Madden NFL 17: The Practice Squad Changes Roster Building

[brandon27]

Quote: Originally Posted by RedZoneD25

There isn't a right of first refusal in the NFL for practice squad players.

Yes, there is. Technically anyways. If the PS player, is offered a contract from another team, that player often will notify the team he's currently on the PS for, which then gives the team currently "owning his rights" the opportunity to sign him to their active roster before he signs the offer from the other team, or they can let him go to the new team. The player can even refuse the offer from the other team and remain on the original team's PS if he wants to. Although, most don't because why would they turn down 3 guaranteed, bigger pay cheques?


Here's the language from the CBA:

Quote:

Section 2. Signing With Other Clubs: (a) Any player under contract to a Club as a Practice Squad player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club at any time during the League Year, to serve as a player on any Club’s Active or Inactive List, and any Club is completely free to negotiate and sign such a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period, except that such player shall not be permitted to sign a Player Contract with another Club to serve as a Practice Squad player while under contract as a Practice Squad player. (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) above, a Practice Squad player may not sign an NFL Player Contract with his Club’s next opponent later than 4:00pm, New York time, on the sixth day preceding the game (except in bye weeks, when the prohibi-tion commences on the tenth day preceding the game). When the current employer club has a bye the weekend before the game against the Club signing the Practice Squad play-er to an NFL Player Contract, such contract must be executed prior to 4:00pm, New York time, on the 10th day preceding the game.... Section 5. Active List: If a player on the Practice Squad of one club (Club A) signs an NFL Player Contract with another club (Club B), (1) the player shall receive three weeks salary of his NFL Player Contract at the 53-player Active/Inactive List minimum even if he is terminated by Club B prior to earning that amount, and (2) Club B is required to count the player on its 53-player Active/Inactive List for three games (a bye week counts as a game) even if he is terminated, traded, or assigned via waivers to another club or is signed as a free agent to another club’s 53-player roster or another club’s Practice Squad prior to that time. If the player is terminated from Club B’s 53-player roster and signed to Club B’s Practice Squad, he shall continue to count on the club’s 53-player Ac-tive/Inactive List but shall not count against the eight-player Practice Squad limit until the three-game requirement has been fulfilled. If a player is terminated prior to the com-pletion of the three-game period and is signed to Club B’s Practice Squad or is signed or assigned to another Club’s 53-player roster or Practice Squad, any Salary (as that term is defined in Article 13, Section 4 that he receives from any NFL club applicable to the three-game period shall be an offset against the three weeks’ Salary that he is entitled to receive from Club B. If the promotion occurs with fewer than three games remaining in the Club’s regular season, the three game requirement for roster count shall not carry over into the next season.

So, yes, once the PS player signs a player contract to move to a new team, the current team has no say or control. He's gone. However, most times that offer is brought to the current team he's on the PS for, unless player and agent deem it to be a better opportunity. However, quite often you'll see a team release a player from their active roster, and promote a PS player to their active roster simply to avoid him being poached by another team because they knew an offer was made. So, technically, they do have control assuming player/agent allow the current team to be notified prior to signing.


Therefore, in Madden, it shouldn't be as simple for me to browse PS lists on other teams, and take whoever I want, whenever I want. At least I don't think it should be. The player has the choice whether to sign my offer and join my active roster or not. He could say no, I'm happy here in Buffalo on the PS because I like their future plan for me, and I don't want to join you in Miami where you have a more crowded roster at my position, even though you essentially have to keep me on the active roster for 3 weeks, you can put me right back on the PS if you release me and I sign back.


So, it's... gray really.

[trey2k198003]

But if you had the room to put him on your active roster why wouldn't you do it already? Practice squad are the extra guys you want to keep and eye on and maybe get them some Xperia but once you see them as someone who you can use bump somebody off active and sign the guy. But all my practice squad guys would just be fillers on my team none would even back up my starters. So I like the practice squad.

[ggsimmonds]

Quote: Originally Posted by brandon27

Yes, there is. Technically anyways. If the PS player, is offered a contract from another team, that player often will notify the team he's currently on the PS for, which then gives the team currently "owning his rights" the opportunity to sign him to their active roster before he signs the offer from the other team, or they can let him go to the new team. The player can even refuse the offer from the other team and remain on the original team's PS if he wants to. Although, most don't because why would they turn down 3 guaranteed, bigger pay cheques?

No, there is no right of first refusal whatsoever.

The player who is offered a contract has the choice of whether or not to notify the current team to give them an opportunity to promote him, but that is not a technical right. Its no different from "normal" free agency where a player has a choice of whether to sign immediately or wait for a better offer.
Nothing grey about it.

[Hooe]

Quote: Originally Posted by ggsimmonds

No, there is no right of first refusal whatsoever. The player who is offered a contract has the choice of whether or not to notify the current team to give them an opportunity to promote him, but that is not a technical right. Its no different from "normal" free agency where a player has a choice of whether to sign immediately or wait for a better offer. Nothing grey about it.

To expand on this - practice squad is also explicitly not restricted free agency, where the right of first refusal for the original team is guaranteed if the player signs an offer sheet.

If you are afraid a player on your practice squad might get poached, you should move him to your active roster before that happens. That's what I've been doing.

[brandon27]

Quote: Originally Posted by CM Hooe

To expand on this - practice squad is also explicitly not restricted free agency, where the right of first refusal for the original team is guaranteed if the player signs an offer sheet. If you are afraid a player on your practice squad might get poached, you should move him to your active roster before that happens. That's what I've been doing.

I get all that, but the fact still remains more often then not the team who has the player presently on their PS either knows, or has an idea that an offer is made to a PS player, and the ability is there for them to prevent said player from leaving by offering him the same contract, then the Ps player chooses where he wants to be, the current teams active roster (effectively for the next 3 weeks), or the new teams active roster. While these PS guys are always looking for an opportunity, some prefer staying put. It happens. It's kind of like the free agent pool after the season has started in Madden. All I have to do is click sign player, and he's mine. No if's, and's or buts. There's no negotiation, no feeling of the player having a choice like there is when it comes to re-signing your own players, or offseason free agency. Sure, that's essentially how signing a PS player works and if Madden wants it that simple, then I guess it is what it is, but it's a bit more involved than that behind the scenes. At least give the user though the heads up that teams are searching somewhere. Give me an indication I've got a guy leaving, or a place to check. Or that teams are searching for a player at a certain position.


Maybe I'm asking for too much this early in the revamping of CFM. Honestly, I'm thrilled the PS is there this year. I just wish it was maybe handled a bit differently. It is pretty darn close to right, no doubt about that, I just wish there was a bit more interaction with it.