty of stars to support their OLBs and nose tackle. The issue has been and still is the offense. Can QB DeShaun Gaines emerge as more than a game manager and can HB Chris Carson turn the corner in his third season after a lackluster start to his career? The investments in the OL have worked out in terms of their ratios, but the skill position players need make do on their Top 10 draft pedigrees. With the Broncos and Express both expected to regress toward the mean this season, it will be an uphill battle to compete for the division, but if Gaines or Carson emerge, then they can be a surprise team.

It feels like I always put the Chiefs last, and I don't really see why I wouldn't put them there again this season. To start off with the positives, their front seven is sneakily one of the best in the league. If your worst starter is DE Mitch Freeman, then I'd say that you're fine. They also leave the preseason with no injuries, and the schedule doesn't look too bad. Getting the Vikings and Dolphins on the road blows, but at least they get the Bengals and Packers at home. The OL has performed well enough, but the talent there is an issue, and with a bunch of dates with beefy DL, I'm worried about the impact that will have on the offense, which has taken a massive nosedive the past few seasons. Top 10 pick HB Nick Chubb is currently atop the depth chart, so it's safe to say that the running game will not be good this season, which puts the onus on QB A.J. McCarron building off of his great efficiency from last season (82.2 passer rating) while being more prolific (just 2053 yards in 16 starts, or 128 passing yards per game). The Chiefs have by far the longest playoff drought (made playoffs first two seasons, none since), but they've had several seasons where they were on the cusp, including last season when they led the division for most of the final stretch. Maybe they can compete again, but I'm just not confident about that.

To Do:
- Record draft in my notebook
- Division/Conference/RotY predictions
- Create new topic + decide sim dates and stuff

I'm leaning toward Friday and Sunday sim dates this season with this beginning on the 16th

Spreadsheet should be fully updated now

Preseason has been simmed. Injuries are up, depth chart updates and schedules will be up later

I'm aiming for a Saturday preseason sim, but if not it will definitely be on Sunday.

To Do:
- Record draft in my notebook
- Sim preseason + update depth charts after
- Division/Conference/RotY predictions
- Create new topic + decide sim dates and stuff

Coaching Strategies

I will momentarily send users the current coaching strategy utilized by their team. Each user has an opportunity to alter some portions of how their team operates on the field. Here are the following categories you can change and what they mean.

Base Defense
You have a choice of 4-3 or 3-4. Under a 4-3, you start 2 DTs and 1 MLB. Under a 3-4, you start 2 MLBs and 1 DT.

Run-Pass Offense
The ratio of plays that will be run or pass plays on offense. This is on a sliding 100 point scale.

Conservative-Aggressive Offense
The ratio of plays that will be risk-averse or risky on offense. This is on a sliding 100 point scale.

Running Back Splits
How carries will be split among the top two RBs on your depth chart. This is on a sliding 100 point scale. That being said, I feel like coaches ignore whatever you put under this category and do whatever they please. That or RB2 actually refers to all HBs/FBs/QBs/WRs/TEs who may run with the ball and are not RB1.

Run-Pass Defense
The ratio of plays that will be geared more toward run-stopping or pass-rushing plays on defense. This is on a sliding 100 point scale.

Conservative-Aggressive Defense
The ratio of plays that will be risk-averse or risky on defense. This is on a sliding 100 point scale.

His approval of your offer was the lowest color (orange) from an outright rejection (red), so those usually take a long time to get them to ultimately sign. Unfortunately, time must have ran out, so the AI took care of the hole for you.

To Do:
- Record draft in my notebook
- Send out coaching strategies
- Sim preseason + update depth charts after
- Division/Conference/RotY predictions
- Create new topic + decide sim dates and stuff

The following are preseason Madden tiers based on the team rating. The tiers are ordered from best-to-worst and the teams within each are alphabetically ordered.

Teams That Have Made a Super Bowl in the Past Five Seasons
Express
Orcas
Pioneers
Rams

Esteemed B8NFLL Franchises Plus the Bengals
Bengals
Broncos
Cowboys
Dolphins
Vikings

Nearly Half of the League!
Bears
Bills
Buccaneers
Eagles
Colts
Commanders
Falcons
Giants
Jaguars
Patriots
Pumpkins
Raiders
Ravens
Seahawks
Steelers

Franchises Looking to Get Out of a Funk, But Also the Browns and Packers
Browns
Chiefs
49ers
Jets
Lions
Packers
Panthers

Why Didn't They Use Their Cap Space During Free Agency?
Titans

The preseason will be simmed sometime between January 29th and February 3rd, so make sure that your team is under the cap (aka not have negative cap space) by then.

Round 3 of Free Agency results
Browns sign FS Walt Aikens to a 3 year deal
Browns sign OLB Anthony Chickillo to a 3 year deal
Buccaneers sign DE Jason Atwater to a 5 year deal
Buccaneers sign DE Joey Henry to a 4 year deal
Chiefs sign CB Justin Gilbert to a 5 year deal
Commanders sign FS Otis Jackson to a 4 year deal
Dolphins sign FS Andy McMillan to a 4 year deal
Dolphins sign TE LeRoy Coyle to a 3 year deal
Dolphins sign CB Marcus Lattimore to a 5 year deal
Dolphins sign HB Christine Michael to a 3 year deal
Falcons sign DT Amobi Okoye to a 3 year deal
Falcons sign C Ethan Pocic to a 2 year deal
49ers sign C Will McFarland to a 2 year deal
49ers sign DT Marcus Williams to a 4 year deal
49ers sign FS Dorsey Olsen to a 4 year deal
Jaguars sign WR Joel Doeberling to a 3 year deal
Jaguars sign QB Evan Paulding to a 5 year deal
Jets sign HB David Wilson to a 3 year deal
Panthers sign QB DeShone Kizer to a 5 year deal
Patriots sign OLB Steve McNamara to a 3 year deal

CBs
Marshon Lattimore - 5 / $21.75 mil / $2.25 mil
Stephon Gillmore - 1 / $4.76 mil / $610k (Chiefs)
Tavon Young - 5 / $20.25 mil / $2.15 mil
Justin Gilbert - 5 / $20.25 mil / $2.15 mil
Josh Shaw - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
Tony Lippett - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
Ken Crawley - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
T.J. Carrie - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
Brady Sanders - 4 / $6.20 mil / $720k
Joe Hamilton - 4 / $6.20 mil / $720k

FSs
Otis Jackson - 4 / $11.84 mil / $1.96 mil
Matt Culver - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Walt Aikens - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Dexter Sullivan - 4 / $10.88 mil / $1.76 mil
Deuce Daniels - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Dorsey Olsen - 4 / $10.00 mil / $1.60 mil
Stanley Tucker - 4 / $10.00 mil / $1.60 mil
A.J. Hastings - 2 / $5.00 mil / $800k
Roderick McDaniels - 3 / $3.48 mil / $450k
Tommy Stephens - 2 / $2.32 mil / $240k

SSs
James Sanford - 3 / $14.82 mil / $1.47 mil
Eric Murray - 2 / $9.42 mil / $960k
Adrian Amos - 3 / $13.41 mil / $1.41 mil
Andrew Sendejo - 3 / $13.41 mil / $1.41 mil
T.J. Ward - 3 / $11.28 mil / $1.32 mil
Darwin Thompson - 3 / $10.59 mil / $1.29 mil
Orlando Montgomery - 3 / $10.59 mil / $1.29 mil
Kenny Vaccaro - 3 / $10.59 mil / $1.29 mil
Dewayne Meador - 4 / $6.48 mil / $840k
Sam Wright - 3 / $3.81 mil / $420k

Ks
Cody Parkey - 2 / $4.14 mil / $560k
Younghoe Koo - 3 / $5.97 mil / $810k
Dan Bailey - 3 / $5.28 mil / $750k
Sam Ficken - 3 / $4.98 mil / $690k
Matt Gay - 2 / $3.32 mil / $460k
Cedric Grier - 3 / $5.19 mil / $660k
Dan Carpenter - 3 / $5.16 mil / $630k
Zane Gonzalez - 3 / $3.93 mil / $600k
Jon Parrish - 3 / $2.82 mil / $270k
Tim Banks - 1 / $690k / $20k

Ps
Matt Darr - 2 / $2.94 mil / $720k
Kevin Huber - 3 / $5.58 mil / $1.05 mil
Matt Haack - 3 / $4.23 mil / $900k
Scott Kozlowski - 3 / $5.34 mil / $810k
Bradley Pinion - 3 / $4.62 mil / $690k
JK Scott - 3 / $3.33 mil / $600k
Ryan Quigley - 3 / $4.53 mil / $600k
Justin Vogel - 3 / $3.93 mil / $600k
K.C. Forbes - 3 / $3.27 mil / $420k
Marquis Collins - 1 / $810k / $60k

The deadline to submit offers for the third and final round of free agency, including filling in roster holes, will be noon ET on Sunday, January 21st

OTs
Jake Long - 3 / $25.59 mil / $6.69 mil
Eric Fisher - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Jake Matthews - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Ty Sambrailo - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Breno Giacomini - 3 / $19.11 mil / $4.56 mil
Jake Fisher - 3 / $19.11 mil / $4.56 mil
Terron Armstead - 3 / $16.95 mil / $3.87 mil
Derek Sherrod - 3 / $16.95 mil / $3.87 mil
Jon Fox - 4 / $6.72 mil / $720k
Leon Jones - 1 / $1.02 mil / $50k

Gs
Kevin Zeitler - 3 / $29.79 mil / $6.06 mil
Stanley Schneidmiller - 3 / $27.75 mil / $5.64 mil
Clay Schneidmiller - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Connor Williams - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Willie Colon - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Garrett Collins - 3 / $21.60 mil / $4.35 mil
Max Garcia - 3 / $21.60 mil / $4.35 mil
Dan Feeney - 3 / $21.60 mil / $4.35 mil
Eric Ramsey - 2 / $3.40 mil / $380k
Troy Dudley - 4 / $4.16 mil / $520k

Cs
Russell Bodine - 3 / $16.38 mil / $3.78 mil
Ethan Pocic - 2 / $10.92 mil / $2.52 mil
Graham Glasglow - 2 / $9.08 mil / $1.98 mil
Cameron Erving - 2 / $8.64 mil / $1.86 mil
Wes Williams - 3 / $12.96 mil / $2.79 mil
Mason Cole - 3 / $11.58 mil / $2.37 mil
Eric Wood - 3 / $11.58 mil / $2.37 mil
Brandon Linder - 3 / $11.58 mil / $2.37 mil
Darnell Ecker - 3 / $3.57 mil / $450k
Twan Jackson - 3 / $3.57 mil / $450k

DEs
Terrence Fede - 4 / $23.04 mil / $4.44 mil
Whitney Mercilus - 3 / $15.45 mil / $2.79 mil
Ezekiel Ansah - 4 / $18.16 mil / $3.04 mil
Muhammad Wilkerson - 3 / $13.62 mil / $2.28 mil
Johnny Stegall - 3 / $13.62 mil / $2.28 mil
John Graham - 3 / $11.79 mil / $1.74 mil
Olivier Vernon - 5 / $16.55 mil / $2.00 mil
Bobby Garlitz - 3 / $9.93 mil / $1.20 mil
Bubba Carter - 5 / $8.15 mil / $900k
Terry Adkins - 4 / $6.24 mil / $680k

DTs
Amobi Okoye - 3 / $25.98 mil / $4.86 mil
Gerald McCoy - 3 / $24.18 mil / $4.56 mil
Sione Fua - 3 / $22.35 mil / $4.23 mil
Beau Allen - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Mike Daniels - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Dominique Easley - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Michael Brockers - 3 / $16.95 mil / $3.33 mil
Ego Ferguson - 4 / $22.60 mil / $4.44 mil
Josh Miles - 4 / $10.72 mil / $1.68 mil
Marcus Williams - 4 / $5.92 mil / $600k

OLBs
Pernell McPhee - 3 / $18.90 mil / $3.66 mil
Eugene Kendricks - 3 / $13.80 mil / $2.55 mil
Anthony Chickillo - 3 / $12.12 mil / $2.19 mil
Jeremiah Attachou - 3 / $12.12 mil / $2.19 mil
Matt Milano - 3 / $10.38 mil / $1.80 mil
Edgar Jones - 3 / $8.70 mil / $1.44 mil
Luther Lewis - 3 / $8.70 mil / $1.44 mil
Matt Douglas - 4 / $11.16 mil / $1.84 mil
Randall Thomas - 3 / $5.10 mil / $660k
Steve McNamara - 3 / $4.98 mil / $630k

MLBs
Alvin Williams - 3 / $33.33 mil / $8.13 mil
Rolando McClain - 3 / $31.50 mil / $7.26 mil
Manti Te'o - 3 / $29.61 mil / $6.63 mil
Jerry Mayes - 2 / $18.50 mil / $4.02 mil
Danny Travathan - 3 / $27.75 mil / $6.03 mil
Stan Carswell - 2 / $17.24 mil / $3.60 mil
Clifton Thompson - 3 / $23.97 mil / $4.77 mil
Corey Nelson - 3 / $20.22 mil / $3.54 mil
Ray Ballard - 3 / $10.98 mil / $1.02 mil
Kevin Bridges - 3 / $5.79 mil / $690k

QBs
Jared Goff - 4 / $28.44 mil / $5.96 mil
Kirk Cousins - 3 / $21.33 mil / $4.47 mil
Trevor Largent - 4 / $28.44 mil / $5.96 mil
E.J. Manuel - 3 / $19.65 mil / $3.96 mil
Charlie Schroeder - 4 / $26.20 mil / $5.28 mil
Jake Locker - 4 / $26.20 mil / $5.28 mil
Dak Prescott - 4 / $26.20 mil / $5.28 mil
Michael Turner - 3 / $17.94 mil / $3.45 mil
Corey Watkins - 3 / $6.42 mil / $990k
Evan Paulding - 5 / $6.20 mil / $650k

HBs
Giovanni Bernard - 3 / $30.30 mil
Dalvin Cook - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Kenyan Drake - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Duke Johnson - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Isaiah Crowell - 4 / $35.08 mil / $6.96 mil
Devonta Freeman - 3 / $26.31 mil / $5.22 mil
Aaron Jones - 4 / $35.08 mil / $6.96 mil
Mike Davis - 4 / $29.76 mil / $5.84 mil
A.J. Mathis - 3 / $6.03 mil / $930k
James Kennedy - 5 / $10.05 mil / $1.55 mil

FBs
Herman Dudley - 3 / $8.01 mil / $1.65 mil
Joey Isoefa - 3 / $3.90 mil / $570k
Craig Moss - 3 / $3.87 mil / $540k
Anthony Lewis - 3 / $4.44 mil / $510k
Daryl Curry - 3 / $3.81 mil / $480k
Peter Schneidmiller - 3 / $3.63 mil / $480k
Jaret Lewis - 3 / $3.78 mil / $450k
Clyde Johnson - 3 / $4.38 mil / $450k
Gabe King - 1 / $830k / $40k
Adrian Jones - 1 / $800k / $30k

WRs
Julian Edelman - 3 / $26.73 mil / $4.53 mil
Brandin Cooks - 3 / $21.36 mil / $3.60 mil
Quincy Enunwa - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Kelvin Benjamin - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Doug Baldwin - 3 / $19.59 mil / $3.30 mil
Jordan Matthews - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Tyler Lockett - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Cole Beasley - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Dimitrius Jackson - 3 / $5.61 mil / $690k
Joel Doeberling - 3 / $4.89 mil / $540k

TEs
Aaron Hernandez - 3 / $11.61 mil / $1.92 mil
Austin Sef-Jenkins - 3 / $10.80 mil / $1.71 mil
Jason Mack - 4 / $11.80 mil / $1.76 mil
Drew Sample - 2 / $5.90 mil / $880k
Nick O'Leary - 4 / $10.96 mil / $1.60 mil
Hayden Hurst - 4 / $10.20 mil / $1.48 mil
Jeff Heuerman - 4 / $10.20 mil / $1.48 mil
A.J. Derby - 4 / $10.20 mil / $1.48 mil
Santana Blades - 2 / $2.56 mil / $280k
Richard Brown - 2 / $2.46 mil / $260k

Round 2 of Free Agency results
Bengals sign QB Andrew Luck to a 3 year deal
Bills sign FS Micah Hyde to a 3 year deal
Bills sign OT T.J. Clemmings to a 3 year deal
Bills sign FS Montae Nicholson to a 2 year deal
Bills sign TE Evan Engram to a 3 year deal
Browns sign TE Owen Daniels to a 3 year deal
Browns sign SS Josh Jones to a 2 year deal
Browns sign HB Jason Moss to a 3 year deal
Buccaneers sign K Greg Zuerlein to a 3 year deal
Buccaneers sign QB Dee Woods to a 3 year deal
Chiefs sign TE Zach Ertz to a 3 year deal
Colts sign MLB Jerod Mayo to a 3 year deal
Colts sign OLB Casey Palmer to 3 year deal
Commanders sign K Dustin Hopkins to a 3 year deal
Commanders sign OT Joel Bitonio to a 3 year deal
Express sign C T.J. Lang to a 3 year deal
Express sign MLB Michael McDonald to a 3 year deal
Lions sign OT Ryan Clady to a 3 year deal
Lions sign OLB Jelani Jenkins to a 3 year deal
Orcas sign OLB Elandon Roberts to a 4 year deal
Packers sign WR Cordarrelle Patterson to a 4 year deal
Packers sign FS James Carter to a 3 year deal
Packers sign OT Paul Marshall to a 3 year deal
Pioneers sign DT Allen Frazier to a 4 year deal
Pumpkins sign HB Jalen Richard to a 3 year deal
Rams sign DE Roderick Baker to a 5 year deal
Ravens sign OLB Nick Vigil to a 3 year deal
Seahawks sign HB James White to a 4 year deal
Seahawks sign DE Morris Chambers to a 3 year deal
Steelers sign G Leroy Cox to a 3 year deal
Steelers sign OLB Doug Benson to a 2 year deal
Steelers sign FS Jason Turk to a 4 year deal
Steelers sign DE Noah Spence to a 5 year deal

Once again, I will publicly reveal my contract offerings for this round.

Wildcats:
HB Jalen Richard - 3 year default

I mean, it won't be an official release until after the offseason ends in that case, but obviously that won't be a problem.

Bears have released CB Curtis Brown. He wants the same contract as Gillmore

To do:
- Sort rookie + free agency contracts in team financial sheet to fit the ascending contract length order
- Record the draft in my notebook

CBs
Marshon Lattimore - 5 / $21.75 mil / $2.25 mil
Stephon Gillmore - 3 / $12.15 mil / $1.29 mil
Tavon Young - 5 / $20.25 mil / $2.15 mil
Justin Gilbert - 5 / $20.25 mil / $2.15 mil
Josh Shaw - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
Tony Lippett - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
Ken Crawley - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
T.J. Carrie - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
Brady Sanders - 4 / $6.20 mil / $720k
Joe Hamilton - 4 / $6.20 mil / $720k

FSs
Montae Nicholson - 3 / $12.75 mil / $2.43 mil
Micah Hyde - 3 / $9.54 mil / $1.59 mil
Otis Jackson - 4 / $11.84 mil / $1.96 mil
James Carter - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Matt Culver - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Walt Aikens - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Dexter Sullivan - 4 / $10.88 mil / $1.76 mil
Deuce Daniels - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Roderick McDaniels - 3 / $3.48 mil / $450k
Tommy Stephens - 2 / $2.32 mil / $240k

SSs
James Sanford - 3 / $14.82 mil / $1.47 mil
Eric Murray - 2 / $9.42 mil / $960k
Adrian Amos - 3 / $13.41 mil / $1.41 mil
Andrew Sendejo - 3 / $13.41 mil / $1.41 mil
Josh Jones - 2 / $8.48 mil / $920k
T.J. Ward - 3 / $11.28 mil / $1.32 mil
Darwin Thompson - 3 / $10.59 mil / $1.29 mil
Orlando Montgomery - 3 / $10.59 mil / $1.29 mil
Dewayne Meador - 4 / $6.48 mil / $840k
Sam Wright - 3 / $3.81 mil / $420k

Ks
Cody Parkey - 2 / $4.14 mil / $560k
Younghoe Koo - 3 / $5.97 mil / $810k
Dan Bailey - 3 / $5.28 mil / $750k
Sam Ficken - 3 / $4.98 mil / $690k
Matt Gay - 2 / $3.32 mil / $460k
Cedric Grier - 3 / $5.19 mil / $660k
Dan Carpenter - 3 / $5.16 mil / $630k
Zane Gonzalez - 3 / $3.93 mil / $600k
Jon Parrish - 3 / $2.82 mil / $270k
Tim Banks - 1 / $690k / $20k

Ps
Matt Darr - 2 / $2.94 mil / $720k
Kevin Huber - 3 / $5.58 mil / $1.05 mil
Matt Haack - 3 / $4.23 mil / $900k
Scott Kozlowski - 3 / $5.34 mil / $810k
Bradley Pinion - 3 / $4.62 mil / $690k
JK Scott - 3 / $3.33 mil / $600k
Ryan Quigley - 3 / $4.53 mil / $600k
Justin Vogel - 3 / $3.93 mil / $600k
K.C. Forbes - 3 / $3.27 mil / $420k
Marquis Collins - 1 / $810k / $60k

The deadline to submit offers for the second round of free agency will be 11:59 PM ET on Friday, January 19th

OTs
Ryan Clady - 3 / $25.59 mil / $6.69 mil
Jake Long - 3 / $25.59 mil / $6.69 mil
Eric Fisher - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Jake Matthews - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Ty Sambrailo - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Breno Giacomini - 3 / $19.11 mil / $4.56 mil
T.J. Clemmings - 4 / $25.48 mil / $6.08 mil
Jake Fisher - 3 / $19.11 mil / $4.56 mil
Jon Fox - 4 / $6.72 mil / $720k
Leon Jones - 1 / $1.02 mil / $50k

Gs
Kevin Zeitler - 3 / $29.79 mil / $6.06 mil
Stanley Schneidmiller - 3 / $27.75 mil / $5.64 mil
Clay Schneidmiller - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Connor Williams - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Willie Colon - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Garrett Collins - 3 / $21.60 mil / $4.35 mil
Max Garcia - 3 / $21.60 mil / $4.35 mil
Dan Feeney - 3 / $21.60 mil / $4.35 mil
Eric Ramsey - 2 / $3.40 mil / $380k
Troy Dudley - 4 / $4.16 mil / $520k

Cs
Russell Bodine - 3 / $16.38 mil / $3.78 mil
Ethan Pocic - 2 / $10.92 mil / $2.52 mil
Graham Glasglow - 2 / $9.08 mil / $1.98 mil
Cameron Erving - 2 / $8.64 mil / $1.86 mil
Wes Williams - 3 / $12.96 mil / $2.79 mil
Mason Cole - 3 / $11.58 mil / $2.37 mil
Eric Wood - 3 / $11.58 mil / $2.37 mil
Brandon Linder - 3 / $11.58 mil / $2.37 mil
Darnell Ecker - 3 / $3.57 mil / $450k
Twan Jackson - 3 / $3.57 mil / $450k

DEs
Terrence Fede - 4 / $23.04 mil / $4.44 mil
Morris Chambers - 3 / $17.28 mil / $3.33 mil
Whitney Mercilus - 3 / $15.45 mil / $2.79 mil
Ezekiel Ansah - 4 / $18.16 mil / $3.04 mil
Muhammad Wilkerson - 3 / $13.62 mil / $2.28 mil
Johnny Stegall - 3 / $13.62 mil / $2.28 mil
John Graham - 3 / $11.79 mil / $1.74 mil
Olivier Vernon - 5 / $16.55 mil / $2.00 mil
Bubba Carter - 5 / $8.15 mil / $900k
Terry Adkins - 4 / $6.24 mil / $680k

DTs
Amobi Okoye - 3 / $25.98 mil / $4.86 mil
Gerald McCoy - 3 / $24.18 mil / $4.56 mil
Sione Fua - 3 / $22.35 mil / $4.23 mil
Beau Allen - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Mike Daniels - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Dominique Easley - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Michael Brockers - 3 / $16.95 mil / $3.33 mil
Ego Ferguson - 4 / $22.60 mil / $4.44 mil
Josh Miles - 4 / $10.72 mil / $1.68 mil
Marcus Williams - 4 / $5.92 mil / $600k

OLBs
Jelani Jenkins - 3 / $24.06 mil / $4.80 mil
Pernell McPhee - 3 / $18.90 mil / $3.66 mil
Nick Vigil - 3 / $17.22 mil / $3.30 mil
Casey Palmer - 3 / $15.54 mil / $2.94 mil
Eugene Kendricks - 3 / $13.80 mil / $2.55 mil
Anthony Chickillo - 3 / $12.12 mil / $2.19 mil
Jeremiah Attachou - 3 / $12.12 mil / $2.19 mil
Matt Milano - 3 / $10.38 mil / $1.80 mil
Doug Benson - 2 / $3.04 mil / $420k
Steve McNamara - 3 / $4.98 mil / $630k

MLBs
Alvin Williams - 3 / $33.33 mil / $8.13 mil
Jerod Mayo - 3 / $31.50 mil / $7.26 mil
Rolando McClain - 3 / $31.50 mil / $7.26 mil
Manti Te'o - 3 / $29.61 mil / $6.63 mil
Jerry Mayes - 2 / $18.50 mil / $4.02 mil
Michael McDonald - 3 / $27.75 mil / $6.03 mil
Danny Travathan - 3 / $27.75 mil / $6.03 mil
Stan Carswell - 2 / $17.24 mil / $3.60 mil
Ray Ballard - 3 / $10.98 mil / $1.02 mil
Kevin Bridges - 3 / $5.79 mil / $690k

QBs
Andrew Luck - 3 / $24.75 mil / $5.52 mil
Jared Goff - 4 / $28.44 mil / $5.96 mil
Kirk Cousins - 3 / $21.33 mil / $4.47 mil
Trevor Largent - 4 / $28.44 mil / $5.96 mil
E.J. Manuel - 3 / $19.65 mil / $3.96 mil
Charlie Schroeder - 4 / $26.20 mil / $5.28 mil
Jake Locker - 4 / $26.20 mil / $5.28 mil
Dak Prescott - 4 / $26.20 mil / $5.28 mil
Corey Watkins - 3 / $6.42 mil / $990k
Evan Paulding - 5 / $6.20 mil / $650k

HBs
Giovanni Bernard - 3 / $30.30 mil
Dalvin Cook - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Kenyan Drake - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Duke Johnson - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Isaiah Crowell - 4 / $35.08 mil / $6.96 mil
Devonta Freeman - 3 / $26.31 mil / $5.22 mil
Aaron Jones - 4 / $35.08 mil / $6.96 mil
Mike Davis - 4 / $29.76 mil / $5.84 mil
Jason Moss - 3 / $6.03 mil / $930k
James Kennedy - 5 / $10.05 mil / $1.55 mil

FBs
Herman Dudley - 3 / $8.01 mil / $1.65 mil
Joey Isoefa - 3 / $3.90 mil / $570k
Craig Moss - 3 / $3.87 mil / $540k
Anthony Lewis - 3 / $4.44 mil / $510k
Daryl Curry - 3 / $3.81 mil / $480k
Peter Schneidmiller - 3 / $3.63 mil / $480k
Jaret Lewis - 3 / $3.78 mil / $450k
Clyde Johnson - 3 / $4.38 mil / $450k
Gabe King - 1 / $830k / $40k
Adrian Jones - 1 / $800k / $30k

WRs
Cordarrelle Patterson - 4 / $40.36 mil / $6.84 mil
Julian Edelman - 3 / $26.73 mil / $4.53 mil
Brandin Cooks - 3 / $21.36 mil / $3.60 mil
Quincy Enunwa - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Kelvin Benjamin - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Doug Baldwin - 3 / $19.59 mil / $3.30 mil
Jordan Matthews - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Tyler Lockett - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Dimitrius Jackson - 3 / $5.61 mil / $690k
Joel Doeberling - 3 / $4.89 mil / $540k

TEs
Owen Daniels - 3 / $14.10 mil / $2.58 mil
Zach Ertz - 3 / $13.26 mil / $2.34 mil
Evan Engram - 3 / $12.45 mil / $2.13 mil
Aaron Hernandez - 3 / $11.61 mil / $1.92 mil
Austin Sef-Jenkins - 3 / $10.80 mil / $1.71 mil
Jason Mack - 4 / $11.80 mil / $1.76 mil
Drew Sample - 2 / $5.90 mil / $880k
Nick O'Leary - 4 / $10.96 mil / $1.60 mil
Santana Blades - 2 / $2.56 mil / $280k
Richard Brown - 2 / $2.46 mil / $260k

To do:
- Start round 2 of free agency
- Add rookies and now free agency signings to team financial sheet (plus roster sheet for latter)
- Rename applicable rookies to NFL players in the game
- Record the draft in my notebook

Round 1 of Free Agency results
Bears sign CB Jalen Ramsey to a 4 year deal
Bears sign FS Lonnie Lofton to a 4 year deal
Bears sign HB Latavius Murray to a 3 year deal
Bengals sign WR Trindon Holliday to a 3 year deal
Bengals sign WR Cameron Meredith to a 3 year deal
Bengals sign OT Mark Merriman to a 3 year deal
Bengals sign DT Orlando Lewis to a 4 year deal
Bengals sign CB Alterraun Verner to a 2 year deal
Bengals sign OLB Kyle Van Noy to a 3 year deal
Bengals sign FS Brock Vereen to a 3 year deal
Bengals sign MLB Brandon Thompson to a 3 year deal
Bengals sign SS George Iloka to a 3 year deal
Bills sign OLB Kwon Alexander to a 6 year deal
Bills sign SS Quentin White to a 6 year deal
Bills sign MLB Lorenzo Dudley to a 2 year deal
Broncos sign MLB Rob Harrison to a 3 year deal
Broncos sign OLB Jim Jones to a 3 year deal
Broncos sign DE Robert Sullivan to a 5 year deal
Broncos sign DE Kevin Doleman to a 5 year deal
Broncos sign FB Jeremy Knight to a 3 year deal
Broncos sign C Dennis Dougherty to a 3 year deal
Broncos sign CB Terrell Hansen to a 2 year deal
Browns sign WR Chester Rogers to a 4 year deal
Browns sign DE Adrian Clayborn to a 3 year deal
Buccaneers sign G Anthony Johnson to a 3 year deal
Buccaneers sign OLB Devon Kennard to a 2 year deal
Buccaneers sign FS Malik Hooker to a 4 year deal
Chiefs sign DE Mitch Freeman to a 6 year deal
Chiefs sign C Isaac Jackson to a 2 year deal
Colts sign P Jack Fox to a 2 year deal
Commanders sign QB Brian Newberry to a 3 year deal
Cowboys sign OLB Daniel Bush to a 3 year deal
Cowboys sign QB Andy Dalton to a 3 year deal
Cowboys sign MLB Sam Crooks to a 3 year deal
Cowboys sign OT Andre Smith to a 3 year deal
Cowboys sign QB Wayne Payne to a 3 year deal
Express sign FB Derek Watt to a 2 year deal
Express sign G Danny Isidora to a 3 year deal
49ers sign DE Mario Edwards Jr. to a 4 year deal
Giants sign FS Tre Boston to a 5 year deal
Lions sign C Pierre Vuong to a 2 year deal
Lions sign QB Cam Newton to a 3 year deal
Lions sign FS Eric Reid to a 3 year deal
Orcas sign HB Corey Clement to a 3 year deal
Orcas sign HB Theo Riddick to a 3 year deal
Orcas sign CB Sam Slater to a 2 year deal
Orcas sign TE Ladarius Green to a 3 year deal
Orcas sign OT Jamie Maddox to a 4 year deal
Orcas sign OT Joe Haeg to a 5 year deal
Orcas sign DE Nick Campbell to a 3 year deal
Pioneers sign FB Gabe Nabers to a 2 year deal
Pioneers sign DE Charles Harris to a 5 year deal
Pioneers sign OLB Sam Bell to a 4 year deal
Pumpkins sign OT Ereck Flowers to a 5 year deal
Raiders sign CB Byron Miles to a 4 year deal
Rams sign FB Biff McNamara to a 3 year deal
Rams sign OLB Genard Avery to a 4 year deal
Rams sign HB Jeremy Langford to a 5 year deal
Rams sign HB Jeremy Hill to a 3 year deal
Ravens sign MLB Rodney Sylvester to a 3 year deal
Ravens sign DE Henry Anderson to a 3 year deal
Seahawks sign CB Bene Benwikere to a 4 year deal
Seahawks sign OLB Tee Ilko to a 3 year deal
Seahawks sign OLB Carl Lawson to a 4 year deal
Seahawks sign G Isaac Seumalo to a 4 year deal
Seahawks sign SS R.J. Schwartz to a 2 year deal
Seahawks sign P Tim Sylvester to a 3 year deal
Seahawks sign OLB Andre Sloan to a 3 year deal
Seahawks sign OT David Bakhtiari to a 3 year deal
Seahawks sign TE Crocket Gilmore to a 3 year deal
Steelers sign TE C.J. Uzomah to a 5 year deal
Vikings sign HB Alfred Morris to a 3 year deal
Vikings sign G Austin Brandt to a 2 year deal

I will start opening up free agency PMs soon. I am going to publicly reveal who I sent offers to for the Pumpkins and Raiders

Pumpkins
OT Ereck Flowers - 5 / $62.0 mil / $18.0 mil

Raiders
CB Byron Miles - 4 / $6.56 mil / $800k (default deal)

KCF0107 posted...

OLBs
Tee Ilko - 3 / $33.30 mil / $7.98 mil
Kwon Alexander - 3 / $25.74 mil / $5.16 mil
Jelani Jenkins - 3 / $24.06 mil / $4.80 mil
Pernell McPhee - 3 / $18.90 mil / $3.66 mil
Nick Vigil - 3 / $17.22 mil / $3.30 mil
Casey Palmer - 4 / $15.54 mil / $2.94 mil
Eugene Kendricks - 3 / $13.80 mil / $2.55 mil
Anthony Chickillo - 3 / $12.12 mil / $2.19 mil
Doug Benson - 2 / $3.04 mil / $420k
Steve McNamara - 3 / $4.98 mil / $630k

Palmer's slashline should start with a 3, not a 4

Seeing as I do not feel well enough to work on this project yet, I'm going to delay the deadline for the first round of free agency until Monday, January 15th at 6 PM ET and extend it 24 hours from then if I feel the need to do so.

Go Bobcats!

I have been ill and don't know when I will be well enough to get back into this, so I am just going to post some cuts a team made not knowing if they would land on the sheet, and you can inquire about their slash line if you wish.

Pats cut:
HB Alex Miller
FB Gabe Nabers
RE Joey Henry
DT Tim Valentine

OLBs
Tee Ilko - 3 / $33.30 mil / $7.98 mil
Kwon Alexander - 3 / $25.74 mil / $5.16 mil
Jelani Jenkins - 3 / $24.06 mil / $4.80 mil
Pernell McPhee - 3 / $18.90 mil / $3.66 mil
Nick Vigil - 3 / $17.22 mil / $3.30 mil
Casey Palmer - 4 / $15.54 mil / $2.94 mil
Eugene Kendricks - 3 / $13.80 mil / $2.55 mil
Anthony Chickillo - 3 / $12.12 mil / $2.19 mil
Doug Benson - 2 / $3.04 mil / $420k
Steve McNamara - 3 / $4.98 mil / $630k

MLBs
Alvin Williams - 3 / $33.33 mil / $8.13 mil
Jerod Mayo - 3 / $31.50 mil / $7.26 mil
Rolando McClain - 3 / $31.50 mil / $7.26 mil
Manti Te'o - 3 / $29.61 mil / $6.63 mil
Jerry Mayes - 2 / $18.50 mil / $4.02 mil
Michael McDonald - 3 / $27.75 mil / $6.03 mil
Sam Crooks - 3 / $27.75 mil / $6.03 mil
Danny Travathan - 3 / $27.75 mil / $6.03 mil
Lorenzo Dudley - 2 / $6.94 mil / $660k
Kevin Bridges - 3 / $5.79 mil / $690k

CBs
Bene Benwikere - 3 / $35.79 mil / $9.03 mil
Jalen Ramsey - 4 / $28.68 mil / $5.08 mil
Marshon Lattimore - 5 / $21.75 mil / $2.25 mil
Stephon Gillmore - 3 / $12.15 mil / $1.29 mil
Tavon Young - 5 / $20.25 mil / $2.15 mil
Justin Gilbert - 5 / $20.25 mil / $2.15 mil
Josh Shaw - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
Tony Lippett - 5 / $18.75 mil / $2.00 mil
Brady Sanders - 4 / $6.20 mil / $720k
Joe Hamilton - 4 / $6.20 mil / $720k

FSs
Eric Reid - 3 / $14.25 mil / $2.85 mil
Montae Nicholson - 3 / $12.75 mil / $2.43 mil
Tre Boston - 4 / $13.60 mil / $2.28 mil
Micah Hyde - 3 / $9.54 mil / $1.59 mil
Malik Hooker - 4 / $12.72 mil / $2.12 mil
Otis Jackson - 4 / $11.84 mil / $1.96 mil
James Carter - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Matt Culver - 3 / $8.16 mil / $1.32 mil
Roderick McDaniels - 3 / $3.48 mil / $450k
Tommy Stephens - 2 / $2.32 mil / $240k

SSs
Quentin White - 2 / $11.48 mil / $1.40 mil
R.J. Schwartz - 2 / $10.36 mil / $1.00 mil
James Sanford - 3 / $14.82 mil / $1.47 mil
Eric Murray - 2 / $9.42 mil / $960k
Adrian Amos - 3 / $13.41 mil / $1.41 mil
Andrew Sendejo - 3 / $13.41 mil / $1.41 mil
Josh Jones - 2 / $8.48 mil / $920k
T.J. Ward - 3 / $11.28 mil / $1.32 mil
Dewayne Meador - 4 / $6.48 mil / $840k
Sam Wright - 3 / $3.81 mil / $420k

Ks
Cody Parkey - 2 / $4.14 mil / $560k
Younghoe Koo - 3 / $5.97 mil / $810k
Dan Bailey - 3 / $5.28 mil / $750k
Sam Ficken - 3 / $4.98 mil / $690k
Matt Gay - 2 / $3.32 mil / $460k
Cedric Grier - 3 / $5.19 mil / $660k
Dan Carpenter - 3 / $5.16 mil / $630k
Zane Gonzalez - 3 / $3.93 mil / $600k
Jon Parrish - 3 / $2.82 mil / $270k
Tim Banks - 1 / $690k / $20k

Ps
Matt Darr - 2 / $2.94 mil / $720k
Kevin Huber - 3 / $5.58 mil / $1.05 mil
Matt Haack - 3 / $4.23 mil / $900k
Scott Kozlowski - 3 / $5.34 mil / $810k
Bradley Pinion - 3 / $4.62 mil / $690k
Jack Fox - 2 / $2.60 mil / $460k
JK Scott - 3 / $3.33 mil / $600k
Ryan Quigley - 3 / $4.53 mil / $600k
K.C. Forbes - 3 / $3.27 mil / $420k
Marquis Collins - 1 / $810k / $60k

The deadline to submit offers for the first round of free agency will be noon ET on Sunday, January 14th

OTs
Ereck Flowers - 4 / $48.68 mil / $13.5 mil
Andre Smith - 3 / $36.51 mil / $10.1 mil
David Bakhtiari - 3 / $25.59 mil / $6.69 mil
Ryan Clady - 3 / $25.59 mil / $6.69 mil
Jake Long - 3 / $25.59 mil / $6.69 mil
Eric Fisher - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Jake Matthews - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Ty Sambrailo - 3 / $21.27 mil / $5.28 mil
Jon Fox - 4 / $6.72 mil / $720k
Leon Jones - 1 / $1.02 mil / $50k

Gs
Danny Isidora - 3 / $30.24 mil / $6.21 mil
Kevin Zeitler - 3 / $29.79 mil / $6.06 mil
Stanley Schneidmiller - 3 / $27.75 mil / $5.64 mil
Clay Schneidmiller - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Connor Williams - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Willie Colon - 3 / $25.68 mil / $5.19 mil
Garrett Collins - 3 / $21.60 mil / $4.35 mil
Max Garcia - 3 / $21.60 mil / $4.35 mil
Eric Ramsey - 2 / $3.40 mil / $380k
Troy Dudley - 4 / $4.16 mil / $520k

Cs
Pierre Vuong - 2 / $12.40 mil / $3.12 mil
Russell Bodine - 3 / $16.38 mil / $3.78 mil
Ethan Pocic - 2 / $10.92 mil / $2.52 mil
Graham Glasglow - 2 / $9.08 mil / $1.98 mil
Cameron Erving - 2 / $8.64 mil / $1.86 mil
Wes Williams - 3 / $12.96 mil / $2.79 mil
Mason Cole - 3 / $11.58 mil / $2.37 mil
Eric Wood - 3 / $11.58 mil / $2.37 mil
Twan Jackson - 3 / $3.57 mil / $450k
Isaac Jackson - 2 / $2.54 mil / $280k

DEs
Henry Anderson - 3 / $28.35 mil / $6.54 mil
Adrian Clayborn - 3 / $26.49 mil / $6.00 mil
Mitch Freeman - 4 / $40.52 mil / $9.68 mil
Terrence Fede - 4 / $23.04 mil / $4.44 mil
Morris Chambers - 3 / $17.28 mil / $3.33 mil
Whitney Mercilus - 3 / $15.45 mil / $2.79 mil
Mario Edwards Jr. - 4 / $20.60 mil / $3.72 mil
Ezekiel Ansah - 4 / $18.16 mil / $3.04 mil
Bubba Carter - 5 / $8.15 mil / $900k
Terry Adkins - 4 / $6.24 mil / $680k

DTs
Amobi Okoye - 3 / $25.98 mil / $4.86 mil
Orlando Lewis - 4 / $32.24 mil / $6.08 mil
Gerald McCoy - 3 / $24.18 mil / $4.56 mil
Sione Fua - 3 / $22.35 mil / $4.23 mil
Beau Allen - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Mike Daniels - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Dominique Easley - 3 / $18.75 mil / $3.63 mil
Michael Brockers - 3 / $16.95 mil / $3.33 mil
Josh Miles - 4 / $10.72 mil / $1.68 mil
Marcus Williams - 4 / $5.92 mil / $600k

QBs
Cam Newton - 3 / $26.46 mil / $6.03 mil
Andrew Luck - 3 / $24.75 mil / $5.52 mil
Andy Dalton - 3 / $23.07 mil / $5.01 mil
Jared Goff - 4 / $28.44 mil / $5.96 mil
Kirk Cousins - 3 / $21.33 mil / $4.47 mil
E.J. Manuel - 3 / $19.65 mil / $3.96 mil
Charlie Schroeder - 4 / $26.20 mil / $5.28 mil
Jake Locker - 4 / $26.20 mil / $5.28 mil
Corey Watkins - 3 / $6.42 mil / $990k
Evan Paulding - 5 / $6.20 mil / $650k

HBs
Giovanni Bernard - 3 / $30.30 mil
Jeremy Hill - 3 / $28.32 mil / $5.64 mil
Dalvin Cook - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Kenyan Drake - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Duke Johnson - 4 / $37.76 mil / $7.52 mil
Isaiah Crowell - 4 / $35.08 mil / $6.96 mil
Devonta Freeman - 3 / $26.31 mil / $5.22 mil
Aaron Jones - 4 / $35.08 mil / $6.96 mil
Jason Moss - 3 / $6.03 mil / $930k
James Kennedy - 5 / $10.05 mil / $1.55 mil

FBs
Jeremy Knight - 3 / $17.10 mil / $4.26 mil
Derek Watt - 2 / $11.20 mil / $2.74 mil
Herman Dudley - 3 / $8.01 mil / $1.65 mil
Joey Isoefa - 3 / $3.90 mil / $570k
Craig Moss - 3 / $3.87 mil / $540k
Anthony Lewis - 3 / $4.44 mil / $510k
Daryl Curry - 3 / $3.81 mil / $480k
Peter Schneidmiller - 3 / $3.63 mil / $480k
Gabe King - 1 / $830k / $40k
Adrian Jones - 1 / $800k / $30k

WRs
Cordarrelle Patterson - 4 / $40.36 mil / $6.84 mil
Julian Edelman - 3 / $26.73 mil / $4.53 mil
Chester Rogers - 4 / $28.48 mil / $4.80 mil
Brandin Cooks - 3 / $21.36 mil / $3.60 mil
Quincy Enunwa - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Kelvin Benjamin - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Doug Baldwin - 3 / $19.59 mil / $3.30 mil
Jordan Matthews - 4 / $26.12 mil / $4.40 mil
Dimitrius Jackson - 3 / $5.61 mil / $690k
Joel Doeberling - 3 / $4.89 mil / $540k

TEs
C.J. Uzomah - 3 / $18.18 mil / $3.63 mil
Owen Daniels - 3 / $14.10 mil / $2.58 mil
Zach Ertz - 3 / $13.26 mil / $2.34 mil
Evan Engram - 3 / $12.45 mil / $2.13 mil
Aaron Hernandez - 3 / $11.61 mil / $1.92 mil
Austin Sef-Jenkins - 3 / $10.80 mil / $1.71 mil
Jason Mack - 4 / $11.80 mil / $1.76 mil
Ladarius Green - 3 / $8.22 mil / $1.20 mil
Santana Blades - 2 / $2.56 mil / $280k
Richard Brown - 2 / $2.46 mil / $260k

Free Agency

See all those players in the free agent sheet? Now is the time to attempt to sign them to your team ahead of the preseason. I say attempt because you are in theory competing against the other 31 teams for the services of all available free agents.

Unlike the three offseason events involving signings, the base/desired deal that I will eventually list may not be enough to sign them, and more likely will not if it is one of the premier free agents available. If you do intend to seek out one or more of those players, you will probably want to send out a custom offer in excess of what they want, whether that means years, total money, signing bonus, or what's usually the case, a combination of the three.

You may not offer a contract to a player that goes beyond their age 34 season unless the base deal already extends beyond that. If a free agent is 31 right now and wants a two-year contract, you may go as far as four years because that would take him through his age-34 season (31, 32, 33, 34). If another free agent is also 31 and wants a five-year contract, you can offer him those five years but no more than that. Any player 28 and under is not affected by this rule as the max contract length, seven years, will take them through their age-34 season or younger.

Not every free agent is up on the sheet. I would estimate that somewhere around 20-30% of all free agents are there. The free agent sheet just lists the Top 8 and Bottom 2 at each position. If there's a certain kind of player that you are looking for that either isn't or don't know if they are on the sheet, feel free to ask me, and I will get back to you if such a player fits that description.

There will be three periods of free agency, each subsequent period spanning fewer real life days than the previous one. Here are the tentative real life days each period will last:
1st - 7 days
2nd - 4 days
3rd - 1 day

Here are some sample contract offers that I will accept, including to more simple approaches:
4 / $12.00 mil / $3.00 mil
3 years default + $2 mil total salary + $750k signing bonus
2 years default

When you give me an offer, you are offering my consent to offer the player the closest deal that he will consider, meaning that if you offer 4 / $12.00 mil / $3.00 mil and he will only consider it when it is 4 / $13.00 mil / $3.60 mil, I will offer him the latter. If that does not sit well with you, then you have the simpler options I previously laid out or you can explicitly say not to offer the contract unless he will consider those exact terms.

When you PM me the offers, I want you to include a header that says "[Your Team]'s Offers" so that I don't accidentally open them. In addition to being the commissioner, I am also in charge of the Wildcats, so there could be some conflict of interest. Thus, the best way around that is for me to not open those PMs until the deadline for the current phase has passed. I have default PM settings, so you can tell if and when I open a PM of yours. Out of fairness, I will publicly reveal my offers once the deadline has passed and before I open up any PMs.

Under no circumstances may you ask me if so and so player will consider a certain deal or anything of that nature. You may ask me general questions regarding free agency but nothing that goes against the spirit of it or give you a competitive advantage. If you do have a question and use the PM system instead of the topic or Discord, make sure that you are clear that you are asking a question, or I might not open it out of fear the PM will contain contract offers.

There are two types of contract offers that I will immediately discard:
1. Any mentioning of the word maximum pertaining to total salary and/or signing bonus
2. A massive one year contract (possibly two-year contracts depending on the situation)

The first one I have actually received in the past. I threw it out because it is both unfair in the laziest of ways and also impossible as you can go quite high in total salary, and I do not want to spend 30 minutes inputting a single offer.

The second one is also unfair to teams with lots of cap space to maintain artificial flexibility for future seasons by using up a lot of cap space this season and then sign that same player next season to an uncontested market or below-market contract in the following offseason in a process they can repeat as many times as they can/want.

Also due to fairness, any cuts you wish to make during free agency must be done well ahead of time to give other users enough of a chance to make a bid on their services:
- 96 hours prior to the end of Period 1
- 48 hours prior to the end of Period 2
- No cuts allowed in Period 3

Most users should have been told when they signed their rookies in the spreadsheet, Discord, or via PM of their cap space and roster holes entering free agency. If I did not, feel free to consult the roster sheet and compare with the roster requirements listed in the first column or ask me what your holes are. Should free agency end with there still being holes on your roster, the AI will fill those holes for you. You do not have to be under the salary cap at the end of free agency. I will give users several days after free agency ends to do so.

One big thing that I want to add is that many positions are very sensitive to starting status relative to their rating. QBs, HBs, FSs, CBs, and several other positions have expectations to start when they are around 82 or above. If you desire to sign someone at 82+ and are not expecting them to start for you, I highly urge you to offer them a contract no longer than 2 years in length. It is possible that they might demand a trade after just one season, but attempting to sign them to a 1 or 2 year deal will significantly reduce the financial penalty you would be dealt with if having to move on from them while they are still under contract.

All rookies are up and all cap spaces are updated.

To do:
- Start free agency
- Add rookies to team financial sheet
- Rename applicable rookies to NFL players in the game
- Record the draft in my notebook

Grand Theft Auto V (XS/X)

This felt like a proper evolution of the phenomenal III/VC/SA trilogy that IV did not quite capture. Official and unofficial heist missions were a blast, and if Online allows you to do an infinite amount of those, I can see myself playing that a bunch. My main gripe about the game is that I really disliked flying.

jcgamer107 posted...

Big Ten (3) - #2 Ohio State, #42 Minnesota, #75 Northwestern

At least I can take solace before getting trounced by North Carolina iirc that the Golden Gophers were a Top 3 Big Ten team

bump for rookie signings and also for me to finally add in some rookies from PMs and also respond to another PM