2009 Madden Mock Draft 1-3
by 
Something I enjoyed doing last year was the Madden Mock Draft. This is not a mock centered on who I believe the teams will end up selecting. I will be doing one of those closer to the draft. Instead it is about what player each team would draft in order to improve themselves the most in Madden 10. I base decisions primarily on projected ratings, team needs, importance of position, opportunity for impact, and potential ratings increases throughout the season.
Every few days I’ll be posting up another set of picks. Here are the first three selections in the Madden Mock Draft for the Lions, Rams, and Chiefs.
#1 – Detroit Lions – Matthew Stafford – QB – Georgia
Obviously the worst team in NFL history is going to have needs at pretty much every position. Originally my leaning for the top pick was towards Aaron Curry however with the acquisition of Julian Peterson the focus shifted.
It came down to drafting QB Matt Stafford or OT Jason Smith. In the past QB and offensive line selections generally didn’t make much impact in Madden. Their ratings would be mediocre and the QB might sit and have no chance for progression and the line players rarely if ever received ratings boosts in roster updates.
That changed with the final roster updates in 09 and the different ratings philosophy for 10. I believe guys like Daunte Culpepper who have always outplayed their ratings will not be as effective anymore. With Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco coming in last year and proving rookie QBs can lead teams that bodes well for Stafford.
#2 – St. Louis Rams – Jason Smith – OT – Baylor
When the Rams cut Orlando Pace and Torry Holt that made the holes at those positions even more glaring. So the question becomes what would benefit the team more a play-making WR or franchise OT?
Generally this would’ve been an easy question as the WR has always been more valuable. However with the “Fight for Every Yard” mantra the contrast between positional importance may not be as glaring now.
It is easier to get an effective WR in a later round than it is to get an impact OT. So for that reason it is important to grab the replacement for Pace, even as tempting as Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin are here.
#3 – Kansas City Chiefs – Aaron Curry – LB – Wake Forest
This is really an obvious choice. Curry may very well come into Madden 10 as the top rated rookie. He’ll be on the field with plenty of opportunities to make plays and highlight reels. That means his ratings will be primed for boosts in updates should he perform well.
By trading for Matt Cassel the need at QB was filled. Dwayne Bowe is a true #1 receiver. So offensive line and maybe defensive end would be the other areas to look at. But no player at those positions could match up to what Curry can offer the Chiefs here.
The top three picks for the Madden Mock Draft are possibly the same we’ll see on NFL Draft day. However some surprises are definitely in store as the mock continues. Feel free to leave your thoughts on these top three selections and what players you think would fit the teams the best in Madden 10.
March 28, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I cant wait to see who your going to choose for my vikes, a wr or a qb lol. Looks like we need both
March 28, 2009 at 7:40 pm
I cant wait to see who your going to choose for my vikes, a wr or a qb lol. Looks like we need both. Maybe even a TE. We have a strong team in madden and if we had a better passing game maaybe the best. If Sanchez is still on the clock I say you take him.
March 28, 2009 at 7:40 pm
And with the 4th pick, the Seahawks select Michael Crabtree
March 28, 2009 at 7:48 pm
That's what I'm thinking the Seahawks will do if Curry is gone, but it doesn't necessarily mean its what is best for them in Madden. We'll see in the next update
March 28, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Monroe makes far more sense with the signing of Housh. Jones is a good LT still but he's 35. Crabtree would fit the WCO well but you can't pass up the chance to get another great LT.
March 29, 2009 at 10:01 am
why?? didnt they just sign houshmansadez or however you spell his name, why throw more money at another reciever??
March 28, 2009 at 7:42 pm
That would be perfect for the seahawks i think
March 28, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I have to not agree with you on Stafford going number one. After years of terrible picks (thanks to Mr millen) I think the lions will go with the safe and cheaper pick and take Jason Smith. You first need an O line before a QB. I think the Rams will trade down and take Crabtree. The Cheifs had the worst pass rush in the league and i think they will take Curry. Unless whoever would trade up with the Rams dont take Curry first.
March 28, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Not only do I hope the Jets don't get a QB in the first round, I pray the Jets don't get a QB in the first round…… and I will pray to Thor himself.
March 29, 2009 at 8:42 pm
i will be pissed if sanchez drops and the jets take him…..we need another wr to be aside cotchery now that coles is gone
March 28, 2009 at 8:33 pm
You have pretty good football insight Pasta, football games are won and lost on the line of scrimmage. A flashy WR is a luxury not a necessity. I honestly do not believe the Lions should take Stafford #1 nor do I think they will. If they do it's only because there are filling a gap and not taking the best player who can help them. A good example is San Francsico taking Alex Smith because they needed a QB and 5 years later they still need a QB.(By the way if you look at the top 10 selections in that 2005 draft it was bust city). St. Louis taking an offensive lineman makes the most sense since they already have a decent young WR with Donnie Avery. The LB pick for KC is a nice safe pick to add to an young LB corps.
March 28, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Madden wise Pasta is correct, nfl draft probabl also correct which what probably is going to happen. But Matthew going number 1 like is a bad idea IMO, its another alex smith, hes going to need time to develop, and the O-line that the lions needs time to develop as well. A "safe" pick would be OT, but that big arm that stafford has is what makes teams fall in love with players like that e.g. J-Russel. which he is developing quiet nicely i might add.
hopefully Maclin or crabtree are there at 7 so radiers can get picked up
Pasta what u think about Knooshen moreno lands in philly with westbrook??? deadly combination??
March 28, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Do you enjoy copying my comments?
March 28, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Do you enjoy copying my comments Jose?
March 28, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I don't know about the Eagles taking a RB like Moreno, though he'd probably be a great fit there. They just signed Leonard Weaver who I've seen play since he was a rookie and he's going to be great there in that WCO system.
March 28, 2009 at 9:40 pm
ha yea i used to read ur comments but after a while ur comments are just boring, if it were to be a coincidence that we psoted the same thing so be it. i surely didnt even read ur post i saw ur pitbull face and decided to add my 2 cents
March 28, 2009 at 10:09 pm
No harm taken as the technical aspects of football can seem "boring". Have you taken a view of that 2005 draft? Nobody in the top 10 has had 2 good seasons. 7 are total busts.
March 28, 2009 at 10:16 pm
wait y is matt stafford wearing a lineman helmet???
March 29, 2009 at 8:10 am
thats how it is in the game ask EA
March 29, 2009 at 10:24 am
Believe it or not, that is close to the facemask he actually wore.
http://walterfootball.com/images/fball/MStafford_...
March 29, 2009 at 7:58 pm
thats actually nowhere close, if you knew anything, you would know the helmet staffor wore was a Revolution, the one he wears in the game is a lineman. I always change them to how they really are. I always hated how far off EA got the helmets. Im going to work for them and just edit players lol. I could do that all day.
March 30, 2009 at 6:09 am
See…What we have here is a little reading comprehension problem Ben. I commented on his FACEMASK. You replied about his HELMET. I provided a link showing that the facemask was close to the picture that Pasta posted. You chose to ignore it. So I may not "know anything", but I know how to read what someone has posted and how to click on a link.
March 28, 2009 at 10:21 pm
pasta…im sure that my eagles will grab some1 like moreno. y not? there is no one behind westbrook and hes beat up right now so i dont c then not picking up a rb in that first round.and weaver is a fullback he wont be spelling westbrook he will be blocking 4 him.
March 28, 2009 at 10:23 pm
The Seahawks have a lot of $ locked up in their WRs but you can never have enough playmakers. Crabtree opposite Houshmandzadeh would surely resurrect Hasselbeck's career if he can stay healthy. If this year is another bust for the Hawks, they can surely grab a better QB next year with Bradford or Tebow. In my opinion, with the #4 pick, the Seahawks will select either Crabtree, Orakpo or trade down to select CB Vontae Davis and another draft pick. However, should Aaron Curry fall to #4…consider the Seahawks to have the best defense in 2009!
March 29, 2009 at 3:17 am
if hasselbacks laying on his behind from behind sacked does it matter if he has two or three jerry rices out there?
March 29, 2009 at 10:06 am
lol…tim tebow in the first round???? comeone great college player but you actually think he will be able to run over people like that in the nfl??? in mock drafts he is 3rd round at best.
March 29, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Tim Tebow is not going in the 1st round. The NFL will try to convert him to a Split back or Tight End which is really unfortunate I think he could succeed at the NFL level as a QB if giving the proper circumstance.
March 29, 2009 at 9:13 pm
lol arron curry will make that defense # 1 huh??? lol. that had to be a joke or somethin.i can only think three good players on that defense. that d-line is barely average. lb cant tackle )they r fast tho)
the secondary is questionable and curry will just fix all that? ok
March 29, 2009 at 12:09 am
I'd have to say Stafford slips to #3. As for my Packers at #9 I'm thinking they help out the D and take Malcom Jenkins than get some OT talent.
March 29, 2009 at 9:21 pm
A CORNER REALLY???
March 29, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I know it sounds crazy but Woodson and harris dont have many years left. I could very well see them taking Jenkins unless Andre Smith OT out of Alabama is still on the board. I know they have to get some talent to stop the run but GM Ted Tohmpson has a rep where he always drafts the best possible player it dosn't matter what position he is.
March 29, 2009 at 12:27 am
THE STREAK HAS REACHED 21 STRAIGHT EA BLOGS
March 29, 2009 at 1:32 am
Who cares hw many EA Blogs there are? EA has always dominated 2K or any other copany who makes sports games. Therefor there is more information for pastapadre to post. I'm no EA fan boy but more than 80% of my games are EA.
March 29, 2009 at 2:59 am
Then your an EA Fanboy
March 29, 2009 at 12:49 am
If you have time you should take a Madden screenshot with them on the teams you've chosen on your mock, that would be cool.
March 30, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Nice idea, I might to that in some kind of a recap. It would be a lengthy process for me since Madden doesn't have the screenshot feature so it takes longer to do it through my HD PVR.
March 29, 2009 at 1:25 am
the browns at 5 will have so many nice options to choose from but i think the guy they covet most is curry. the braylon situation, coupled with one qb probly on the way out, could see the browns with more picks. i think that if these 3 are taken first, and if seattle takes a top 3 OT, it makes the 5 pick very tradeable. anyone who wants the last of the top 3 OTs will need to jump in front of cincy most likely… eagles maybe (with their 2 firsts)?
March 29, 2009 at 4:16 am
THIS JUST IN browns trade the 5th pick for some brains, heart, and some courage. As the owner said" This is a great way to secure our future as the most frustrating sports town ever. We are trying to build on never winning a Super Bowl, that's why we let the browns leave to Baltimore because we knew they would win a championship and that would break what being a Cleveland Brown is all about"
March 29, 2009 at 12:53 pm
if the browns were the only team that hadnt won a super bowl i might feel worse about this. as it is, they have won championships of both leagues they have played in but before the game was renamed.
the baltimore thing was a kick in the nuts. anything else you would like addressed?
March 29, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Winning championships when players had leather helmets doesn't count. Cleveland had to maintain their legacy in sports. Everyone remembers "The Drive" and "The Shot" by Micheal Jordan. These are classic moments in sports the Cleveland helped to provide. I think they have something big planned as they already got rid of Winslow and hopefully B. Edwards. I mean that is way too much talent on offense to have it could make D.Anderson/B. Quinn job to easy. It's about struggling and then when they get in the playoffs it's about maintaining their legacy with a bone crushing defeat because of lack of weapons. As the owner says" If we get too close to a Super Bowl we may have to allow them to relocate and ask the NFL for an expansion team so we can continue our legacy as the Most Frustrating Sports town ever"!
March 29, 2009 at 12:54 pm
about the 5th pick, id take some discipline along with the heart and maybe get a an extra 4th or 5th.
March 29, 2009 at 3:03 am
I'm actually not because I have a ps3 and have MLB 2k6 2K7 2K8 and 2K9. I have NBA 2K7 2K8 and 2K9 I have ESPN NFL 2K5 (Best football game yet)
March 29, 2009 at 3:14 am
first off KRIS Westbrook does alot of blocking there is no running back in football that can block like Westbrook, second off when have the Eagles organization drafted a running back in round number 1? Do you know what round Westbrook was taken? 3rd so why waste a valuable pick in the first round, when you can draft a very valuable player like an offensive lineman. either draft a lineman or two to fill the holes of runyan and thomas or watch donovan and westbrook both are their behinds before they have one second with the ball! NOW THATS FOOTBALL NOT crabtree or this juking running back its about those 300 plus pound players doing all the blocking!
March 29, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Clinton portis is the best blocking running back in the NFL
March 29, 2009 at 3:16 am
I DO NOT want braylon edwards for a second round and two fifth rounds you have to be mentally different to do that. WE HAVE DESEAN LOL he is better already than edwards, how many drops did edwards have last year and how many playoff games has he won in his career or better yet played in? LOL!
March 29, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Braylon is a complete receiver go on youtube with the game on the line are u goint to throw the fade route to 5'9 jackson or 6'3 37 inch vert Braylon Edwards
March 29, 2009 at 3:23 am
Pasta, what do you think the Cowboys will do with their first round pick? I'm thinking that Roy Williams kid out of Texas?
March 29, 2009 at 4:05 am
THIS JUST IN cowboys trade all of their 2009 picks and next years picks to Buffalo for Terrell Owens. Jerry Jones says that this will give them the 1-2 punch on the outside that Tony Romo needs to develop with.
March 29, 2009 at 8:30 pm
LOl. Actually sounds like something Jerry Jones would do
March 29, 2009 at 4:01 am
whatever the lions do they better not draft a wideout first they seem to have bad luck with first round wideouts key example " Im Charles Rogers i have 68 catches and 13 touchdowns"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxOjTl5bwDE
March 29, 2009 at 4:11 am
THIS JUST IN lions trade Calvin Johnson and the 1st pick to St. Louis for the 2nd pick and as the owner says " The chance to draft Micheal Crabtree who could turn out to be a special player"
March 29, 2009 at 7:10 pm
LOL
ROFL
LMFAO
That is gold Mo Diddley. I need to keep that quote.
March 29, 2009 at 4:02 am
For all of you die hard 2K5 fans here is a snippet of back in the day review from IGN-"However, the default difficulty remains almost ridiculously easy, especially in the area of running. In one game against the Lions (true, it was the Lions), the Packers easily put up 87 points, and Ahman Green had a banner day on the ground, racking up 377 yards. " So this is the gold standard that everyone keeps referring too? And the All Pro Football is actually the continuation of the series I don't hear anyone speaking highly of that game at all. So if you like 2K5 so much the All Pro Football 2K8 is your game
March 29, 2009 at 10:09 am
this is same 2k sports game where you once needed to line up 5 guys to make a tackle cause the runner would just keep spinning out of the tackles????
March 29, 2009 at 5:26 am
ill have deny that their 7 busts….4 for sure, being smith, benson, williamson, and M. williams, all others are still playing descent roles with their respective teams. if not for injury and a bad system cadillac williams maybe a probowler. and well we all know about pac man and his issues. but not a very good draft class at that.
March 29, 2009 at 6:02 am
Why does Matty stafford have lineman helmet fucking ridiclous.
March 29, 2009 at 6:56 am
Why do you use steroids?
March 29, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Why do you use Twinkies? Mr. Chubby
March 29, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Why do you embarrass yourself in public so ridiculously?
March 29, 2009 at 7:39 pm
I could ask you the same
March 29, 2009 at 7:10 am
APF sucks terribly. Absolutely the worse passing mechanics in console football history.
March 29, 2009 at 9:59 am
outside of basketball what can 2k actually do right????
March 30, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Wrong.
March 29, 2009 at 8:25 am
I can't wait to see who your going to choose for my Ravens.It's most likely gonna be Heyward Bey.I heard we sent Joe Flacco to work out with him at the Ravens private workout.
March 29, 2009 at 8:43 am
HEY PASTA CAN YOU PUT UP THE PICKS IN THE PRO UNIFORMS ALONG WITH THE COLLEGE PICK. WOULD LOOK WAY COOLER. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
March 29, 2009 at 9:57 am
this is comming from who matt millen????? at 6'4 and 225 with 4.3 speed i would have to say calvin johnson is already a special player!
March 29, 2009 at 10:07 am
Once again EA makes most of the sports games and puts out information far earlier than tight lipped 2k sports does about anything they are doing
March 29, 2009 at 9:21 pm
your all drinking the cool-aid, its useless.
March 29, 2009 at 9:24 pm
screw all the other sports! EA put a chokehold on football by buyin the licsence or whatever so no other company could make a nfl game and thats fucked up! so w r stuck w/ this madden shit. so they really dont listen to us cuz this is all we cn buy
March 29, 2009 at 12:37 pm
the browns will take beanie wells with the 5th pick
March 29, 2009 at 7:59 pm
beanie at 5 i would say is a reach
March 29, 2009 at 2:31 pm
If the Lions were smart, they'd draft the OL this year and used their 1st or 2nd overall pick next year on Sam Bradford.
March 29, 2009 at 2:32 pm
If the Lions were smart, they'd draft the OL this year and used their 1st or 2nd overall pick next year on Sam Bradford. The Offensive line class has never been better, compared to what is a pretty limited QB class.
March 29, 2009 at 7:59 pm
they just hired new general manager and coach soo lets hope they have a pulse let alone a brain!
March 29, 2009 at 5:50 pm
1 San Francisco 49ers Alex Smith Quarterback Utah bust
2 Miami Dolphins Ronnie Brown Running back Auburn not
3 Cleveland Browns Braylon Edwards Wide Receiver Michigan not
4 Chicago Bears Cedric Benson Running back Texas bust
5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Carnell Williams Running back Auburn not
6 Tennessee Titans Adam Jones Cornerback West Virginia so so
7 Minnesota Vikings (from Oakland) Troy Williamson Wide Receiver South Carolina bust
8 Arizona Cardinals Antrel Rolle Cornerback Miami (FL) not
9 Washington Redskins Carlos Rogers Cornerback Auburn not
10 Detroit Lions Mike Williams Wide Receiver USC –Bust
Bust city?
March 29, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Your top 10 pick should be a franchise player not just a run of the mill role player. Here are my grades
1)Alex Smith-Grade:Not a strong arm. Not a game breaker or a winner for that matter. Set the team back 10 years by not producing. Asked to take a pay cut just to make the roster enough said. Grade:Bust
2)Ronnie Brown-have you really watched him? 3 out of 4 years he was hurt. Hasn't produce to the level he was drafted as. He was the 2nd pick overall and only has 1 thousand yard season. Grade:average
3)Braylon Edwards-Has superstar qualities but has too many mental lapses. Can dominate games but suffers from lack of chemistry and focus on his part. Superstar potential but only average production. Grade:Average
4)Cedric Benson-The Bears had a franchise back in Thomas Jones and let him go for Benson to excel unfortunately he couldn't make plays or read defenses and ultimately got cut. Grade:Bust
5)Carnell Williams-Started like he was shot out of a cannon then fell down to earth. He's the Chad Pennington of the bunch the guy you root for but only contributes in an limited capacity due to his ability. 3 injury prone years and only 441 yards total in his past 2 seasons. Grade:Bust
6)Adam Jones-are you kidding me? Did you see his last season? He doesn't bring anything to the table. Grade:Bust
7)Troy Williamson-continues to not live up to potential. already once traded. Grade:Bust
8)Antrel Rolle-Decent Corner got moved to Safety because of his physical nature. Grade:Above Average
9)Carlos Rogers-Hasn't done anything spectacular. Washington is counting on this season being his breakout season otherwise he is a future journeyman.Grade:Average
10)Mike Williams-not even in the league anymore. Grade:Bust
So there you have it 1 Above Average, 3 Average, & 6 Busts all in the top 10 picks for 2005.
March 30, 2009 at 10:39 pm
To Smith credit he has had 3 offensive cordinators in his 4 years at S.F. That is a no no when trying to develop a QB.
March 31, 2009 at 12:26 am
good point. but he still has yet to showcase any ability to be a franchise QB.
March 31, 2009 at 9:05 am
He did pretty well his second season. I think his supporting cast has been underwhelming, coupled with the repeated change in OCs could have well ruined what could have been a promising career. I still have him as my surprise pick to win the QB job in SF this season if they don't draft a QB (Sanchez) early on.
March 31, 2009 at 10:17 am
how can you showcase anything when things are constantly changing the qb position is by far the hardest to play in any sport yopou have to make. I didnt really like smith at number 1 overall any way in a weak draft.
March 29, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Curious to see what you have to say about the Silver and Black. I know I am probably the last Raiders fan on the face of the earth, but here I am.
March 30, 2009 at 6:22 am
You are not the last.
March 31, 2009 at 10:18 am
Radiers are a joke. the drafted mcfadden and sit him on the bench dont know whats going on with russell and I am sure they will take a WR (Crabtree) in the first round. They seem to have a new coach every year.
March 31, 2009 at 12:37 pm
McFadden was hurt most of last season with various injuries… which is the reason that he set.
March 29, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Wow, those graphics in NFL 02' [on Nintendo] look as good as what was in Madden 08!
March 29, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Thank goodness Matt Millen is no longer in Detroit. The Lions most likely would have drafted Jeremy Maclin or Michael Crabtree.
March 29, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Correction! they would have traded next years potential #1 overall to draft both of them!
March 29, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Westbrook is a great blocking back but last year his production in that area had fallen off dramatically. There is concern in the eagles camp that he may continue to have issues with him staying healthy. He has had a chronic knee problem since his college days and it has not gotten any better. So the eagles will look to manage him more this year that's why I said it's a stone cold lock that the eagles will draft a RB early.
March 29, 2009 at 8:29 pm
DeSean Jackson is a very good receiver and the film on him is outstanding but you can't teach 6'3" with 4.3 speed (yes the combine has him at 4.4 but he can run 4.3). He will give them the red zone target they lack and a player you have to account for on every play. He does drop a lot of passes but his home run potential is a lot like a young Terrell Owens. There are only a handful of WR's that you could just throw the ball up and have them go get it and he is one of them. Of course the dropped passes keeps showing it's ugly head but maybe if he is in a new environment he could focus more on bringing those balls in.
March 29, 2009 at 9:09 pm
thank u EA SPORTS! this is 1 of the few times that we agree. im confosed about what ELove is tryna say. we picked up stacy andrews for a reason. to fill a tackle spot. so y the hell would we take two tackles???? we have way too much deph at o-line. u should kno that. im not sayin to not take a tackle in the first round, im just sayin get a rb first. whos after westbrook currently on the deph chart? and westbrook was slippin in pass protection last year. im surprised u didnt notice. but anyway we need a rb to…dare i say it be a future replacement for westbrook. max jean or nick cole deserve to get a chance to start at gaurd after how well they played last year. dont forget that shawn andrews comes back next season. i think our biggest issue is wr and then backup rb.
p.s. do u really expect us to find another westbrook in the third round?
March 29, 2009 at 9:20 pm
OMFG!!! EA…..thats what we want. those animations that realistic type of gameplay. what is EA smokin??? if it can be done in 2002 than is should damn sure get done in 2009 or 2010!!! id even take those graphics lol.(that might be goin too far but u understand. ppl need to c this!
March 30, 2009 at 1:21 am
Look at the animation on the offensive line!
March 29, 2009 at 9:39 pm
The reason Jerry Jones traded T.O is because he is gona try to trade up bigtime and grab Crabtree.
He's a Texas kid and Jones likes him.
March 29, 2009 at 10:49 pm
T.O. Wasnt traded he was released and they have roy williams now as a number one wr
March 30, 2009 at 12:44 am
yeah sorry my bad, he was released.. yeah he is but that doesnt mean they dont want another big play receiver to replace T.O.
Not unlike Jones to trade up for him if he wants him enough.
March 30, 2009 at 5:56 pm
The Cowboys traded away a lot of draft picks to get Roy Williams, so I don't think they will have enough to trade up to get Crabtree. The Cowboys don't need Crabtree anyway They need a good leader at head coach. That's their only problem. They have the talent, they just need someone to lead them. Romo obviously isn't a great leader, although he's a good QB.
Get a good head coach and the Cowboys' problems are solved. Got rid of T.O., now they just need a coach.
March 31, 2009 at 10:21 am
They have a good coach. Jerry Jones needs to leave the coaches alone and let them be themselves.
March 30, 2009 at 6:17 am
To be fair, that's a tech demo. It is not ready for prime time and who knows how responsive the game play is. Madden does have a long way to go before they reach the potential with regard to animations and production, but to compare a tech demo to a finish product is almost like comparing apples to oranges. It's like comparing one persons outline of an essay to someone else's finished essay. EA could produce some awesome tech demos. It doesn't mean the finished product will be good and/or responsive.
March 30, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I hate when bed teams take QBs early in the draft. It's such a waste. They need to build at other positions so they can bring a QB into a solid situation. Now if that was their only weakness, then fine. But I think it's obvious on a team with 0 wins, the QB is the least of their worries.
It's just a lose-lose situation. Stafford goes to Detroit. They have a terrible team surrounding him. He has two or three bad years, loses his confidence, and before long he's David Carr. And Detroit loses out, because they invest so much $$$ in him they can't build at other positions and the team never becomes a winner.
Don't teams look at the recent history and see it's possible to get QBs other ways? Tony Romo anyone? Tom Brady? The QB is only as good as the team that surrounds him. Build a good foundation, then get a QB.
I would trade the pick if they could, or draft Smith or Curry. They've got a good stable of picks from the Roy Williams trade (thanks Jerry Jones!) so the future could be bright. Just don't draft a QB this season. It's not worth it.
March 30, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I agree completely with those 3 picks. But what do you think the Seahawks are gonna do with the #4 pick?
I still believe that they're going to take Mike Crabtree from Texas Tech.
March 30, 2009 at 6:10 pm
I asked this last year and I'll ask again:
If Madden is supposed to be a "simulation" game, why would the drafting needs be any different between the real team and the Madden team?
Don't think I got an answer last year.
March 30, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Interesting point, Darkheath. I know I draft for my team based on the needs as if it were the real team. Not sure what Pasta meant by the different Mock drafts. Maybe, since the ratings are a constant with Madden, and you get to see the rating of the player before you draft, that makes a big difference.
In the real world there are no ratings. Different teams have different assessments of players. That would change the way they draft. It makes a big difference when you get to see an overall rating next to a player that is not subjective, but actually a determinant of how well the player will play. In the real world, they do have scouting ratings, but that is purely subjective, and there is no correlation between that rating and how they will perform.
That's what makes the two fundamentally different. It's not a flaw with Madden, but a natural difference between the nature of ratings in video games that determine how the players play.
Or something like that…
Just a thought.
March 30, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Nice post. Those are some good points. Also you have control over the players in Madden. You can choose to put them in. So lets say someone like Jeremy Maclin. You could put him in as returner, and as a starter. Players don't have to adapt to the NFL in Madden like they do in real life. You'll also see teams drafting for depth, which is important, but less so in Madden where depth often doesn't see the field since injuries don't carry over except in franchise mode.
March 30, 2009 at 6:15 pm
APF 2k8 is a great game of football. It's longevity is limited by not having any functional franchise mode. But on the field, with it's use of momentum and physics, it's the most natural feeling football game I've played.
Lately though, i've been playing more Head Coach '09. It has it's problems, but for franchise mode lovers who spend a little time learning the game, it's pretty fun.
March 30, 2009 at 10:36 pm
do you also think its longevity is limited by fictional teams and players also!
March 30, 2009 at 10:13 pm
the raiders got crabtree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 30, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I know this may seem like going against the grain but for Franchise mode they should just get rid of the ratings. They can make them visible for online but in franchise do away with them or make it an option. Have a little more fluctuation in increases and decreases and allow players to play hurt since in the real game 80% of the team is hurt. Also they should take a page out of Head Coach and allow players to "hidden ratings" to increase or decrease depending on the type of system they are playing in. Just a thought, Pasta what do you think?