Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Aug 16, 2020 17:17:10 GMT -5
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as previously discussed in this Discussions thread, the league will be implementing some manner of protections to GMs for the upcoming season in regards to the fluid roster situations that playing football in a pandemic might create. After directly speaking with nearly 2/3 of all GMs, or hearing from them indirectly, here is what I believe is the likeliest set of protections to pass for this year:
• An unlimited number of COVID-19 IR roster spots, for players who have been placed in the league's COVID protocol. This means, if a player on a CDFL team's roster should be placed on the NFL's version of the COVID reserve list by his real life team, that GM may also place the player on the COVID IR for however long the player remains on said list. There will be no minimum or maximum amount of time allowed for a player to be on this list, and he is eligible to be reactivated as soon as he's removed from the NFL's COVID reserve list.
• If a player on a CDFL team's roster is placed on the NFL's COVID reserve list, and the CDFL team elects to also place the player on our COVID IR, the player's salary will no longer count against his team's cap/contract years for the duration of his time on said list. This will also be true for any player who has officially opted out of the 2020 NFL season.
• While a player is on the CDFL COVID IR, a GM may elect to fill that unoccupied roster spot in any way of their choosing (Provided it doesn't violate any other league rule). When the COVID IR player is eligible to return, however, a decision must be made in terms of cap, contract years, and roster spots, if any are in excess of the limits ($80, 75y, 25 active roster spots).
• A GM may elect to sign a designated fill-in player to fill the roster spot of a COVID IR player (ONE per COVID IR player), then upon said COVID IR player's return/activation to the active roster, he may waive the designated fill-in player free of penalty (The GM must indicate upon signing said player that he is the designated fill-in player to replace said COVID IR player on his active roster). However, if a GM should choose to keep the designated fill-in player, he may waive any other player--though the standard penalty remains (Provided that he is not claimed. Multiple claims will be determined by waiver order, per the league rules). Additionally, any player on a GM's active roster may be traded to create room for a returning COVID player.
• To receive relief from the cap penalty, the designated player must be waived in a corresponding move to the return of the COVID IR player to the active roster. If the designated player is waived at a later date, typical waiver penalties apply.
• If a starting quarterback (As defined per league rules) is placed on the NFL's COVID reserve list, assuming that the backup is not rostered elsewhere, and that no other starting QBs are available, no other team may bid on that QB. If the GM fails to sign a starting QB before the beginning of games that week, no action will be taken. If the GM fails to sign a starting QB before the beginning of games the following week, he will have a starting QB force signed to his roster, as per the QB/K Rule. The same is true of a kicker, per the QB/K Rule.
• Due to the nature of fluid and potentially hectic roster construction, a player on the COVID IR list is eligible to be traded to another team/placed on their COVID IR list. Due to the inconsistency that this might provide, for the 2020 season, players on traditional IR will also be eligible for this treatment.
• No GM will be allowed to keep a player on COVID IR who has been cleared to rejoin his NFL team, if said GM does not meet the positional minimums to field a legal lineup. However, while a team will not be forced to activate a COVID IR player to his active roster when he is immediately eligible to return (For example, as many of these decisions might not be highly publicized prior to happening, and may come after games have already begun in a given week, GMs may not be able to reconcile their rosters/choose not to for a multitude of reasons), just as the QB/K Rule states, they will be forced back onto their rosters, and their salaries will resume counting against the teams' caps, if they have not reconciled the necessary roster space, cap, and/or contract years to facilitate that player's move back to the active roster.
• In regards to a lost season, or incomplete season, the league will determine contract years and draft order by the following:
Completely lost season- All contracts will toll, draft order to be determined by a weighted lottery based on 2019 results.
Season abandoned in 5 or fewer games- All contracts will toll, draft order to be determined by a weighted lottery based on 2019 results.
Season abandoned in 6 or more games- All contracts will lose one year, and draft order will also be determined, per usual.
Crowning a Champion:
In a scenario in which the NFL plays 6 or more games, the CDFL will crown a champion based on the criteria we use to determine playoff seeding (Listed in the league rules). If 5 or fewer games are played, no champion will be crowned.
Obviously there are a lot of things that we're covering here, but as feedback has been minimal, and hard to solicit, short of messaging parties individually--which has been exhausting--we don't have the ability to vote line item for line item here. That time has passed. With the proposed season fast-approaching, we must use a simple yes or no vote on whether we want the league to have the ability to put protections in place to avoid this season becoming an unmitigated disaster, as much as we can. As I mentioned above, I believe this to be the best compromise, and likeliest proposal in terms of passage, of all the feedback that I have received, and gathered through other parties.
The league really needs your vote. Additionally, we may find that we don’t want to use one or more of these proposals as the season approaches, as we may find them unfeasible, or impractical to implement, and may need to adapt them. My suggestion: If you find yourself at odds with one or two of the protections listed above, but want SOME form of protections for all teams, vote yes, and then explain your issue with said proposals/suggest ulterior options. Really, by voting yes here, you’re simply indicating that you want the league to create/put protections in place for the COVID-19 impacted season that we’re about to have, and that you trust the league managers to hear and consider all options, and choose the best for all concerned. Thank you for your consideration.
• An unlimited number of COVID-19 IR roster spots, for players who have been placed in the league's COVID protocol. This means, if a player on a CDFL team's roster should be placed on the NFL's version of the COVID reserve list by his real life team, that GM may also place the player on the COVID IR for however long the player remains on said list. There will be no minimum or maximum amount of time allowed for a player to be on this list, and he is eligible to be reactivated as soon as he's removed from the NFL's COVID reserve list.
• If a player on a CDFL team's roster is placed on the NFL's COVID reserve list, and the CDFL team elects to also place the player on our COVID IR, the player's salary will no longer count against his team's cap/contract years for the duration of his time on said list. This will also be true for any player who has officially opted out of the 2020 NFL season.
• While a player is on the CDFL COVID IR, a GM may elect to fill that unoccupied roster spot in any way of their choosing (Provided it doesn't violate any other league rule). When the COVID IR player is eligible to return, however, a decision must be made in terms of cap, contract years, and roster spots, if any are in excess of the limits ($80, 75y, 25 active roster spots).
• A GM may elect to sign a designated fill-in player to fill the roster spot of a COVID IR player (ONE per COVID IR player), then upon said COVID IR player's return/activation to the active roster, he may waive the designated fill-in player free of penalty (The GM must indicate upon signing said player that he is the designated fill-in player to replace said COVID IR player on his active roster). However, if a GM should choose to keep the designated fill-in player, he may waive any other player--though the standard penalty remains (Provided that he is not claimed. Multiple claims will be determined by waiver order, per the league rules). Additionally, any player on a GM's active roster may be traded to create room for a returning COVID player.
• To receive relief from the cap penalty, the designated player must be waived in a corresponding move to the return of the COVID IR player to the active roster. If the designated player is waived at a later date, typical waiver penalties apply.
• If a starting quarterback (As defined per league rules) is placed on the NFL's COVID reserve list, assuming that the backup is not rostered elsewhere, and that no other starting QBs are available, no other team may bid on that QB. If the GM fails to sign a starting QB before the beginning of games that week, no action will be taken. If the GM fails to sign a starting QB before the beginning of games the following week, he will have a starting QB force signed to his roster, as per the QB/K Rule. The same is true of a kicker, per the QB/K Rule.
• Due to the nature of fluid and potentially hectic roster construction, a player on the COVID IR list is eligible to be traded to another team/placed on their COVID IR list. Due to the inconsistency that this might provide, for the 2020 season, players on traditional IR will also be eligible for this treatment.
• No GM will be allowed to keep a player on COVID IR who has been cleared to rejoin his NFL team, if said GM does not meet the positional minimums to field a legal lineup. However, while a team will not be forced to activate a COVID IR player to his active roster when he is immediately eligible to return (For example, as many of these decisions might not be highly publicized prior to happening, and may come after games have already begun in a given week, GMs may not be able to reconcile their rosters/choose not to for a multitude of reasons), just as the QB/K Rule states, they will be forced back onto their rosters, and their salaries will resume counting against the teams' caps, if they have not reconciled the necessary roster space, cap, and/or contract years to facilitate that player's move back to the active roster.
• In regards to a lost season, or incomplete season, the league will determine contract years and draft order by the following:
Completely lost season- All contracts will toll, draft order to be determined by a weighted lottery based on 2019 results.
Season abandoned in 5 or fewer games- All contracts will toll, draft order to be determined by a weighted lottery based on 2019 results.
Season abandoned in 6 or more games- All contracts will lose one year, and draft order will also be determined, per usual.
Crowning a Champion:
In a scenario in which the NFL plays 6 or more games, the CDFL will crown a champion based on the criteria we use to determine playoff seeding (Listed in the league rules). If 5 or fewer games are played, no champion will be crowned.
Obviously there are a lot of things that we're covering here, but as feedback has been minimal, and hard to solicit, short of messaging parties individually--which has been exhausting--we don't have the ability to vote line item for line item here. That time has passed. With the proposed season fast-approaching, we must use a simple yes or no vote on whether we want the league to have the ability to put protections in place to avoid this season becoming an unmitigated disaster, as much as we can. As I mentioned above, I believe this to be the best compromise, and likeliest proposal in terms of passage, of all the feedback that I have received, and gathered through other parties.
The league really needs your vote. Additionally, we may find that we don’t want to use one or more of these proposals as the season approaches, as we may find them unfeasible, or impractical to implement, and may need to adapt them. My suggestion: If you find yourself at odds with one or two of the protections listed above, but want SOME form of protections for all teams, vote yes, and then explain your issue with said proposals/suggest ulterior options. Really, by voting yes here, you’re simply indicating that you want the league to create/put protections in place for the COVID-19 impacted season that we’re about to have, and that you trust the league managers to hear and consider all options, and choose the best for all concerned. Thank you for your consideration.
