Player Development

[timhere1970]

How is everybody upgrading players? Are you upgrading the highest archtype each time or are you taking a nuanced approach? Does upgrading lower archtypes make a player better but potentially cheaper as there overall may not go up as fast but they may be becoming a better onfield player. Here is my current development standards;

QB--I upgrade the lower of Field General and Strong Arm. I don't play a scrambling game.

HB--I drafted a Power HB with 4.44 speed and a 10.9 combined cone/shuttle. A rare specimen. Middle of first round pick but I saw a lot of value. So far, I have been upgrading Receiving Back because I want him to be a 3 down back with those physical skills. He is an 82 overall elusive after two years. He would be much higher but upgrading Receiving does not upgrade power and elusive very fast. For backups I upgrade their highest type as that will determine where they fall on the various running back depth charts.

FB--I upgrade Utility. These are usually converted TE's as I have a no fullback offense and they are used as H backs.

WR--This one I have gone back and forth. I have broke receivers into two groups. Slot receivers and everybody else. Slot receiver specialists I just upgrade as slot and do not use on the outside no matter how high the overall gets. Everybody else I am upgrading the lowest of the remaining choices and never upgrade slot. SLot specialists tend to be shorter and come to me through the draft with slot noticeably higher than other skills or low overall slot types that would never progress to have a shot at playing time upgrading the other types.

TE--Verticle or possession whichever was originally higher then blocking can trail by 8. If he is verticle 78 I have to have blocking at 70 before advancing to 79.

LT--Pass Block plus but can only be plus 5 over anything else.

LG/C/RG--Agile plus 3 over everything else.

RT--Plus 5 over everything else.

LE-Power Rusher plus 5 over Run stopper.

RE--Speed Rusher plus 5 over run stopper.

DT--Run Stopper plus 5 over whichever best between Speed and Power Rusher.

LOLB--Run Stopper plus 4 over pass coverage.

MLB--Whichever is lower between Pass Coverage and Field General.

ROLB--Speed rusher plus 5 over run stopper. Interchangeable with RE but I usually put the players with a bit of coverage skills here and some big guys that may play DT at RE.

CB--Here again I am confused about slot corners but I am currently doing the same thing as with receivers. If they are undersized I tend to make them slot specialists and upgrade slot. If they are 6'1" or taller I upgrade the lowest of the remaining archetypes.

FS--He is my deep zone guru. I upgrade zone only.

SS--My everywhere guy. I upgrade whichever archtype is lower.

This has made for some interesting depth chart fights as players actually pass others up as some are really weak in certain areas. Should a 75 runstopper LOLB who can't cover be starting over a 73 who has coverage skills also.

That is my scheme, does'nt exactly match any in the game so I change my offense and defensive scheme every four weeksrent players get the benefit of being in scheme for training. I also design my playbook around what these guys do. I have a custom bengals book that I have added and removed plays so they are playing to their strength and of course turned off auto flip to keep them in their assignments.