[Syd Thrift]

I think what's going to happen that first year is it's going to be all wild and crazy with basically everyone with under 6 years experience who isn't signed to a multi-year deal (depending on how your settings are that could be a small number of players). So probably dozens of free agents all at once and, since IME the game uses free agency as its #1 "steam valve" to keep small market teams from constantly being in the red, there will likely be a lot of good players who go unsigned that first year (IME, too, when you play in pre-FA setups the game tends to have nearly everyone operating at a loss until free agency hits because when it gives out contracts it does so according to "market rates" that are set by game settings as opposed to what players can actually get in the open market). It'll all work itself out in a couple years but I think that first one is a bit wonky.

FWIW I'm doing a league currently set in 1971 and am slowly pushing my way up to free agency as well. I've trial-run it in older leagues and IIRC the above is how it usually shakes out.