NFL Suggestions

While on the subject of "what is wrong with the NFL" let me just state that I like the NFL to a great degree. But of course I have some suggestions. Here they are:

• Let teams declare how to spread out a signing bonus. In other words, if it's a 5-year deal with a 5 million bonus, the team should be able to declare upfront in which years the bonus will hit the salary cap. Maybe there are some restrictions put in, like no one year can count for more than a certain percentage based on the contract length. Giving teams some flexibility would allow teams to better manage their rosters and perhaps avoid massive, unplanned roster purges.
  
• Reduce cap hits for trades. I like trades; most fans do. Right now a blockbuster trade is a rarity in the NFL because it's often prohibitive for a team to deal a player as any prorated signing bonuses are accelerated. This should change. Teams A and B make a player-for-player trade. Instead of both teams taking a one-time cap hit, allow the pro-rated signing bonus amounts charged against the cap to become part of the deal. Let's say each traded player has 2 million in signing bonus money spread over the next couple years. The teams should be free to negotiate against which team's cap it gets charged. As long as every cap dollar is accounted for the NFL and the players union should not have a real beef with this. Not as far as I can see anyway.
  
• Only one week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl. Two weeks is too long. If teams need some extra time to account for the hype and unplanned travel, perhaps the conference championships can be played on Saturday and the Super Bowl on Sunday or Monday night. Two weeks is an eternity IMO, and it'd be great to encourage an even more tournament-like atmostphere.
  
• NFL should institute a policy of displaying the tv-feed on the in-stadium big screens. Yes, it might make for some raucous scenes when the home team is screwed on a close call, but it's grossly unfair to prevent paying customers from seeing the game as well as those at home. At the least, the same replays available to television viewers should be put up on the big-screen.
  
• Make preseason games a better value. Lower the price or give the fans something worthwhile for their money. NFL owners love preseason games cause they are a cash cow. But in many cities preseason games are not sellouts, and those that are have plenty of no-shows. There's an opportunity to both maximize revenue and to better satisfy hard-core fans.
  
• Monday night football kickoff at 8:30 EST.
  
• A Fan Appreciation Day, or something along these lines, should be mandatory for every team. The NFL should keep the relationship with core fans as healthy as possible as a nice counterweight to the imposing size of the stage on which the games are now played. Not to mention a good relationship with local fans would insulate the NFL from criticism that its stadiums have been built by bilking taxpayers.