How do you play your franchise?

[niftyjets]

I try to keep it as realistic as possible but will you guys make moves regardless of it would happen in real life or not? Will you trade players or cut anyone or sign anyone regardess?

[GoBlue7]

Once I start I try to keep it somewhat realistic to real life but once the CPU starts making roster moves, all bets are off at that point. It's a game so I just try to have fun with it for what it is. Trying to make it a exact replica of reality is too difficult and frustrating. I usually play 2 seperate CFM's to try and mix things up, and won't be using use my local/favorite team this year (Lions)

[althor]

For me, the whole point of playing franchise is to do things the way I would do them, not how the GM (who probably needs to be fired anyway) would do them.

Funny, I was listening to a radio show yesterday and they were talking about the Giants self-destruction. The radio host pointed out that millions of Madden players could have handled the 4th quarter better than the Giants did.

[NYJin2011tm]

I make my own moves. It's my own fantasy world.

[guineapig71]

Salary cap goes off, and I use the FA list to add as much depth and upgrade my team where I can.

[SwaggerCoach]

32 team CFM with tighter rules for me to increase the challenge.

1) 3+1 signing rule. I can only sign 3 players in the re-signing phase and I may franchise 1. The rest must test FA where I compete with other teams to sign them.

2) In late free agency (where players sign for 1 year deals) I never sign someone over 75 OVL. This is because it's way too easy to swoop in and pick up cap friendly 1 year deals with 80+ overall players. Kills drafting/team building to me.

3) Re-sign players to the amount of years they are asking. Don't lower the # of years on the contract unless I pay them more money to make up for it. I treat it like a real negotiation.

If player X is 29 years old and wants a 5 year deal, obviously that puts the team in a tough spot if he starts regressing. I don't want to sign him for 5 years. However, in my mind, if I offer him a 3 year deal, I make sure to dramatically boost the level of money he's asking for to make up for that. Otherwise, I just let him test FA.

Fortunately this year Madden has made it more difficult to re-sign players. I don't know if it's a bug or if it's working as intended, but I like this.

4) I keep all 1st round draft picks on my team throughout the entirety of their rookie contract. So if I draft a QB in the 1st round who is a 71 OVL bust, I don't immediately cut him. I keep him around and still try to develop him for realism.

5) Sign players to minimum 33% bonus. In Madden, the bonus money is guaranteed. To make it more challenging to make decisions on who to cut each year, I up the guaranteed money when I sign them. Why? So I can't just sign guys to monster 6 year deals and then cut them as soon as they start regressing without much penalty.

6) In the offseason (both during regular free agency and late free agency) I will hop on and control the other 31 teams to make bids/sign players that have 0 offers or are on the open market. I feel like the CPU all compete over the same players instead of spreading the bids around the league. And instead of then shifting their offers to different players once they fail to get their ideal guy, they just stop bidding all too often. So I step in and make sure quality FA's are always signed.

If I want to sign a guy that other teams are bidding for/should bid for, I just throw my bid into the pile.

That's just about it. Enjoy!

[Jm0ney2001]

All madden default. 15 min qtrs. build my Vikings to win a SuperBowl against the computer. If I win the sb then I will try and make it harder by implementing house rules. Sign who I want. I already traded j Robinson for a 85 ovr rg from the cowboys and a 7th rd selection. I plan to target a mlb and WR in the draft.

[fballturkey]

I don't follow real life but I try not to do anything too gamey to the AI. No flipping around draft picks over and over with FAs (is this still in the game) or anything like that.

I'd like to play as an OC and supersim defense but the CPU almost never scores in super sim (never more than 14 points in 9 minute quarters) and it's just too easy.