Freak Recruits?

[jello1717]

Quote: Originally Posted by conception

We all know the most valuable asset an offensive player can have is speed.

Most people will agree with this, but I definitely don't subscribe to this theory. I always have a stable of 4+ HBs and try to have at least 1 speed back and 1 power back. However, without exception, my best HBs are always the power guys or the balanced guys. My power backs almost always fall forward and can always get those tough yards that I need. This isn't the case w/ the speed guys. They can sometimes break the long ones, but their YPC is almost always lower than that for my power backs.

Granted, this is likely caused by my really tough sliders so I'm possibly in the minority. My sliders have user RBA @ 25 which, among other things, lowers the runners speed. This means that even my 97+ SPD guys can get run down from behind. But on the other hand, it obviously would take my 97 SPD guy longer to get run down than my 86 SPD power back, so maybe my sliders aren't affecting the YPC difference between my speed backs and power backs after all.

[conception]

Quote: Originally Posted by jello1717

Most people will agree with this, but I definitely don't subscribe to this theory. I always have a stable of 4+ HBs and try to have at least 1 speed back and 1 power back. However, without exception, my best HBs are always the power guys or the balanced guys. My power backs almost always fall forward and can always get those tough yards that I need. This isn't the case w/ the speed guys. They can sometimes break the long ones, but their YPC is almost always lower than that for my power backs.

I use a speed back and a power back as well. Generally I'll use my power back more, but I frequently end up with lines of 12 for 55 with my power back and 8 for 86 with my speed back. My speed backs as of late have all been converted WR's or athletes, and I can take a guy whose only asset is speed and by running power O's, tosses, throwing screens and flat routes I can get a significant amount of production out of him.

My last full season my balanced back got 1100 yards, averaging a little over 5 a carry, and my speed back got 1200 yards, averaging over 7. He also helped a lot on screens. The balanced back got more carries and TD's and was generally the guy I leaned on to milk the clock. Falling forward when you are trying to end the game in the second half is a huge skill that I use a lot.

My point is that OVR doesn't always correlate to what you can get with production if you know how to use a player.

[jello1717]

Quote: Originally Posted by conception

My point is that OVR doesn't always correlate to what you can get with production if you know how to use a player.

Oh I've always agreed with this. Just looking at my current depth chart and these guys are all starting despite having a lower overall:
QB: 82 OVR v. 87
HB: 84 (power) v. 93 (balanced w/ 96 SPD) and 86 (speed)
TE: 80 v. 82

In fairness to the HBs, the 93 OVR balanced dude was my starter for the 1st 4 weeks, but since the power back was outperforming him in every stat, he has been my starter for the last 2 weeks.

[conception]

Quote: Originally Posted by jello1717

Oh I've always agreed with this. Just looking at my current depth chart and these guys are all starting despite having a lower overall: QB: 82 OVR v. 87 HB: 84 (power) v. 93 (balanced w/ 96 SPD) and 86 (speed) TE: 80 v. 82 In fairness to the HBs, the 93 OVR balanced dude was my starter for the 1st 4 weeks, but since the power back was outperforming him in every stat, he has been my starter for the last 2 weeks.

TE is one area where guys can play drastically different than their ratings would suggest, ie two guys may be rated the same OVR but one guy seems to get open downfield all the time while the other just doesn't move with the same fluidity and drops passes he should catch.

HB's can be funny too, and since I edit my players to get injured at a realistic rate I've had a couple times where a higher rated back lost his job to a guy who was just getting the job done.

[whughes]

I recruited a kid named Austin Dennis in my Tulane dynasty. He was originally a 73ovr athlete that I was recruiting to put at tight end. He's 6'7 245lbs. I use the no scouting rule until after they've commited so all I could see at first was that he had an A in strength, C in catching, and a B in catch in traffic. He ended up coming in as a freshman with 88 strength, 82 catching, and 86 catch in traffic. His speed was only 78, but his release was 89 and his jumping and spectacular catch are both mid 90s. The kid is like a poor mans Gronk.

He also fits my system perfectly as I like to run the ball out of mostly I form and flexbone. I throw him on the outside in my flexbone formations and he really helps seal the edge for my A backs to get those long runs around the corner.

[Lukin4]

Quote: Originally Posted by whughes

I recruited a kid named Austin Dennis in my Tulane dynasty. He was originally a 73ovr athlete that I was recruiting to put at tight end. He's 6'7 245lbs. I use the no scouting rule until after they've commited so all I could see at first was that he had an A in strength, C in catching, and a B in catch in traffic. He ended up coming in as a freshman with 88 strength, 82 catching, and 86 catch in traffic. His speed was only 78, but his release was 89 and his jumping and spectacular catch are both mid 90s. The kid is like a poor mans Gronk. He also fits my system perfectly as I like to run the ball out of mostly I form and flexbone. I throw him on the outside in my flexbone formations and he really helps seal the edge for my A backs to get those long runs around the corner.

Just finished my 2nd season at EMU, and the highlight by far was the play of my junior (juco) TE playing his first year for us. Came in with 85 speed, 88 acceleration, all his catching ratings were in the high 80's and the cherry on top was his BTK of 96. Lost my starting HB for the season early in the first game, and had no one worth throwing to at WR either. This meant I just threw short to my new TE all year and watched as he busted through defences to lead us to a MAC title and the Go Daddy bowl. He went down with injury early in the bowl game, which we lost 28 - 7. For the season he had 154 receptions, well over 2000 yards and 19 TDs. Looking for a repeat performance from him in his senior year, after which I believe the Packers are quite keen on drafting him...

[jakedasnaked]

Quote: Originally Posted by whughes

I recruited a kid named Austin Dennis in my Tulane dynasty. He was originally a 73ovr athlete that I was recruiting to put at tight end. He's 6'7 245lbs. I use the no scouting rule until after they've commited so all I could see at first was that he had an A in strength, C in catching, and a B in catch in traffic. He ended up coming in as a freshman with 88 strength, 82 catching, and 86 catch in traffic. His speed was only 78, but his release was 89 and his jumping and spectacular catch are both mid 90s. The kid is like a poor mans Gronk. He also fits my system perfectly as I like to run the ball out of mostly I form and flexbone. I throw him on the outside in my flexbone formations and he really helps seal the edge for my A backs to get those long runs around the corner.

I'd kill for a player like that

[whughes]

Quote: Originally Posted by jakedasnaked

I'd kill for a player like that

He's a beast. Like i said I originally recruited him to play TE, but I moved him out to receiver a lot his freshman year, and now in his sophomore season my top 2 receivers graduated so he's my number one now. Currently through 9 games he has 82 receptions for 1,052 yards and 9 touchdowns