How long should we have to declare contracts?

[yugimoto]

We typically start the auction around March 15th or so. Most of the auction is done within a week or two. How about making a March 31st midnight deadline for assigning contracts. Then it's not 6 weeks but allows more NFL free agency to occur to see where things are going but isn't a long period of time to allow for a lot of "taking advantage". This would at most be about 2 weeks for the first players off the board, less for others

I am good with extending the 24 hour window to 48 hours.

If we look at the compromise proposed by Scott, then I think we need to address how trades would get addressed in this time frame (I think someone else brought this up as well). Does the contract years have to be assigned prior to the trade? Can the player be traded (without a specified contract established) and then the receiving owner still has the flexibility till the March 31st to set the contract years? Could make for some interesting (and fun) trade discussions.

[bonscott]

We typically start the auction around March 15th or so. Most of the auction is done within a week or two. How about making a March 31st midnight deadline for assigning contracts. Then it's not 6 weeks but allows more NFL free agency to occur to see where things are going but isn't a long period of time to allow for a lot of "taking advantage". This would at most be about 2 weeks for the first players off the board, less for others

I am good with extending the 24 hour window to 48 hours.

If we look at the compromise proposed by Scott, then I think we need to address how trades would get addressed in this time frame (I think someone else brought this up as well). Does the contract years have to be assigned prior to the trade? Can the player be traded (without a specified contract established) and then the receiving owner still has the flexibility till the March 31st to set the contract years? Could make for some interesting (and fun) trade discussions.

I would say that trades have no say or change in contracts. Contracts need to be assigned by the deadline. If I trade a guy away then the new owner will assign a contract to that player by the deadline.

No different then the rookies, right? We don't assign rookie contracts until August. But that doesn't mean I can't trade a rookie I drafted. The new owner can assign whatever contract he wants to the rookie in August.

So to me this isn't really an issue since it's not an issue for rookies over the entire summer.

[Achon44]

I would say that trades have no say or change in contracts. Contracts need to be assigned by the deadline. If I trade a guy away then the new owner will assign a contract to that player by the deadline.

No different then the rookies, right? We don't assign rookie contracts until August. But that doesn't mean I can't trade a rookie I drafted. The new owner can assign whatever contract he wants to the rookie in August.

So to me this isn't really an issue since it's not an issue for rookies over the entire summer.

IMO a contract should be assigned prior to the trade. I understand the point being made about rookies, but I feel in that scenario we are not actually trading the player himself, but instead trading the draft rights to that player.

BTW I'm totally fine with just using a clock the way we have whether it be 24, 48, or 72 hours, but I do prefer the idea of one or two hard deadlines during the off-season for all contracts.

[bonscott]

IMO a contract should be assigned prior to the trade. I understand the point being made about rookies, but I feel in that scenario we are not actually trading the player himself, but instead trading the draft rights to that player.

Wouldn't really matter to me either way. Not a whole lot of trading of just drafted guys in the auction anyway and the deadline is less then 2 weeks from the start of the auction. And if I were to trade away a guy I just drafted I'd simply ask the team I'm trading with how many contract years they want on the guy so I can post it.

Thus in the end it's really no different then if I traded him with no contract and the new team assigned a contract a couple days later at the deadline. There really is no advantage to assigning a contract prior to the trade, in my mind anyway.

Either way it's the same outcome. I'd say do whatever is less work for the commish.

[griblets]

My opinion is same system, more time. 48 to 72 hours after a winning bid.

[braven112]

Seems like extending the time to 48 is the most popular. I'll put up a poll.

[bonesman]

One compromise idea:

We typically start the auction around March 15th or so. Most of the auction is done within a week or two. How about making a March 31st midnight deadline for assigning contracts. Then it's not 6 weeks but allows more NFL free agency to occur to see where things are going but isn't a long period of time to allow for a lot of "taking advantage". This would at most be about 2 weeks for the first players off the board, less for others.

Starting April 1st then we go to 48 hours after the time a player is won until the season starts where it goes to our current 24 hours or kickoff of the player in question, whichever is first.

Rookies of course have until the August cut down day to declare contracts.

How's that sound as an idea?

I could prob get on board with this.... though I think if it went to a vote I'd probably abstain and let the majority sort it out.

I did vote in favor of the 48 hr window though.

[bocious]

I could prob get on board with this.... though I think if it went to a vote I'd probably abstain and let the majority sort it out.

Ditto.