Salary Cap / Roster Management best practices - what are yours?

[Dcourtne]

Here are my Questions :
(1) What is the most you would spend on a single player either from a % of cap or avg $$$ annually perspective? In other words, what's the most you would pay to keep your superstar?
(2) How does the player's position impact your answer?
(3) How do you handle aging players? Do you trade or cut at a certain age while they have value or do you keep til retirement?

I usually don't spend more than $15m per year on anyone and try to stay closer to $10. This let's me have a well rounded team but also means I've got a revolving door at some positions like QB. I've got a QB resigning coming up that should breach the $20m barrier. Im considering taking the plunge just to do something different - I think it would be fun to keep a QB long-term and take a shot at some of the career records. But I'm concerned about how that decision will shape the rest of my team. I also tend to trade older players away while they have value in order to acquire replacements to develop at other positions.

[SpectreBugg]

I don't have too many rules when it comes to salary, other than not overpaying guys too much.

I do try to stay loyal to long term players though. If it's a guy i drafted, or a guy that has been with the team for a long time, I'll try to find ways to use them and keep them around. As positions like WR and DB slow down, I keep them as situational players until they retire, or until I simply can't afford to keep them around anymore.

[Josiphos]

If I find a franchise QB, he's mine no matter what price I have to pay. Basically build the team around him as most important part. I think that's pretty realistic.

Positions that I don't care at all about :

K, P (all interchangeable)

RB (basically can get by with a 66 OVR guy)

TE (last year they were more powerful....this year, scrubs seem to work)

Positions that I really spend money on:

CB, OT, OG (vitally important)

WR (a change from last year....when you could get away with any 62 OVR fast scrub. This year punishes you on catching ability if they don't have it . They are worth the money IMHO)

Undecided so far : LB and DE DT (not sure if they are worth the cash yet, only in season 2)

I will usually trade guys away with life left in them, if the offer is good or they are just going to be too much money. If I'm going to be unable to re sign a good young prospect the next year...then they gotta go. An example is Jason Peters....his contract was 10 M and his Madden ratings were decent, but he's only got 1-2 years before retirement. I traded him to a contender for a 3rd rounder I think

[GoBigRed29]

1) As much as is needed!
2) Position does matter a bit....for me, HB, QB, LBs, O-Line, and secondary are my highest paid positions. I love having a dominate run game, controlling linebackers, and my secondary often plays man coverage, hence they need to be great.
3) I tend to trade older players unless I really like them(had for a looooonnngggg time/big part of my team). I don't think I've ever run into a situation where my cap space is a big problem, even when I'm retaining higher end talent.

[mrprice33]

Trade back
trade back
trade back
trade back

Don't have a non-qb under contract past 33 yrs old (30 for RBs), no players older than 26 and under 70 OVR.

[ParaAut]

For winning itself I think it would be best to just look for a new QB every 4-5 years and trade away the old one. Saves you so much money and you get 2-3 nice picks for the new guy. Could be true for some other positions too. In the past I handled it like that, but I found it that it is too easy. A drafted QB instantly plays well, but you have space for 2-3 other very good players - not realistic!

Basically with last year's version I changed my strategy that it reflects real life better. Oakland will not trade Derek Carr, just because there are 2-3 future superstar QB's in every draft. So I try to keep my star players as much as possible (even in higher age as long they are useful and the cap allows it) and only let them go if I have an idea how to replace them.

Most important for me is D-Line and O-Line, so I focus on them - sometimes quite expensive, but also very realistic.

[timhere1970]

I am currently trying to make the game more difficult. Keeping anybody with a chance at the hall of fame which requires a legacy score of 10 thousand I beleive. So if they are on track for that I am not getting rid of them any more. I started last night not drafting anybody before the fourth round. My highest player was a 74 te, everybidy else was in the 60's. May move up to 3rd round with the new lesser classes. Going to wait and see if I can develop these guys. They all have the physical skills to play their position for me so I only have to upgrade cheaper intangibles. I will have money to resign veterans this way I believe.

I sim the playoffs and most of the regulag season, play four games a year, week 4, 8, 12, 16. I have only won three super bowls and am in 2027. I won the first season with code kessler in for an injured rothlisbe4ger. I have only won twice more with no starters below. I have gone undefeated once. I have gone undefeated four other times in regular season only to lose first playoff game to inferior talent so I have no reason to believe having high overalls everywhere actually matters when simming the playoffs. My goal now is to stack the hall of fame and that means keeping old men.

[vicaddict]

I never had to resign players above an 90 OVR, so I can't answer that one.

However, when it comes to players, I tend to be very loyal. I gave Joe Thomas a 5 year contract when he was 33. Unfortunately he retired a year later. I don't care for age that much and after a couple of years your team will be so good, you can afford to have some starters slowing down a bit.

When it comes to positions, I don't set priorities, either. Although, I like to be stable at positions, so signing a young kicker and punter and keeping them, is important. In my last franchise, I signed Blair Walsh in Free Agency. Great Kicker for years to come.