Fundamental flaws with scouting and your coaching schemes in franchise mode.

[cardinalbird5]

One of my main gripes with Franchise mode is that the depth chart is always set to a 4-3 base. Your 2nd MLB (if running a 3-4 scheme) will always say 2nd string and 2nd DT is a starter. Your depth chart should look a little different if you are using a 3-4 scheme and the ratings should be calculated different. An undersized pass rushing DT is not what you want for your NT and you do not want undersized OLB's or DE's playing DE in a 3-4, but the ratings will still be good.

So one of the biggest problems is when scouting for your pass rushers for your 3-4 scheme is to whether or not you should go for a DE or OLB. If they played 3-4 in college, it should say and vice versa. I realize it can be worked around, but it is frustrating to say the least when you draft a superb OLB in the 1st round to only find out he is more of a coverage OLB.

Also I wish they would take profiles and playbooks more into account with the head coaches, off, and def coordinators. I think it is cool players will retire and try to become head coaches in a few years, but they should bring something new to the table on defense and/or offense. Really your offensive and defensive playbooks should be based on who your offensive and defensive coordinators are and you shouldn't get to choose your playbooks before the games. It would also be tight to see imported head coaches from NCAA with those playbooks, but that is another story. NCAA really needs to get on the ball before this ever happened. There really are no coaches in NCAA nor a coaching carousel.

Thoughts/Comments?

[Fox]

Completely agreed.

Nicely done,
Fox

[cam780]

I agree to an extent but you don't even really need improved / altered scouting to do it. EA has never done hybrid players well. If they'd just give some DE's improved LB ratings it'd work. Or they could create 34/43 ratings for LB and linemen.

As far as playbooks go, I disagree. If someone wants to use a different playbook they should be able too. There's a ton of coaches that aren't coordinators in the game so playbook would you give them? Two examples come to mind - Ron Rivera in SD is more of an aggressive/46/cover 2 type coach but he's the DC for a 3-4 team. Do you automatically give him the playbook for SD even though if he had a choice his D would look more like the Bears? The other guy is Tom Rathman. He's the RB coach in SF. They aren't running a pure west coast but I'd think he was a coordinator somewhere he'd have a west coast system.

[thelasthurtknee]

Quote: Originally Posted by cam780

I agree to an extent but you don't even really need improved / altered scouting to do it. EA has never done hybrid players well. If they'd just give some DE's improved LB ratings it'd work. Or they could create 34/43 ratings for LB and linemen. As far as playbooks go, I disagree. If someone wants to use a different playbook they should be able too. There's a ton of coaches that aren't coordinators in the game so playbook would you give them? Two examples come to mind - Ron Rivera in SD is more of an aggressive/46/cover 2 type coach but he's the DC for a 3-4 team. Do you automatically give him the playbook for SD even though if he had a choice his D would look more like the Bears? The other guy is Tom Rathman. He's the RB coach in SF. They aren't running a pure west coast but I'd think he was a coordinator somewhere he'd have a west coast system.

yea im sure he gets as we all do. what he's saying is if you have sean payton as a coach you can select the steelers power run playbook. thats not realistic. maybe have the coaches set in style. like a head coach is a west coast guy and can only use west coast playbooks instead of a run and shoot or spread. thats what hes talking about. not without options just more limited.

[cardinalbird5]

Quote: Originally Posted by thelasthurtknee

yea im sure he gets as we all do. what he's saying is if you have sean payton as a coach you can select the steelers power run playbook. thats not realistic. maybe have the coaches set in style. like a head coach is a west coast guy and can only use west coast playbooks instead of a run and shoot or spread. thats what hes talking about. not without options just more limited.

Yeah pretty much. That doesn't bother me so much as the 3-4/4-3 scouting though.

[Dmacho]

Quote: Originally Posted by cardinalbird7

So one of the biggest problems is when scouting for your pass rushers for your 3-4 scheme is to whether or not you should go for a DE or OLB. If they played 3-4 in college, it should say and vice versa. I realize it can be worked around, but it is frustrating to say the least when you draft a superb OLB in the 1st round to only find out he is more of a coverage OLB. Thoughts/Comments?

I haven't gotten to this point in my franchise yet, but if you're looking and a 3-4 OLB, you should take into account his power & finesse move rating as well as his man and zone coverage rating. If you looking to switch a 4-3 DE to a 3-4 OLB, and his coverage ability sucks, it may not be the best idea.