2020 League Changes Thread

[Bengals GM (David)]

Let all discussion about 2020 league and rule changes be had here.

[Colts GM (Ben)]

Last spring, the league voted on two proposals in regards to compensation picks. The results of those two proposals can be found here.

• The proposal to eliminate compensation picks altogether lost, 9-16.
• The proposal to "reduce annual compensation picks to top players only" won, 22-3.

In the winning proposal, we as a league vowed to "...substantially reduce compensation picks for the 2020 season based on the revised formula." I do not believe we have come to an agreement on a revised formula, which we really need to do prior to free agency.

Our old formula was:

Type A (after round one)
QB 1-5 in the previous season
RB 1-5 in the previous season
WR 1-5 in the previous season
TE 1-5 in the previous season
DE 1-5 in the previous season
LB 1-5 in the previous season

Type B (after round two)
QB 6-10 in the previous season
RB 6-10 in the previous season
WR 6-10 in the previous season
LB 6-10 in the previous season

This created too many compensation picks, watering down the value of tradition draft picks post-round one. For example, the 2018 draft had nine round one compensation picks, making the first pick of round two #42 overall.

Here's my proposal:

QB 1-5 in the previous season
RB 1-10 in the previous season
WR 1-10 in the previous season
LB 1-10 in previous season
TE 1-5 in the previous season
DE 1-5 in the previous season
S 1-5 in the previous season

If a player qualifies, he goes into a pool with all other qualified players. Given the variance in positional importance (and the steep drop off that happens relatively quickly at certain positions versus others), compensation picks should not be strictly based off of points from the previous season. In this formula, RB and WR would have first priority. After that would be any other position. This is due to a top RB or WR being worth the most in FA (as we saw with the OBJ contract, for example). 

Using the 2019 season to project 2020 compensation picks, we would have:
QB: 1. Jackson (N/A) 2. Watson (N/A) 3. Prescott (NYJ, 329.16)** 4. Winston (ARI, 320.22)** 5. Wilson* (PHI, 314.78)
RB: 1. McCaffrey (N/A) 2. Jones (N/A) 3. Cook (N/A) 4. Elliott* (CLE, 264.4) 5. Ekeler (N/A) 6. Henry (MIN, 255.8)** 7. Chubb (N/A) 8. Ingram (CHI, 232.8) 9. Fournette (N/A) 10. Carson (N/A)
WR: 1. Thomas* (DAL, 304.3) 2. Godwin (N/A) 3. Hopkins (N/A) 4. Golladay (N/A) 5. Jones (N/A) 6. Kupp (N/A) 7. Evans (N/A) 8. Cooper** (NYJ, 208.5) 9. Edelman (N/A) 10. Lockett (N/A)
LB: 1. Wagner* (CIN, 240.24) 2. Littleton (N/A) 3. Hicks (N/A) 4. Schobert** (CAR, 223.76) 5. Leonard (N/A) 6. Kuechly (N/A) 7. Jones (N/A) 8. Smith (N/A) 9. Campbell** (NO, 209.26) 10. Martinez** (CIN, 209.26)
TE: 1. Kelce (N/A) 2. Kittle (N/A) 3. Andrews (N/A) 4. Ertz (N/A) 5. Waller (N/A)
DE: 1. Hunter (N/A) 2. Heyward (CHI, 169.24) 3. Jordan (OAK, 155.41) 4. J. Bosa* (CIN, 150.57) 5. Hubbard (N/A)
S: 1. E. Reid (N/A) 2. Baker (N/A) 3. Poyer (N/A) 4. Collins (N/A) 5. Smith (N/A)

*Extension eligible
**Could become extension eligible

Compensation picks for the 2020 draft would then be (assuming current available extensions are picked up):

Type A
#33 Minnesota Vikings (Henry)
#34 Chicago Bears (Ingram)
#35 New York Jets (Cooper)

Type B
#68 New York Jets (Prescott)
#69 Arizona Cardinals (Winston)
#70 Carolina Panthers (Schobert)

I think it's a more streamlined, better way to do things. We would reward teams for losing key players (in this example, all guys who scored well north of 200 points and were important in their respective team's success in 2019) while not overdoing it on guys who were good but realistically not great.

[Deleted]

With the difference in salary caps between NFL and Blitz and incorporating their contracts,I would expect some potential WR/RBs eligible for extension to take the pick and gamble on resigning. Thomas for example. With his enormous contract, what's a first round pick worth? 1-2M? 3-4, more likely. Who knows. But for those elite contracts that especially WRs garner, it wouldnt be over expensive to take that pick and resign your player in UFA. Is any position worth a first round pick? Maybe break that down a bit more and top 5 WR or RB at type A first round with 6-10 still type B.

[Colts GM (Ben)]

Jan 10, 2020 13:01:31 GMT -6 @steve said:

With the difference in salary caps between NFL and Blitz and incorporating their contracts,I would expect some potential WR/RBs eligible for extension to take the pick and gamble on resigning. Thomas for example. With his enormous contract, what's a first round pick worth? 1-2M? 3-4, more likely. Who knows. But for those elite contracts that especially WRs garner, it wouldnt be over expensive to take that pick and resign your player in UFA. Is any position worth a first round pick? Maybe break that down a bit more and top 5 WR or RB at type A first round with 6-10 still type B.

You only receive a compensation pick if you don’t resign your player.

[Deleted]

I misinterpreted the rules then. I thought it read any player a team let go into UFA that qualified for a compensation pick would receive one. (Choosing not to pick up sportrac option). Then compete in UFA if they choose to bid on that player as a UFA. In theory he is no longer retained by his old franchise. But would qualify for hometown discount? So for instance, Michael Thomas is around 20M on sportrac. Given tenure with his old team, I am thinking he would qualify for around 20% discount, meaning you could have cleared him into free agency, got the pick. Then rebid 20M making out of town team beat 25M for his services. It would make sense to work that way. Extensions being a contract extension not allowing other franchises a chance at his services. Taking the compensatory pick puts the player at risk but he's still UFA, so original team should be eligible to bid on him with other 31 franchises, and I would assume with built in hometown discount.

[Bengals GM (David)]

The Comp Pick formula we voted on last year went into effect for this year. The comp picks awarded in the 2019 BCD Draft were from the old formula, so we didn't punish team's roster building strategies the year before by implementing new comp rules after the season was over. As would any additional change if it were voted to be changed this year.

Even then the 2019 draft with the then OLD rules only had 3 As, 3 Bs, a much better outcome and trimming of the comp rules. But it was my opinion it was a down year for non-extendable comp eligible players and still could use even more refining.

As of right now with the NEW rules, we have 15 projected comp picks (9A, 6B) before extensions are accepted. We have 5 with contracts to be accepted at the moment but we have the entire off season for there to be more NFL Contracts and Tags and BCD Tags to be potentially used.

[Bengals GM (David)]

So my question would be how would the formula be categorized? You mean only RBs/WRs should have A comps? You show DE 1-5, so where would the 3 DE eligible comp picks go?

[Deleted]

I would make only the top 5 WRs and top 5 RBs eligible for type A first round picks. 6-10 WRs and RBs and all other positions type B. First round picks are just too valuable to be giving away at that rate. That would leave Zeke and Thomas eligible for type A first round picks in 2020 if the GMs didn't want to take on their NFL contracts.

[Colts GM (Ben)]

Jan 13, 2020 17:55:43 GMT -6 Bengals GM (David) said:

So my question would be how would the formula be categorized? You mean only RBs/WRs should have A comps? You show DE 1-5, so where would the 3 DE eligible comp picks go?

It wouldn't be categorized like that, but technically any player eligible for a comp. pick could be an A. It would just be unlikely with RB and WR being weighted more to reflect losing a player at the most important positions. A position like DE would get the lowest priority, so essentially "we'll give you a comp. pick if we still have room after everyone else."

[Bengals GM (David)]

So you suggest a finite amount of comp picks? 5A, 5B and if you are the 11th eligible players, too bad?

[Colts GM (Ben)]

Jan 14, 2020 10:56:58 GMT -6 Bengals GM (David) said:

So you suggest a finite amount of comp picks? 5A, 5B and if you are the 11th eligible players, too bad?

3 & 3, but yes.

[Deleted]

There has to be some level of restriction beyond what's currently possible. Whether it's tweaking who's type A eligible or maximum amount of each type. 9 potential type A players and allowing 9 comp first round picks is just unacceptable in my opinion. Waters down draft way too much. Hurts draft pick trade value and potentially hurts rebuilding teams that stocked up on picks. These players can mostly all be signed for their extensions as an alternative. Not all is lost

[Bengals GM (David)]

Since this is your first year, most will be resigned, as happens every year. The initial number is larger and has been much larger in years past, but people don’t let the top of positions just go away if they can help it.

[Buccaneers GM (Kevin)]

I am reading but have no rule suggestions. Interesting reading the above though. I'm 95% certain I won't be resigning Blake Martinez. 

[Deleted]

Why would anyone sign the highest paid players to extensions? The NFL cap is considerably higher. If one can get a free 1st out of a WR and allow him to walk to UFA, that's a theoretical starter for half price his value for 5 years. Then in theory because he/she is just a UFA, should be allowed to buy him back on open market. In most cases I would see this as double dipping. Especially on older players like Ingram/Julio who teams have already gotten substantial amounts of service out of for a lot of years and can cash in on older player if they performed well last year