PNFL Musings

[Jerry-Redskins]

How's everyone feel about the Salary Cap with the next season salaries out as well. Are you still comfortable with it and the impacts it is having? We are getting enough years in to begin to see potential implications. I can say it is definitely causing the release of capable plays into FA finally. I think unlike the NFL it will be right before the season when we see the rest of the players available, but there will be decent players out there. I know next season looks even harder to be under the cap for Washington and we will be out of high priced vets to release. It is causing less trading of good players I believe, but that is the same as in the NFL. The question is that good in the PNFL or should we want more movement of players. It affected draft pick trading a little as well and some teams traded out of early round picks due to cost.

On a different note, the Commish is definitely creating some difference in players. I personally would like to see it a little larger difference, but the value of an early 1st round pick is higher as the drop off in talent is growing. We still have a few more seasons to see it have a real affect as older players move on. How do you see the new draft classes?

I have been simming some things as I build the open team PPP's and the new DL rules should open up the game a small amount. The numbers seem to show a little more success in passing so far in my sims. Nothing drastic and it is a small sample size, but it is there in my data. As people tweak their PPP's around the change as the season goes along, it will be interesting to see the results. Any of you seeing changes as you prep for Week 1?

[Mitch-Oilers]

I look forward to the draft pool changes taking effect. I believe the salary helps speed up the process of getting the younger on more rosters since teams can't keep all of their veterans. This will cause more variance in statistics and gameplay.

[Dean-Atlanta]

I have mixed feelings about the salary system but overall I think it's better than the system we had before it and it's a good idea to continue working with it as we go forward.

[Matt-Jacksonville]

Next season will be the first one that I have to make any adjustments to be UNDER the cap, so I'll reserve judgement on that for a couple more years, but so far I think we are good. I too would like to see some more variety in the ratings. It is something I noticed a few seasons back and wondered why people put so much emphasis on x player is top 25 at his position you absolutely MUST sign/trade for him. I was like why when this FA is only one or two pts off that guy's ratings and in game would be very similar.

[Dean-Atlanta]

Good point on the ratings. I've seen examples of where a top quality WR with good overall ratings and 84 speed is a first round pick, yet a WR with very similar ratings but 81 speed goes undrafted and sits in the FA pool. 79 ST LBs neve3r make rosters, 80 SP CBs, etc. I don't draft LBs with 79 AG even if they are otherwise great.

[Dean-Atlanta]

Under estimating the importance of just 1-2 points difference in key skill ratings is why I made some unwise trades my first season as GM. Then I made a deal with the old Jax GM Eric Davis to pay "the King's Ransom" for all=pro CB McCourty, and the deal was blocked because it was believed I had paid too much to have the best 2 CBs in the league as my top 2 starting CBs. In fact, one GM who is no longer in the PNFL, suggested a grand conspiracy that concluded I wasn't real and that Eric Davis had signed up to own my team under a fake name and email address so he could plunder my roster in a series of allegedly unfair trades. I suspect the GM who had the audacity to suggest that now spends his time these days in chat rooms discussing the Qanon conspiracy theory.

[Matt-Jacksonville]

It depends on the situation. The formulas for what goes on in the game are complex enough that in some situations it may matter and others it may not matter as much. In a cookie cutter league where 95% of the talent is equal, 1-2 pts difference could be huge. It just depends on the matchups.

[Charlie-49ers]

Next season will be the first one that I have to make any adjustments to be UNDER the cap, so I'll reserve judgement on that for a couple more years, but so far I think we are good. I too would like to see some more variety in the ratings. It is something I noticed a few seasons back and wondered why people put so much emphasis on x player is top 25 at his position you absolutely MUST sign/trade for him. I was like why when this FA is only one or two pts off that guy's ratings and in-game would be very similar.

Look closely, lots of variety in ratings in the last Draft. More to come.

[Moxs - Patriots]

Ok First this is the oldest and best league still standing. Happy to be here.
These are issues for discussion - not critique.

Overall I am for the idea - in specifics - to far too fast.

Reasonable increases ok this season was pushing the limit the next season caps are well - way out there.

I am a newbie and as i understand we are trying our best to emulate the NFL.
I get that - with a lot of confusion - but I get that.
I am all for trades - player moment (I regularly mine the FA list).

Now the pain-in-the-but-part by me NE.

There is very little difference between actuals and potentials.

How does this encourage trading and movement?

There is very small differences between most players per position in this league as i mentioned.
Why should I then trade for one?
Draft picks yes I can see. Though Chicago did take me to the cleaners a bit my first draft.
I paid and learned from that this draft.

Finally, attributes - they are all common knowledge.

Why are players potentials not masked?
Where is the gamble ?
Where is the mystery?
Where is the player who lights up the combine but cannot play a lick (Ryan Leaf anyone)?
Where is (Biased) a Julian Edlman - 7th rd QB pick who may or not go to the HOF as a receiver?

The NFL is filled with those examples. I do not see any chance of them in the PNFL.

You want player moment - I think these points should be at least pondered.

I think some player variation - some player mystery would add to the fun and competition.

The PNFL has no Super Stars.
The NFL has many - even if they are only one yr wonders. They are still wonders.

Moving On.

As a Newbie why do we have to systems points to sign players - yet salaries are assigned based on the player's next season POTENTIAL.
How does this in anyway emulate the NFL?

If I sign a player to a contract for 3 yrs at a salary then he gets paid that.
If he wants to renegotiate fine.
If he wants to hold- out fine.
If management needs to restructure fine.
A contract is an agreement between to parties.

How does this emulate the NFL if the next season a player gets a 75% raise - when he never leaves the practice squad?
That violates the contract. Also punishes me as an owner. I have to pay this player more cause i may have drafted a gem? And he might be good?

We have Points. We have a salary cap.

PICK ONE.

Put what ever limits you want - so as to emulate the NFL - and do so.



Moxs
PNFL New England Patirots
(2-5)

[Charlie-49ers]

These are issues for discussion - not critique.

There is very little difference between actuals and potentials.

How does this encourage trading and movement?

There are very small differences between most players per position in this league as I mentioned.
Why should I then trade for one?
Draft picks yes I can see.

Finally, attributes - are all common knowledge.

Why are players' potentials not masked?
Where is the gamble?
Where is the mystery?
Where is the player who lights up the combine but cannot play a lick (Ryan Leaf anyone)?
Where is (Biased) a Julian Edelman - 7th rd QB pick who may or not go to the HOF as a receiver?

The NFL is filled with those examples. I do not see any chance of them in the PNFL.

You want player moment - I think these points should be at least pondered.

I think some player variation - some player mystery would add to the fun and competition.

The PNFL has no Super Stars.
The NFL has many - even if they are only one yr wonders. They are still wonders.

Moxs
PNFL New England Patirots
(2-5)

Moxs, I will answer some of your questions, those that I have basically controlled, but not all. I cannot mask the POTs, and if we could, Rich would have to take over this function, as I am still an active player. Under the current format, we are all on a level playing field, so to speak. I can make them, but we all have a shot at the same players depending on the draft position. In addition, we do the random boost to get a couple of those exceptions into the League. If the current boost is insufficient, I can make them bigger.

Yes, players are relatively close and we have never been able to determine the relative value of a WR with 83 SP versus an 82 SP versus an 81 SP. I have really started to mix up the Draft pretty well to spread out attributes, and it is no longer a snap to pick the best player that used to jump off the page at you. We (I) have basically kept the players relatively close and let the coaching determine the game. This was done primarily to keep owners interested in sticking around. If it took you three, four, or five seasons to become competitive you might lose interest, and we want to keep our owners. In the early days, we have 30+ and a waiting list (the good old days). Take the Saints! Yes, a poor record, but yet competitive in their last few games because they have a few good players and a coach on a steep learning curve, but the players keep him interested.

Last, Super Stars. Currently, there might be too many in some opinion, but the Draft is thinning out the positions. Should we be fortunate enough to last a few more seasons, there will be more disparity at the various positions.

Not my area, Salary Cap. We used to have a program that dictated salaries, had holdout, etc. but I think that utility faded into the sunset with many others. The game is over 20 years old, and we do the best that we can. If Rich wants to try and tweak salaries and Caps, he is free to do so. Me, I wait to see where it is going and adjust my roster accordingly. If there was a better way to do any of this stuff, we would consider it.