Training does max at 14.
My guess on the contract offers is that you got spammed. IOWs, desperate GMs/Owners start with the list of FAs and just go down the line copy/pasting offers to everyone at a given position.
We had to gut the team as we learned how bad we had mangled our builds spending points so early on SAs. In USA AA we were competitive (went 11-5 I think), I doubt we could have made the pros though. The slow build approach has been pretty good to us. Assuming we advance this season, it was part 1 of a 2 step process. Many of our old players will be returning, only as the STs unit using the ST VA to make them effective. Oh and I think Smokie is coming back to finish his career.