Retro Bowl Front Office: Coaching Credits, the Draft and the Cap

Retro Bowl gives you coaching credits for winning games and reaching season targets, and how you spend the first twenty decides how quickly the team turns around. The order that works: a quarterback if yours is below three stars, then the training facility, then whichever coordinator is weakest. The stadium upgrade makes money, which matters later, but wins come from the roster.

The draft is three rounds and your scouting only shows a range of ratings until the pick is made. Position matters more than the number: a first-round quarterback or wide receiver is usually the best player in the class, while linemen and defensive backs are close to interchangeable and can be found in round three. Draft for the positions that touch the ball.

The cap is where good teams fall apart. Every rookie contract is cheap, and every extension after a good season is not. Extend the quarterback and one receiver, let the rest go into free agency, and replace them from the draft. A team that keeps its two stars and churns everyone else stays under the cap indefinitely, while a team that pays five stars is broke by year four.

Morale is the last lever. A player who does not get the ball or who is on an expiring deal drops in morale and then in performance. The cheap fix is a game or two of targets; the expensive one is a contract. If neither is worth it, trade him for a pick in the off-season while his rating still looks good on the market.