Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

[SouthernWarrior]

Constantly simulating, trading and scouting my team and building teams from the ground up. Some things I've noticed. Please share or give me advice.

- My main focus is always no matter what to get guys w hidden potential. Anything else is a loss.

- I generally only draft guys 21 or 22.

- The "Early 1st-mid1st" etc thing is irrelevant. I also put WAY too much stock into combine performance... and it is not any indicator whatsoever of potential star or better development.

- Finding Oline w hidden development is very difficult. Oline in general is difficult to find.

- WR's are impossible to figure out who is star or better. I find a good indicator is route running as a top 3 skill. Almost all of them have Spec Catch as their main skill to start.

- Once the first four-six guys at a position are a bust (either starting in round 7 OR round 1), the rest are almost 90% of time ALL a bust as well. You can save a lot of points by just moving onto a different position and accepting it.

- The best trades are getting future 1st rounds in the following draft class which cost way less. I also like to stack getting draft picks and will trade strong players (who won't be w the team long term) for 1st round picks in both years which really will screw up the team I am trading them to.

- Safety (FS and SS) are both extremely easy to find studs and steals in later rounds. Same with HB and slot WR's.

- I look to any QB with A+ throwing power and 1st round talent (and 21-22) as draft able. Bonus pts if their 2nd 3rd skills involve accuracy, but most involve throwing on the run/breaking sack.

- The biggest factor is news stories. Any news article good OR bad to me is without a doubt the best indicator of potential star development

- Most annoying news stories are when they say the players name "dropping" without giving any sense of their position and you have to scroll through 200 players to find them. Sometimes they dont even show back up till right before the draft.

- Convert most MLB's to OLB.

---
I'll post more later. Please give me your tips or advice or disagreements here as well

[jay87]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

Madden scouting guide, pdf, 31 pages

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.madden-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Quick-Scout-Guide.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiM9bjC9K7tAhUL6aQKHbTgAXQQFjAAegQIBxAC&usg=AOvVaw1p8vGx-uT-OSa_ylAx9hdu

[Cory Levy]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

- The "Early 1st-mid1st" etc thing is irrelevant.

Not saying it's wrong but where exactly have you come up with information that this is true?

I was under the impression that Early - Mid - Late related to draftees' overall with context to the round they're selected in while also in regards to the draft overall. I.E. an Early 1st player would be between a 78-81 overall, a Mid 1st would be between a 75-77, a Late 1st would be between a 72-74 and so on and so forth throughout the entire draft.

Has that changed or do you have evidence of it being different this year? It's been a very useful thing in the past, just wondering if it's changed!

[ParaAut]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

Think the main question would be, single-player cfm oder 32-man cfm. Single-player you can almost cheat the cpu with any trade you like and stockpile 1st round picks and pick up all the late round projections the cpu doesn't find. If you are with 31 other players, then totally different story - expect every information you have, others will have too.


Finding hidden dev outside of draft story players is much more difficult this year. So far I haven't seen many patterns like last year where the highest QB was basically always SS+.


The true talent projection gives you a quite detailed information about their overall. I wouldn't say it's useless, but I certainly agree that it gives no information about development and 1-2 overall more or less at the time of the draft is definitely not the most important thing if other aspects are more favorable. Useless I wouldn't say - it's still useful to know if a player is 70 overall or 65 overall.

[Instant C1a55ic]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

I only scout players that match my scheme, I always have points left over.

The only thing everyone should be doing if they are not already, is scout matching players at other positions. For example if your scheme calls for a pass protector LT, scout pass protector at LG,C,RG,RT. You can always change his position. I do the same for linebackers as well. No good power rusher on the left side, but a 1st rounder on the right? Scout him anyway and move his position. Has helped me from reaching for guys.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Operation Sports mobile app

[Funkycorm]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

Normal development players are not a loss.

Is a 21 year old SS rated 80 overall but normal development you got with the third pick overall a loss? It's not. Focus training weekly and solid contributions can boost a normal player by 3 to 4 points overall a year depending on how you do weekly training and how they play on the field.

Also O-line are easy to come by. A 71 overall normal development guard or tackle can bump up 3-4 points a year like I said above and be a solid piece of your line for a while. Start them day 1 and you will be re-signing an 80 overall lineman to a nice reasonably priced extension and they will still bump up a point or 2 a year after that. Look for top 2 attributes and bench press and you can find solid lineman in the middle rounds.

Normal does not equal bad. If a player is rated decently and has normal development they can still be a solid player on your team.

I do agree that HB are easy to come by. They are a dime a dozen just like in real football and I like that aspect.

-------

To add, when scouting and building teams, I always build from the lines out. Games are won and lost in the trenches.

I also make a rule that I can not have any more than 2 first round picks in a draft. I can trade up and get 3 but I can not have more than 2 when that draft starts. Other than that I can trade as many draft picks as I want to get more.

I find the second round is a great place to get solid players and will accumulate picks here. A lot of solid sleepers are in draft classes here.

I also only do max 1 trade of a player for a draft pick during the season and 1 in the draft. The player I trade has to match the other teams scheme.

It is easy to cheese the cpu in solo franchises. I think the hard part and fun of a rebuild is not to take advantage of the CPU.

I also only use game generated classes so the above is based on that.

[burth179]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

The true talent grade is not useless at all, it basically tells you who is the highest OVR. Of course OVR is not everything and that can be dependant on draft class, but generally speaking it is a pretty good indicator. You are right that it is no indication of their DEV trait though.

Although other than offensive lineman you can increase their DEV trait. So I don't really think their initial DEV trait is as important as their age (unless it's o-line). Id take a 75 rated 21 year old normal WR over a 23 STAR dev 72 rated one any day of the week. I'll likely get a scenario to upgrade his DEV anyway, or get a DEV increase if he puts up good stats.

[cjhawk03]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

Madden scouting guide, pdf, 31 pages

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...T-OSa_ylAx9hdu

Does this guide still apply to Madden 21?

[SouthernWarrior]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

Madden scouting guide, pdf, 31 pages

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...T-OSa_ylAx9hdu

I think was a major change in them deciding star/non star development in 20 compared to 21

[SouthernWarrior]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

Not saying it's wrong but where exactly have you come up with information that this is true?

I was under the impression that Early - Mid - Late related to draftees' overall with context to the round they're selected in while also in regards to the draft overall. I.E. an Early 1st player would be between a 78-81 overall, a Mid 1st would be between a 75-77, a Late 1st would be between a 72-74 and so on and so forth throughout the entire draft.

Has that changed or do you have evidence of it being different this year? It's been a very useful thing in the past, just wondering if it's changed!

Based on experience. Can't tell you the number of times I took a. guy w talent at Early 1st and amazing combine stats and they STILL are not star development

And early 1st are closer to 76-78, rarely if ever see another at 79-81..maybe one or two players like 3 years of drafting.

The "early 1st" talent level is good if you're getting a guy in the 3rd, 4th etc.. but even then the difference between a 21 year old at say 73 and a 23 yr old w 1st round talent at 76 is nothing. They REALLY made it rare to get a guy w good development this year.

[SouthernWarrior]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

I only scout players that match my scheme, I always have points left over.

The only thing everyone should be doing if they are not already, is scout matching players at other positions. For example if your scheme calls for a pass protector LT, scout pass protector at LG,C,RG,RT. You can always change his position. I do the same for linebackers as well. No good power rusher on the left side, but a 1st rounder on the right? Scout him anyway and move his position. Has helped me from reaching for guys.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Operation Sports mobile app

great point and something I have not been doing at all. will try it now.

[tg88forHOF]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

Based on experience. Can't tell you the number of times I took a. guy w talent at Early 1st and amazing combine stats and they STILL are not star development

And early 1st are closer to 76-78, rarely if ever see another at 79-81..maybe one or two players like 3 years of drafting.

The "early 1st" talent level is good if you're getting a guy in the 3rd, 4th etc.. but even then the difference between a 21 year old at say 73 and a 23 yr old w 1st round talent at 76 is nothing. They REALLY made it rare to get a guy w good development this year.

So, in other words, it's only worthless if you overvalue hidden DEV traits as heavily as you do.

[tg88forHOF]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

And early 1st are closer to 76-78, rarely if ever see another at 79-81..maybe one or two players like 3 years of drafting.

It's probably worth calling out that your franchise goals are different than a lot of people's here. Based on previous posts of yours (your Giants rebuild, for example), you don't really care a lot about realism, and are interested in building absolutely firewalled, min/maxed power franchises that are loaded with higher dev traits and with a higher floor for starter ratings.

I'm betting you don't consider a player a quality starter until well into the 80s; that's not the design intent of the game anymore.

After the ratings shrink a couple years ago, a 76-78 Normal Dev player that's young enough to develop well into his 80s is an early 1st-round level talent...mid 70s is considered a quality starter by Madden's design intent, so a young kid at the high end of that range already, with years to develop (and at the accelerated rate his age dictates) is absolutely worth an early round pick under normal circumstances.

A lot of players in this community aren't going into drafts with the extreme amount of early picks that can be had from exploiting the trade engine like you are, and they're trying to build teams that more resemble real-life NFL rosters....a handful of true stars, and the rest of the 53 made up of quality starters and JAGs.

A roster where most every starter is in the 80s with star or better dev traits simply doesn't resemble a real roster, and most folks here aren't trying to build that. It's why DEV trait limits and regression was introduced in the first place.

Like I've said before, do what's fun for you...I'm not here to shame your playstyle. You've said in the past that realism isn't a goal, and that's cool. If building unrealistic mega-rosters is what's fun for you, hey, go for it.

It just doesn't match what a lot of people here are trying to do, so bear in mind that what you consider "good", "bad", "useful", and "worthless" in your running notes isn't going to match a lot of folks' evaluations.

[SouthernWarrior]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

It's probably worth calling out that your franchise goals are different than a lot of people's here. Based on previous posts of yours (your Giants rebuild, for example), you don't really care a lot about realism, and are interested in building absolutely firewalled, min/maxed power franchises that are loaded with higher dev traits and with a higher floor for starter ratings.

I'm betting you don't consider a player a quality starter until well into the 80s; that's not the design intent of the game anymore.

After the ratings shrink a couple years ago, a 76-78 Normal Dev player that's young enough to develop well into his 80s is an early 1st-round level talent...mid 70s is considered a quality starter by Madden's design intent, so a young kid at the high end of that range already, with years to develop (and at the accelerated rate his age dictates) is absolutely worth an early round pick under normal circumstances.

A lot of players in this community aren't going into drafts with the extreme amount of early picks that can be had from exploiting the trade engine like you are, and they're trying to build teams that more resemble real-life NFL rosters....a handful of true stars, and the rest of the 53 made up of quality starters and JAGs.

A roster where most every starter is in the 80s with star or better dev traits simply doesn't resemble a real roster, and most folks here aren't trying to build that. It's why DEV trait limits and regression was introduced in the first place.

Like I've said before, do what's fun for you...I'm not here to shame your playstyle. You've said in the past that realism isn't a goal, and that's cool. If building unrealistic mega-rosters is what's fun for you, hey, go for it.

It just doesn't match what a lot of people here are trying to do, so bear in mind that what you consider "good", "bad", "useful", and "worthless" in your running notes isn't going to match a lot of folks' evaluations.

Are you ok? You sound upset and extremely condescending.

[tg88forHOF]

Re: Franchise Scouting Tips and Traps?

Are you ok? You sound upset and extremely condescending.

That was a valuable contribution....

Bonus irony points for going straight for an emotional evaluation, then calling me condescending, though.