PNFL

#1 Get rid of the salary cap but keep the points system.
#2 Get rid of the salary cap & get rid of the points system.
#3 Keep the salary cap & points system.

I think we should keep the salary cap and get rid of the points system.

Sign them by paying their salary, or release them in off-season to free up the salary. Points system is redundant with the use of the full salary cap system.

I am ambivalent on the issue! Over 20+ years, we have been down this road several times, and there is no great solution. I used to like the program where we had to bid on each player and he could accept or reject the offer, and then you would have to try again if he rejected it. That was challenging and fun, but we are no longer there and have done the best we could with what we have. Now, I just go with the flow and manage the team accordingly and have my team set for next season based on the current system.

One alternative, if we decide to eliminate both is to eliminate the Cap or Points one season, and eliminate the other the following season. That would give us four alternatives of which I can live with either. Whatever we do, do it soon so that everyone has the opportunity to adjust.

On to the Draft Pool now that I have plenty of time to work on it.

I would rather lower complications. Ditching the cap and keeping the points leaves all the current systems in place to handle FA, anti aging, etc in the simplest manner. Cap without points gets more complicated. The Cap without points is the worse choise of the three in my opinion.

If I had to choose one of the options Rich listed, it would be #3, the status quo, keep the current system as it is now.

Something else to consider in this discussion is the impact of creating a wider differentiation among player ratings. If we continue on the path to widen the gap of individual ratings between players, I believe that will change the mindset of how coaches/GMs use their points and manage the cap.

Has the salary system had the desired effect? Is it forcing coaches to eventually let go of decent veterans to save money? Has FA been any better?

My observation is that veterans have completely lost any value they had. Starter quality talent can't be traded for much at all.

Also, it's not creating the balance we had hoped for. How is it that my AWFUL roster is projected to be way over the cap worse than NYJ & Chicago? 278k? I'm gonna have to pretty much cut everyone and start over. A 1-15 team shouldn't have to prepare for drastic cuts just to get under the cap.

Anyone else notice we've had retirements and 2+ openings mostly since we have had the cap?

I think there are only two choices, leave the system as is or go back to the purely points based system. FA would get boring without points, so I'm not in favor of no points system. Abolishing points and using salary for FA would be brutal on Rich - would create a tracking nightmare in the Contracts file.