I like your original idea just the way it is. It forces a person to strike balance on their roster rather than load up on every star player they can find. That's why I agree that if you have to cut a player to fit in under the salary cap that is an appropriate penalty. Hopefully, it will make people think when they assemble their rosters. From my early attempts at roster building it is challenging for the first year or two. The real challenge is preparing for the increase in player salaries that will occur rather rapidly. So far, I have enjoyed trying to build a roster that will yield long term results.