All trade offers are given a time stamp when each team approves and when the EC approves. This could be something worth discussing.
This past year may have marked the first time that I didn't publicly display my displeasure with GMs who took a long amount of time to select, so put me into that referenced minority of members who frequently is about to pop a vein in my forehead over others' lack of attention or preparedness. Trades of an active pick generally only get on my nerves when the marketing campaign begins once the GM with the active pick realizes (and that sometimes needs to be prefaced with "finally") his pick is live.
On the other hand, I've done a ton of draft pick trading during the summer draft, some of which have involved active picks. However, when I was moving an active pick it was made as clear as possible that if the other GM didn't accept my offer within "x" minutes, the Dodgers would select the highest player on my board.
It's too late for a rule change, but I'm going to propose an administrative practice for the EC. If, before a pick was actively on the clock the GM with ownership publicly posted its availability, and received a satisfactory offer noting it was contingent upon the availability of a certain (but not necessarily identified) player. The GM who made the offer could send an email to the league identifying the player in question.
Whichever EC member checked the league mailbox could post in the draft comments section that the prior selection had been made once it was validated, stating the two teams had no more than "y" minutes to mutually agree to the trade through the interface. The length of time that sticks in my head for the grace period is 30 minutes, but that would be an EC decision.
It's just a thought, and likely could use some tweaking, but it does offer a comprimise of an attempt to expedite the draft without removing all flexibility of trading an active selection. There are some rough edges to the idea, and the EC may not opt to include the practice. If so, I'll deal with the draft either way.
