Does anyone else let the CPU auto progress their players in offline CFM?

[Retnuhrace]

I've been doing this ever since this current progression system has been in place. I feel that it puts me on a more level playing field with the CPU. Of course, I think I could progress them more efficiently, but I feel that it's so unrealistic to do it myself. Anyone else have the same dilemma?

[Shak84]

Yeah I do this. Let the CPU do progression. I have XP sliders up at 200/250 for every position except QB (still at 100) so players can progress quickly if they're productive enough.

Also at the end of the season I will look at player stats for the entire league and progress players who were productive but are still rated low. So the top few statistical players in rushing, receiving, sacks, INTs etc. will all get a boost... though only if they need it.

For example in my CFM the Raiders had DeAndre Washington run for 1,000 yards and 11 TDs with 4+ YPC yet he was still a 72 OVR so I manually edited him up to be around an 82. However all the other top RBs that year were all rated in 80s or 90s so there's no need to improve them IMO. Sometimes I'll have a player who's rated highly already but has a monster year so I give him an even bigger boost. For example Trent Murphy for the Redskins just had like 20 sacks, 15 TFLs, 5 FFs and a bunch of other stuff. That's like JJ Watt production. Murphy is rated 89, I'll bump him up to 95+

Another thing I'll do is look at each team's QB stats for the year and downgrade anyone who has had a bad year. Well, two bad years I guess. For example Jameis Winston just had an 18 TD and 18 INT year and the year before he was similarly bad. In real life that would basically be the end of him, Tampa Bay would be looking to find a new QB. Yet he's still rated 85 so there's no way the CPU is even thinking about going in a new direction. I'll bump him down to maybe 78 and probably release him (he's making 20m+ a season) and Tampa will now almost certainly spend their #1 overall selection on the QB who has been projected to go first in the draft all season, just like they would in real life. I did this with the Texans a couple of years ago as they were STILL persisting with Brock and his 82 OVR despite being very unproductive and leading them to 4-12 type seasons. Osweiler went off to be a backup somewhere and the Texans took a QB with the #2 overall pick and he led them all the way to the SB in his second year before they lost to Dallas.

I find that this keeps things fresh and more in keeping with the real NFL where teams are always trying to find a franchise QB if they can and players who once looked destined for stardom are barely employed anymore (Kaepernick, RG3)

One last thing that I like is to take over every team at the start of the off-season and cut any players who are on big contracts but not really worth it. This is essential as the CPU won't do it themselves. You'll get guys with sub-80 ratings (mostly players who have regressed badly with age) getting paid like the best players in the league.