"Madden"-ing Time of Year

By DrewsLions Jul 17, 2009, 7:02pm EDT

Disclaimer: I'll personally concede that this isn't my greatest literary work, but it's tough coming up with relevant material during the doldrums of July. So the disclaimer here is that I'll try to come up with a better topic of discussion next week.

So with training camp still two weeks away and the vacuum that is left in the emptiness of the player's vacation times (how dare they), boredom sets in for the superfans like us. We've hashed out the roster and position battles forwards, backwards, sideways and every other way you can twist it. And what is the outcome of every one of those discussions? The mind-numbing "we'll just have to see how training camp shakes out" answer.

In this world of instant gratification, we just want to know the answers right now. Who's gonna start, Culpepper or Stafford? Who makes up the starting defensive line? Who gets the ax at receiver? We just want to know!

Well, what if you could answer those questions right now. Huh? No, I've not been wire-tapping Jim Schwartz's office or hacking Martin Mayhew's Blackberry, nor have I been hitting Grandpa's secret stash of Kentucky hooch. I'm talking about the only place where we can make all the calls and start whoever the hell we want to. The place where we each get to be Jim Schwartz and Martin Mayhew combined. Madden '10, baby.

I know, we've kind of beat the Madden ratings thing to death over the last few weeks, but I can't help but be excited each year for the new Madden release. I've got my copy pre-ordered and can't wait for August 14^th to sit in front of my 52" Samsung HDTV with my Xbox whirring, getting ready to put in a ten hour marathon getting my franchise set up with the new look Lions. Anyway, I'll try to put a little gloss on a stale topic.

One of the new features this year, is an enhanced progression system that takes many variables into effect including potential, season play, coaching, etc. Many past versions of Madden have boasted a better progression system, but this year they stole the guys from "Head Coach ‘09" and brought them in to revamp the franchise mode. So they tore it down and started from scratch. The results appear to be an amazing upgrade to the game this year and the progression, drafting and scheduling among other things, appear to get the bulk of the benefit. Yay for us, right? There is a great article over at the home Madden site discussing the new franchise mode upgrades.

In case you think I'm simply rambling or being paid off by EASports to tout the company line on their flagship product, I do have a point to all of this. The point, or perhaps the question, is this: Who you gonna start for the Lions in your new Madden franchise? If your answer is that you won't be using the Lions in your franchise, stop reading this and get the hell off this site!

We've all seen how they've rated the lowly Lions, right? If not, here's a copy:

WIDE RECEIVERS AND TIGHT ENDS
NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR	SPD	ACC	STR	AGL	AWR	STA	TGH	INJ	JMP	CAT	CAR	KR
81	C. Johnson	DET	WR	92	95	94	78	94	75	97	93	96	99	91	77	65
84	B. Pettigrew	DET	TE	80	72	76	75	74	52	82	85	95	76	75	75	35
87	R. Curry	DET	WR	74	76	82	57	87	80	87	65	59	87	83	75	55
80	B. Johnson	DET	WR	71	86	87	59	84	76	84	72	85	87	78	66	70
82	C. Fitzsimmons	DET	TE	70	72	70	67	65	70	65	65	75	65	74	70	8
13	D. Williams	DET	WR	68	90	94	52	91	50	94	94	76	85	74	49	74
89	W. Heller	DET	TE	66	60	70	64	65	64	75	70	88	62	74	66	8
16	J. Standeford	DET	WR	60	84	87	49	80	65	72	60	79	86	77	46	0
83	A. Jennings	DET	WR	54	90	92	38	92	59	82	75	91	78	65	60	87

RUNNING BACKS
NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR	SPD	ACC	STR	AGL	AWR	STA	TGH	INJ	RBK	PBK	CAT	CAR	KR
34	K. Smith	DET	HB	80	84	87	74	84	70	96	80	92	42	52	76	89	60
44	T. Smith	DET	FB	79	64	67	85	55	82	85	92	61	78	58	56	74	45
28	M. Morris	DET	HB	75	85	91	64	88	80	77	70	86	33	31	74	78	76
40	J. Bradley	DET	FB	68	63	65	90	60	65	60	84	85	72	44	58	70	45
21	A. Brown	DET	HB	64	83	88	60	87	45	85	72	78	40	42	77	68	75
36	A. Cason	DET	HB	60	89	91	60	76	65	47	47	47	26	26	66	65	70

QUARTERBACKS
NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR	SPD	ACC	STR	AGL	AWR	STA	TGH	INJ	THP	THA	CAR
9	M. Stafford	DET	QB	79	71	68	64	61	64	95	87	93	97	80	64
11	D. Culpepper	DET	QB	72	70	75	73	69	71	95	92	76	90	80	45
5	D. Stanton	DET	QB	47	66	76	65	72	57	92	80	82	83	71	65

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR	SPD	ACC	STR	AGL	AWR	STA	TGH	INJ	PBK	RBK
51	D. Raiola	DET	C	80	63	76	85	58	85	78	88	94	86	83
77	G. Cherilus	DET	RT	79	58	74	93	58	69	75	85	94	89	85
66	S. Peterman	DET	RG	78	49	72	91	46	77	82	90	88	87	81
76	J. Backus	DET	LT	77	53	74	89	54	82	75	90	95	86	87
74	D. Cook	DET	LG	70	43	41	84	40	63	50	73	63	79	77
62	J. Coston	DET	RG	70	52	66	85	48	64	78	85	86	84	78
65	D. Gandy	DET	C	68	56	74	84	57	58	75	83	88	82	88
63	M. Ramirez	DET	LG	68	54	60	93	54	58	68	86	90	82	74
70	D. Loper	DET	LT	67	54	60	82	54	70	82	85	91	80	88
72	G. Foster	DET	RT	66	55	74	92	56	55	75	82	87	87	81
78	L. Murtha	DET	RT	65	70	88	78	67	46	84	87	78	79	82

LINEBACKERS
NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR	SPD	ACC	STR	AGL	AWR	STA	TGH	INJ	JMP	TCK	CAT
59	J. Peterson	DET	LOLB	90	85	89	73	87	85	93	90	91	79	87	45
50	E. Sims	DET	ROLB	88	88	93	83	88	66	98	98	92	89	90	36
56	L. Foote	DET	MLB	78	73	82	77	82	81	88	88	94	54	88	35
57	J. Dizon	DET	MLB	63	76	85	69	81	61	90	52	48	76	78	38
52	A. Lewis	DET	LOLB	59	83	87	65	81	68	80	85	88	75	75	29
54	D. Levy	DET	ROLB	56	79	84	63	78	62	87	75	94	78	78	60

KICKERS AND PUNTERS
NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR	SPD	ACC	STR	AGL	AWR	STA	TGH	INJ	POW	ACR
4	J. Hanson	DET	K	95	52	54	31	48	96	86	60	84	91	95
2	N. Harris	DET	P	67	58	51	44	51	70	75	80	60	87	84

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR	SPD	ACC	STR	AGL	AWR	STA	TGH	INJ	JMP	TCK	CAT
99	D. White	DET	RE	77	71	88	75	76	74	75	78	90	62	69	28
90	G. Jackson	DET	DT	76	34	54	96	38	86	45	84	65	65	68	20
91	C. Darby	DET	DT	72	63	87	82	64	67	59	74	78	49	80	25
95	J. DeVries	DET	LE	71	67	78	80	66	80	85	82	85	54	78	28
92	C. Avril	DET	RE	71	80	88	66	86	58	85	84	93	85	76	64
97	I. Alama-Francis	DET	LE	64	66	78	77	74	53	77	84	92	81	65	16
96	A. Fluellen	DET	DT	61	69	82	88	65	39	65	84	88	70	69	30
79	S. Hill	DET	DT	61	60	75	89	58	35	66	75	85	55	60	28

DEFENSIVE BACKS
NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR	SPD	ACC	STR	AGL	AWR	STA	TGH	INJ	JMP	TCK	CAT
32	A. Henry	DET	CB	78	76	83	64	78	85	90	77	80	90	48	69
26	L. Delmas	DET	FS	77	86	90	53	90	56	93	91	86	88	70	70
31	P. Buchanon	DET	CB	76	93	94	44	92	80	95	65	80	89	38	60
27	D. Bullocks	DET	SS	70	79	82	62	79	74	94	74	90	82	71	66
42	G. Alexander	DET	FS	68	86	90	60	87	59	92	76	92	80	67	51
25	E. King	DET	CB	62	83	88	53	84	70	89	65	88	79	45	49
24	K. Pearson	DET	SS	61	77	82	56	79	60	85	62	86	77	69	41
23	K. Smith	DET	CB	60	85	89	48	91	62	90	81	91	83	42	50
38	R. Robinson	DET	CB	57	78	85	44	84	48	90	76	89	83	36	60

Those ratings aside, with a fancy new progression system in place, who you play is more important now than it's ever been. It's foolish to simply play the highest rated player when the progression will actually affect your roster in a more realistic way long-term. Keep in mind, they've also built "busts" into the game... i.e. players that will look good from a scouting perspective, but come with a low potential built in them. There is also a much wider spread in the talent levels. They are grading similar to school grades now, where 70 is average (this is how the Lions got a paltry 65 overall team rating - I guess we are less than average, hey?) So I want you all to tell me who you will be starting on your team.

... And so without further ado, the Drewslions Madden ‘10 Team (BTW, I'll revamp my roster to show more recent activity, like Northcutt, etc and show players I'll cut, create, sign or trade and some I'll even change positions):

WIDE RECEIVERS AND TIGHT ENDS
RANK	NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR
1	81	C. Johnson	DET	WR	92
2	80	B. Johnson	DET	WR	71
3 (Trade)	86	Northcutt	DET	WR	??
4	87	R. Curry	DET	WR	74
5	13	D. Williams	DET	WR	68
(Cut)	16	J. Standeford	DET	WR	60
(Cut)	83	A. Jennings	DET	WR	54
1	89	W. Heller	DET	TE	66
2	84	B. Pettigrew	DET	TE	80
3	82	C. Fitzsimmons	DET	TE	70
4 (Create)	47	D.Gronkowski	DET	TE	62

RUNNING BACKS
RANK	NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR
1	34	K. Smith	DET	HB	80
2	28	M. Morris	DET	HB	75
3	21	A. Brown	DET	HB	64
4	36	A. Cason	DET	HB	60
1	44	T. Smith	DET	FB	79
2 (Create)	45	J.Felton	DET	FB	75
3 (Cut)	40	J. Bradley	DET	FB	68

QUARTERBACKS
RANK	NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR
1	9	M. Stafford	DET	QB	79
2	11	D. Culpepper	DET	QB	72
3	5	D. Stanton	DET	QB	47

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
RANK	NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR
1	51	D. Raiola	DET	C	80
2	65	D. Gandy	DET	C	68
1	76	J. Backus	DET	LT	77
2 (Sign)	72	E.Salaam	DET	LT	??
1	70	D. Loper	DET	LG	67
2	63	M. Ramirez	DET	LG	68
1	77	G. Cherilus	DET	RT	79
2 (Sign)	68	J.Jansen	DET	RT	??
3	78	L. Murtha	DET	RT	65
(Cut)	72	G. Foster	DET	RT	66
1	66	S. Peterman	DET	RG	78
2	74	D. Cook	DET	RG	70
(Cut)	62	J. Coston	DET	RG	70

LINEBACKERS
RANK	NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR
1	59	J. Peterson	DET	LOLB	90
2 (Create)	53	C. Spencer	DET	LOLB	68
(Cut)	52	A. Lewis	DET	LOLB	59
1	56	L. Foote	DET	MLB	78
2	54	D. Levy	DET	MLB	56
3 (Create)	49	Z.Follett	DET	MLB
1	50	E. Sims	DET	ROLB	88
2	57	J. Dizon	DET	ROLB	63

KICKERS AND PUNTERS
RANK	NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR
1	4	J. Hanson	DET	K	95
1	2	N. Harris	DET	P	67

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
RANK	NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR
1	92	C. Avril	DET	RE	71
2	97	I. Alama-Francis	DET	RE	64
1	99	D. White	DET	LE	77
2	95	J. DeVries	DET	LE	71
1	90	G. Jackson	DET	DT	76
2	91	C. Darby	DET	DT	72
3	79	S. Hill	DET	DT	61
4	96	A. Fluellen	DET	DT	61
5 (Create)	98	L.Cohen	DET	DT	60

DEFENSIVE BACKS
RANK	NUM	NAME	TM	POS	OVR
1	31	P. Buchanon	DET	CB	76
2	32	A. Henry	DET	CB	78
3	25	E. King	DET	CB	62
4	23	K. Smith	DET	CB	60
5	38	R. Robinson	DET	CB	57
1	26	L. Delmas	DET	FS	77
2	40	M.Manuel	DET	FS	??
(Trade)	42	G. Alexander	DET	FS	68
1	27	D. Bullocks	DET	SS	70
2	24	K. Pearson	DET	SS	61
3 (Create)	??	O.Wiley	DET	SS	52

Sorry, having some formatting issues, but you get the point. So, no huge surprises. I may even sign a Chris McAlister or Kevin Carter before camp, who knows. And the Otis Wiley thing is just for fun. I'll stick him on special teams for a while. All just a bunch of good, clean fun kids.

Tell me what you think? How will your roster compare? Do you simply hate Madden? What's on your mind?

"Madden"-ing Time of Year

Share this story

Share All sharing options for: "Madden"-ing Time of Year

More From Pride Of Detroit

Share this story

All sharing options for: "Madden"-ing Time of Year