I think the timeline could probably be improved, but I don’t think adding any cycles is the answer. The last day of the second session is already mostly a waste, as everyone who has been pursued has signed, so most humans are twiddling their thumbs. Adjusting gameplay is the way to deal with backups. If you value having backup options to the guys you’re going to battle for, unlock them earlier. Waiting to the last minute is a risk, and missing out entirely on anyone above replacement level is a perfectly valid consequence for that strategy.

The adjustments I would make are to when players with certain tendencies actually sign. I would move the signing window for late players back a couple cycles, so that they don’t start signing until the final 8 cycles instead of the final 10; but keep the curve intact. The effect I would want would be that a few late signees start signing in the 5AM EST cycle after RS2 starts, and have them peak during 5 and 11PM cycles at the end of the second day, with a few stragglers holding out into the last 24 hours.

I don't think adding another day really does much without changing the signing timings. Everyone worth signing by then has already been signed.

Unless its D3. Then I guess I could see some benefit. For D1 it will only be more boredom.

much could be improved, but I dont think timeline is a core issue

I hate the 6 day first cycle. I'm a D2 coach. So 6 days is just an extra day of holding people off. I feel it's too long.

I also feel like RS2 is extremely short, in some cases. I was one that voted for "remove a day of RS1 and put it on RS2".

i'm actually not thinking only for myself with my vote tho. One example, when changing teams, you have NO shot of getting a decent recruiting class. Sure I've had a couple good ones. But it's bad, waaaaaay more often than good. Shoe stated that the last day of RS2 is a day for twiddling thumbs, I disagree. If Late signers wouldn't sign till the last day more often, there's no thumb twiddling. You're still trying to get those guys. I think more players should sign on the very last cycle when their preference is late. I wouldn't enjoy that personally, but to me, the purpose of a player signing late is to see ALL the schools that show him interest. So waiting until the last cycle would allow more options for that recruit.

I think RS2 should be just like a full RS1 basically. Not as far as exact time frame. But if there's late signers, I just like the idea better in principle of a late signer being recruited throughout the entire RS2, than the possibility of a late signer signing in the second or third cycle of RS2. That's not "late". That's just a carry over from RS1. In that example, someone could sign him in 2 or 3 cycles after taking over a new team. That concept doesn't equal "late" in thought. At least not to me.