Took over a franchise in dire straits last year MFN2 [Cleveland, imagine that !!!} Season just ended and it appears that the cash flow in negative. Other than a bankruptcy I see no way to field a full team and coaching staff for the upcoming season. Don’t have an issue with trying to pull a team on a 32 game losing streak out of the shitter or the time it will take to do so. But due to actions of previous owner[s]financial mismanagement I don’t see how it can be done. Open to suggestions or advice.

What?! Your team is 75 mil under the cap...
As for coaches if you want to reduce coach salary just hire some cheap position coaches to replace your overpaid ones.

Team is already in bad shape, that only adds to the problem. Could get rid of all the coaches and hire bottom of barrel and still have the same problem. Plus my understanding of the financials you are still on the hook for the salary for the year on the ones you fire.

It doesn't work like that for coaches, you are on the hook for absolutely none of the coaches salary that you fire. For players you are only on the hook for the bonus portion of their salary and that will count as dead cap.

Ignore the coaches.

A. Coaches don't really matter in this game. The head coach determines your playbooks, and all of them determine how quickly your players true potential is revealed. They don't influence if a player improves or declines. That's it.

B. There will be no penalty if your coaches are being paid too much. None. If they're already signed, and you want to keep them, just keep them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuGIgf-ICHM

Good to know about the coaches, didn’t know that. The other part of the problem is that based on the numbers I’m still 10 mil in the red because of the $ needed for the draft. Which is the issue, this team is in such bad shape that fielding even a team that can compete at least the next two seasons is unrealistic. 14 players with over 10 yrs experience. [was counting on a few more to retire] 32 game losing streak could very easily be 48. Maybe it’s just me but I can see this becoming an issue for the game were an owner comes in runs a team into the ground and leaves. Gonna have leagues with teams stuck in financial disasters and only a few able to actually compete. [such fun winning your league in Hattrick when you are the only human team] Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Very tempted to just shitcan all the dead weight, keep the few decent and go with draft picks and a few low skilled FA and start it over,

It's actually not as bad as it feels, you can sometimes renegotiate your current players into cheaper contracts to free up room, and don't forget that the cap increases 5% each season. Plus, any dead cap only affects this year and next, so if you take over a team in serious cap trouble you're out of it within 2 seasons at the most.

I've seen some pretty impressive handling of a team in bad financial shape and there are several here who enjoy the challenge of it.

Here's what I would do in your situation:

1) Trade away your late draft picks. You have too many and late picks are way overpriced imo. Either way, the real number you need for picks will be closer to probably $60M conservatively after you cut all the guys that don't improve your team.

2) Try to bundle your good aging vets and late round picks for earlier picks and young talent signed long term. Cut as many not great vets if you can't find a buyer after the draft.

3) Learn how to sign players to a good long term contract.

4) Sign your younger players to a good long term contract. Up to year 7-9 depending on their position and retirement % and how good they are.

5) Cut Timothy Rivera yesterday. Holy cow.

6) Don't sign anyone under a potential of 65 to more than the minimum.

7) All minimum offers should be for 6 years, unless their retirement % is over 1%. Then maybe offer shorter term deals. Min contracts are essentially knowledgeable in this game.

EDIT: Also, check your math. You're not close to being over the cap.

Sign the following free agents:
Horace Major
Danny Moore (move to a weaker oline position)
Michael Chadwick (Put him at any LB spot)
Abraham Cook
Michael Cunningham
and maybe Darren Newcomb

You can get most of them at a fair price if you are good enough at offering contracts. People undervalue Free Agents in the early weeks and overvalue them towards the end.

I've already told you too much :)

Interesting, under the new interface says I need 85 mil for draft picks. Old interface says 25 mil.