I like the idea of having a waiver wire. I think it should include who was released when, their position, what their current and max ratings are, and what the current best offer is if an offer has been processed on a stage. I like the idea of only being able to sign on a midweek stage, or have the decision rendered at the end of the game week stage, after the game is played. I'm not as big a fan of getting the email notifications. I wouldn't mind it as an option where I could turn off that notification, if I didn't want to clutter my inbox with it. I also like the idea of having the player wait to resign for a period of time to see what the best offer he is going to get. Give more time for the bidding war to take place. Maybe something like, if the bester offer he has it not beat after 2 stages are processed he makes a choice.

So for example if player x with a current of 80 and a max of 99 got released by team Dallas at game stage 2. Its processed and hits the waiver wire at game stage mid week 3. Once it hits the wire, Dallas offers for half the price it was originally paying at 1 mil. Denver also makes an offer at 2 mil at the same stage. So if no new offers come in that are better than the 2 mil offered by Denver, he will then make a decision at game stage week 4. Game stage week 3 is processed no new offers. Game stage mid week 4 is processed 5 teams make offers at around 4 mil, so now its game stage week 5 when he will make a decision. Game stage week 4 is processed 2 new offers come in, Denver offers at 5 mil. Decision will still be rendered at game stage week 5, so that he is put on the team at mid week 6. Game stage week 5 rolls around, Denver had the best offer so he chooses Denver.

x = no new offers greater than current best offer
y = week games are played and processed.

EDIT: Re-formatted the example from horizontal to vertical so it would be readable.

| mid week 3 |
Released
DAL 1 mil
DEN 2 mil

| week 3 |
x
y


| mid week 4 |
CIN 3 mil
KCY 3.1 mil
STL 3.1 mil
NYG 3.2 mil
NYJ 3.2 mil




| week 4 |
DEN 5 mil
ARZ 3.3 mil
y

| mid week 5 |
x


| week 5 |
x
y
Chooses DEN

| mid week 6 |
Now on the DEN roster.

For the e-mail notifications, I am just thinking to include it in the regular "sim is complete" e-mail. At the least, it would be an additional line item "There are available players on the waiver wire."

The way I see the waiver wire working is that all teams may put in to take the player at his existing contract - no bidding. The bonus was already eaten by the team that cut him, so it would just be a base salary contract. The team with the worst record would have first dibs on the player, so the worse your team is, the more likely you'd be able to sign the player. You'd be taking over his existing contract and wouldn't be able to renegotiate until the following season. If he was in the last year of his contract, you would essentially be signing him to a 1-year contract, so he would enter FA the following season. The waiver wire would be processed only on midweek sims. If a player clears waivers, i.e. no one signs him, he goes back into the free agency pool in the same way that he does now. Players would go on the waiver wire if they are cut during any stage after the training camp stage through the league championship game. The end of season sim would act as a midweek for waiver wire purposes.

I'm not sure how the NFL does the waiver wire team sorting, especially early in the season - after 1 game, for example, half the teams are in the #1 place and there aren't enough tiebreakers to really make a good list. If anyone has thoughts or links on this that would be helpful.

Sounds good!

How about mirroring or reverse draft order for the first 2-3 weeks until records and tie breakers can be established?

The NFL uses the draft order from the same season, I think.

Per the NFL Constitution and Bylaws (yes, I looked this up):

After 3 games it's standings of involved teams, then W-L record of the opponents the involved teams have faced (lowest gets priority), then Commissioner 'lot' if there's still a tie.

Before 3 games, it's standings from the PREVIOUS season, then (if I'm reading right) draft order from the most recent draft.

Don't quote me on the last part, but the others I can confirm.