[Burt the Butcher]

If you put a player on Active roster, then Active IR, then they remain a part of the active roster until you place them otherwise...thus if he is on Active IR for the entire season, and then you move him back down to TS next year, he should be subject to 16 weeks of increase and contract becomes guarunteed.

The IR opens before you have to declare contracts, so you cut, assign and place IR scenario is correct. At least that is how I interpret it. I think that deadline was to prevent you signing FA's that were out for the season, and getting half their cap space back to sign more FA's (I know, since I did this when Winslow did his Evil Knevil, and Mike let me know his entire contract counted until the IR opened up)