KSU and I talked about dealing with free agents that become top 10 players, since they actually get a salary of only $2. That leaves them as keepers for way too long. We never did get a solution setup. I'm proposing one now. Any player that is in the top 10 must be given a salary equal to the median (not to be confused with the average) of the top 15 at that same position. Thus if the top 15 QB are scheduled to make 78, 75, 72, 62, 60, 58, 43, 32, 32, 30, 27, 25, 20, 15, 5, then any QB in the top 10 must be given a salary of at least 32 to keep them.
Though the top 15 will include all players, keepers and non keepers (though probably only found in Def and Kickers, non rostered players will count as $3 salaries. The $2 original plus the .20 increase, rounded up) the mandatory salary only counts to keepers. If a top 10 player is dropped into the auction pool, all bets are off and any salary that the market will bear is doable.

Comments? Other suggestions?

The main thing I'm trying to avoid is example like Rudi Johnson on my team. Rudi will probably be a top 10 back for 5-7 years. Since I got him for $2 in the auction two years ago, it only cost me $3 to keep him last year. At the current rate, it will be $4 this year, $5 the next, and so on, with his salary in 2010, if he actually hits the top 5 backs all 5 years, a whopping $11. With the new salary arbitration, he would be sitting at about $46 for this year. This makes the salary cap a little more competative for teams like mine that luck out on an FA or rookie.

Any feedback from anyone on this proposal? I can just initiate it as the commish if you want.

I like the rules as they are.....
rewards savy owners who are smart enough to grab a player who wasn't drafted.
We all take chances on FA's some pan out...most don't.
Your example of Rudi is OK, but you were smart enough to grab him in front of everyone else. You should be able to keep him as long as you wish and at a good cap number.

My local league has a three-year contract rule. If you are lucky enough to hit on a FA you can keep him for three years at that LOW cap number.

How many players do you think this would effect?
You mentioned Rudi...who else?

If you want to discuss CONTRACT lengths we could introduce a rule this year to
take affect next year.....

Majority rules so...let the talks BEGIN.

I agree with the sentiment not sure though that I like using the median since it almost is a penalty for drafting too well. The contract idea sounds good but I'm not a commish so I don't have to keep up with the contracts.

The site will be able to keep track of the contracts, if we want to go that way. Contract limits might be a better way of doing this.
Any other thoughts? Three year limits?

maybe do the median, but only if the salary without the bump up would be less than 1/4 of the median?

That would work for me.

Los, you just confused me with escalating medians. I'm not ever sure if I've got the basic auction non-keeper part down yet.

I like the idea of 3 year contracts. If you get a steal on a player you should be rewarded for your work- but 3 year contracts will also help to keep that in check over time.

I like that idea best as well; having had a need to hunt down some/any RB late last year, it was pretty darn tough to find ANYTHING on the waiver wire. If you can grab a gem for cheap or as a FA you deserve to be rewarded for that acumen/luck for at least a few seasons. The 3 year cap keeps it under control - one of my dynasty/salcap leagues has contract limits - 3 yrs + you can sign for a 2 yr extension (but the extension comes at the "arbitrated" salary, so while you're still getting the benefits, you also are paying for it). Original contractual obligations are maintained even after a trade as well; say I trade for whomever - Tony Gonzalez, just to toss out a name - and he's in his last year of a 3 year contract, I can only sign him to an extension.

I like the idea of adding an option to the end of a contract, but I've got a twist.

How about having a 3 year contract (salary starts at what you picked the player up for, and then follow salary rules already in place for subsequent years of the contract), then have the option to Franchise 1 player for 1 more year at the end of the 3 year contract? The Franchise year's salary would be the average of the top 5 players at that position (sound familiar?). This way we would still be turning over a majority of our keepers after 3 years, but have the option to hold onto 1 player at a higher (but more competitive) salary for one more year if we wish.

One more thing to think about is, would the site support something like this is?

If the site can do it, I think that's cool.

The site can do whatever I want to write it to do.

That could be dangerous...

is it safe to assume any change like this would eb made for next year not this year?

Yes, any change we make will be for next year's keepers, not this year.