The trade balance bar is seriously screwed up.

I was trying to make an offer for a punter.

The balance bar is requiring me to offer a first round pick just to move the needle at all. It is still showing in my favor giving up a first for a punter!

This is getting ridiculous.

I would much rather see bad trades allowed, than for legitimate trades to NOT be allowed. Trading is an important and fun part of this game for me. It seems like this aspect of the game is being gradually taken away, or at least the human (and common sense) element of deciding if a trade is acceptable or not.

On the other hand, in 47, it's perfectly reasonable to trade two 1st round picks, one 3rd round, and one 5th round for a future 1st round and future 3rd round.

If there is going to be a balance slider, I suggest using the NFL trade chart to determine balance for pick for pick trades.

http://www.drafttek.com/NFL-Trade-Value-Chart.asp

NFL values future picks as being worth a middle of the round pick value for the round that follows the pick being offered. Example, a next year's 1st is worth a mid round 2nd. Obviously, this would make trades more realistic while adding some flexibility to move the needle either way in one team's favor.

Once this model has been built out, then you could figure out how to assign values that correspond to actual players. IMO, a punter should require no more than a 5th round pick no matter how good he is while an All-pro caliber QB should require two #1's at a minimum. Adjustments may need to be made based on the weighting value of positions in the game, but until something like this is implemented trading will continue to be a weak spot in this game.

There is no way that a QB in any league is worth two first round picks until the passing game is improved. Remember, our QB and RB talent levels are stuck at 1986. An All Pro QB is worth maybe a 2nd round pick, but an All Pro RB could be worth two 1st round picks.

Hence my comment, "Adjustments may need to be made based on the weighting value of positions in the game". I was just using NFL examples in my post.

chart shows values for this years picks, where are you getting the values for future picks?

In the NFL the year to year tax is usually one round.

Ex. This years 4th for next years 3rd.

That simply isn't going to happen in this game. No one is going to give up a future first for a 2nd rounder.

That's also the case in the NFL- no one ever trades a future first for a second, which is why you almost never see a straight up trade of 1 pick this year for 1 pick next year. But when making composite trades, that's how GMs value picks.

I am guessing that along with what has already been mentioned, that punters are almost always in the upper 80 to 90s, and those players are more expensive (in more ways than one).