Remember any player in his 12th year that you sign is only eligible for one season on your team and then he will graduate. So you can sign this player for however many years you want but after you cut him the bonus will prorate to your dead cap. You can only sign a 12th year player if he graduated (11th year) from a different school than your own. So you can't have a player you just cut after his 11th year come back for his graduate year(12th year).11 Year players are in the same boat as 12 year players except you must cut them prior to the end of season (once your team is eliminated in bowl season). This makes it a little different for your cap situation. So while you can offer longer contracts than guys are eligible it may take a toll on your cap when you cut them early. So bid at your own peril, but also remember that it's a smart strategy to offer more years than eligible if you are in a bidding war. Caps are starting to get tight so be smart and think about the ramifications.Any player under 10 years is free to sign and are eligible through their 11th season.Remember that since our Transfer window is only three weeks players are more prone to sign much quicker than in conventional leagues so slow playing recruits can be unsettling.Good luck on all the recruiting, this should be one of the most exciting offseasons we've had in a while!!
