PASSES 12-0 - Rules Vote on Covid-IR and Covid-Opt-Outs

[Preds]

NOTE, normally a unanimous vote would be required at this time, however, I'm also proposing that the Commish elect emergency powers to allow a majority vote to apply for this unprecedented situation

I propose that we have a Covid-IR (CovIR) with the criteria below:

• Any player listed as Reserve-Covid is eligible up until the point they're taken off the list by their NFL team
• An unlimited number of players will be allowed on this list, if your team loses a player to the NFL's Reserve-Covid list they automatically move to Frenzy/SACD's Covid-IR.
• Once on Covid-IR the entire players contract doesn't count against the cap until the moment they're taken off the Covid-IR list
• 1 contract year is forgiven for players placed on Covid-IR
• UFA's picked up as 1 year replacements at or below the Covid-IR players salary will be automatically cut without penalty the moment the NFL team removes the player off the NFL's Reserve-Covid list. Basically, pickup any UFA at or below the Covid players salary for a 1 year deal and you will not be penalized for the replacements cut when the Covid player is removed off the list by their NFL team
• Teams will not receive cap hit relief on replacement UFA's if they either assign a replacement for multiple years OR bid above the Covid players salary.

NOTE - for players in Active Bidding, upon acquisition you must designate a player as a Covid-replacement for X player for the Covid IR rules to apply. If the player is signed to a 1 year contract at a salary at or below the Covid-IR player, that would mean no cap hit and immediate release when the Covid-IR player returns. If you assign a UFA multiple years or a contract above the Covid-IR player's contract, they would NOT be eligible for any salary cap relief, and teams could cut any other player as normal within 24 hours (at the normal cap hit penalty) to make room for the returning player.

As for Covid-Opt-Outs, I propose that we have a Covid-Opt-Out Squad (CovOOS) with the following terms:

• Any player that officially opts-out with their NFL team is eligible for the Opt-Out Squad(once the paperwork is officially submitted to the league. Players that officially opt out cannot reverse their decision at any point and are out the entire 2020 season.
• An unlimited number of players are eligible, however, they MUST be on your roster the day their Opt-Out becomes official with the NFL (ie no FA pickups to stash on the Covid Opt-Out squad)
• Players placed on the Frenzy/SACD Covid Opt-Out Squad are out for the entire 2020 Season
• Their contract will NOT count against the teams cap for 2020
• Contract years must be assigned by the Frenzy/SACD team prior to be eligible for the Covid-Opt-Out Squad (teams can declare years, then place on the Covid Opt-Out Squad)
• 1 contract year is forgiven for players placed on Covid Opt-Out squad
• Contract years WILL toll (meaning if a multiple year deal they come back in 2021 with 1 year less and normal applicable salary increases)
• If a player is on a 1 year deal, they will be RFA eligible in 2021, else they become a UFA
• If a team needs to cut a Covid Opt-Out Squad player at some point to make room with contract years on their roster, the NORMAL CAP HIT will apply

NOTE - I didn't include relief on all contract years as you still have the advantage of bringing this player back in 2021 under the 2021 terms of the contract. It's as if the 2020 season played and they sat on IR all year except NONE of the contract $'s count against the team, and like IR they get 1 year relief on contract years, but any above 1 still count. Come 2021, the contract would roll over as normal into whatever the normal 2021 terms would be at the normal salary increase and 1 year deducted from their contract years.

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

EMERGENCY POWERS.... hehehehe!

[Preds]

Originally Posted by royal hawaiian opihi

emergency powers.... Hehehehe!

lol

[chasmvp19]

So it is passed???

[Preds]

We should let the other 3 teams vote to see if it's unanimous. If it's not, then Jim can make an executive decision to allow the vote to count for the 2020 season.

[Preds]

We still need to hear from the Freedom, Killer Bees and Ramsters to close out this vote.

If unanimous the Covid rules will go into effect this season, if not unanimous, it will be up to Jim as Commish to make an Executive decision to overlook the rulebook and allow a majority vote to pass due to the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic.

[chasmvp19]

And he (the commish) can determine what is an official opt out??? I'm pretty sure the guys who have officially opted out are indeed out for 2020 now. Regardless of what is in the signed wording, they are out. I'm not sure why you are fighting that when MFL has them as officially opting out now. I'll do some looking to see if any conflicting data.

[chasmvp19]

Directly from the CBA...

"While there are reportedly some provisions that would allow players to choose to sit out later in the season (for example, if a family member becomes ill), in both types, the opt-out decision is essentially irrevocable; players are stuck with their decision."

So players announcing now are OFFICIALLY out for 2020!!!

Voluntary guys don't get a year toward free agency or retirement, but high risk opt outs get both.

I'd like to see the Commish come out with a ruling since the NFL 7 day period won't start until the lawyers work out language for signing, but opt outs are indeed HAPPENING...

[chasmvp19]

One more item...I’m not sure why the League Office or notifying the league keeps coming up? In the document it explicitly says the player only has to notify the team he is opting out. No where does it say what the team does or has to do after that. So in our little fantasy world our league should take any announcement as a declaration of opt out as a done deal!!!

[Preds]

Originally Posted by chasmvp19

One more item...I’m not sure why the League Office or notifying the league keeps coming up? In the document it explicitly says the player only has to notify the team he is opting out. No where does it say what the team does or has to do after that. So in our little fantasy world our league should take any announcement as a declaration of opt out as a done deal!!!

Because everything I’ve read states that until they actually file paperwork with the league, they can still back out. Once the paperwork is filed it’s a done deal. Until then it’s just that they declared their “intention” to Opt-Out but that’s not binding.

Further, until the remaining 2 teams state their vote this vote isn’t closed.

You’re rushing a decision for personal reasons. A few days to iron this out isn’t and issue for any other team. From a league standpoint, we’ve moved pretty rapidly on this vote once something was finally drafted that people are agreeable to.

[Burt the Butcher]

I can see Chuck's point.. If MFL list a person as opted out, isn't that what we should go by, since we do for other IR decisions?

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Originally Posted by Burt the Butcher

I can see Chuck's point.. If MFL list a person as opted out, isn't that what we should go by, since we do for other IR decisions?

If MFL is listing them as opted out... I'm good with that. If they rescind their selection down the road, I'll cross that bridge. Let's see if we can get the final 2 owners to vote, though.

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Just texted those who haven't posted.

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Done.

[chasmvp19]

My team is NOT in a bind and I am not taking this personal...I have 18 slots filled and am in compliance with our league rules...yes, I have 2 guys sitting out, but that bridge can be crossed later...

I will find a way to post the amendment to the collective bargaining agreement where it clearly shows no such notification to the league office - only intentions to team!!!

[Preds]

The Covid rules Pass unanimously and are now in place immediately.

Jim, you can't use those Emergency Powers after all!

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

[chasmvp19]

Please explain the process exactly so us owners can begin the process of placing players in the covid squad...unless you still believe in the myth of the all powerful “league office” notification...we have now voted to institute this immediately so process is important...

I really wish you had NOT inserted the line about paperwork hitting the league office as it is not a “thing” per the amendment to the current CBA, as was provided....can the correct method of assertion to opting out for 2020 be adopted within this rule through executive action??? (i.e. commissioner directive)

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

I'm fine with moving forward as is. I'm about to start worship this morning... I'll try to get to something later today. Or if Mike wants to put something in place that I can edit, that's fine too. For now, I'd say we should just make a OPT OUT PLAYERS thread and a COVID PLAYERS thread... and each owner can respond in the appropriate thread, per their team. Keep it simple.

[Burt the Butcher]

I thought we were just going with the designation on MFL? Otherwise, who is going to verify and track these down?

[Liquid Swords]

I say go with MFL designation too. However, when would it be effective? In other words, we don't allow IR designations until start of in-season. Do we do the same for COVID opt-outs or do we start immediately?

I'll start working on updating the spreadsheet to track opt-outs and COVID IR

[Liquid Swords]

Also tracking COVID IR is going to be a with the following part in second bullet point: "if your team loses a player to the NFL's Reserve-Covid list they automatically move to Frenzy/SACD's Covid-IR". Can we please do it like designating someone for IR? I don't know of a better way to track this than having the team owner post a move to COVID IR because not one person should be responsible for tracking all COVID listings from NFL/MFL. Thanks.

[chasmvp19]

As the Frenzy IR tracker, I like Swords suggestion that each team owner should make a post in the IR thread since the team owner follows his players much more succinctly than other owners do and that way the affected owners can begin replacement protocols as well. We don’t want to surprise an owner with actions, but if someone sees something on a player say something...we are in this together and a surprise will happen at some point. Hopefully it is not in pregame warmups...I can add a Covid IR section on each owner’s team in the IR tracker with a different color for date infected. That way we can better understand possible date potentially activated maybe.

Thoughts???

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Yes, this will work. I think each owner should have to post his own COVID players. Sorry, we're buying a house this week... my "extra time" is a bit limited right now.

[chasmvp19]

Since no team is in an immediate bind or having personal issues...I’m pretty sure we can give you some space to get things accomplished in your real life Opihi...make wise choices...

I had to paint 7 large paint swatches today for our color choices in CO...I’m not sure if building or buying is more courageous....lol

[Liquid Swords]

Looks like we will know who all opts out by 4:00 PM ET thisThursday:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ay-source-says

[Royal Hawaiian Opihi]

Originally Posted by chasmvp19

I had to paint 7 large paint swatches today for our color choices in CO...I’m not sure if building or buying is more courageous....lol

Blessings in your building! (And thanks for the grace.)

[chasmvp19]

New item to possibly consider I think...

With Stafford and Minshew having false positive tests - How are we going to handle this during regular season??? I mean, if a team would have placed Stafford in Covid Ir and started replacement bids, do we put a hard stop on active bids and put Stafford back on roster or just go with minimum stay on IR??? Stafford has been on Covid status for like 4 days now and they just announced the false positive today - I would have been much quicker to find replacement if it were regular season and at least a few bids out there...

Thoughts???

Just goes to show testing has issues too as nothing is 100% accurate...

[Burt the Butcher]

if they go on Covid IR, and you bid on a replacement, and they come off before bidding it done, then according to the rules above, you can cut the replacement player with no penalty.

[chasmvp19]

So that covers false positives??? Ok...