What are you going to do with your team?

[HeavyHitter55]

My absolute favorite thing about being a virtual football coach (along with everyone else) is making the team my own - my own scheme, my own personnel, my own calls. So I thought I'd start a thread asking people what their plans are for their teams coming out of the gate.

With the Eagles, I'm excited to use all of the offensive pieces - DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, James Casey, Zach Ertz, LeSean McCoy, Bryce Brown. All of these guys can be placed anywhere on the field at any time and make plays with the combination of quick timing routes, and mismatches out of a slew of formations. I'll definitely be using the Balanced playbook - this has so many formations using a wide variety of personnel: 3 TE sets, 2 back sets, 3 WR sets. With Michael Vick and Nick Foles/Matt Barkley, there may be a reason for the Backup QB formation substitution now. Foles/Barkley are guys who are built for those timing routes; whereas, Vick can be sub'd in 10-20 times a game to be that wildcard - yes, I have Vick as the backup, his turnovers and inability to hold onto the ball are far too risky.

On defense, I'm thinking the 46.

With the additions of Isaac Sopoaga and Bennie Logan, and Fletcher Cox's switch to end this frees up Trent Cole and Connor Barwin as edge rushers. I can put Cole's hand in the dirt on the weak side to put quick pressure on the QB while Sopoaga, Logan, and Cox push the pocket. I'm hoping Cox can produce the same results as Red Bryant does for the Seahawks.
The defensive backfield, however, is a bit concerning. Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams are solid players, but don't really jump out to me as being explosive. I believe Brandon Boykin and rookie Jordan Poyer will be great when they're out on the field. The safety position - I don't have much to say about that. It's questionable at best...




What about everyone else? What are you looking forward to working with/morphing your team into?

[ConnSKINS26]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

The same thing I do every year--my "dream draft" franchise, where I move around the Redskins actual draft picks and give myself guys I would have taken that were actually available. I actually kept a few of the real picks this year.

Round 1: N/A traded in Griffin deal the year prior.

Round 2:

Was- David Amerson CB

Now- David Amerson CB. Loved this high upside pick.

Round 3:

Was- Jordan Reed TE

Now- Chris Harper WR. Really liked the Reed pick, and the real draft showed that Harper is a reach here, but this is where I would have taken him. Love Harper as an outside WR prospect and I see the need for a WR as greater than the need for a developmental TE, which I'll address later. Harper is a monster in tight coverage.

Round 4:

Was- Phillip Thomas S

Now- Phillip Thomas S. Loved this pick, and was hoping he'd keep falling to us here.

Round 5:

Was- Chris Thompson RB

Now- Luke Willson TE. Great developmental talent at TE, athletic freak. Could do big things. Sleeper pick here. He'll be ready to take over for Fred Davis when I let him go in FA next offseason. I like Thompson in real life, but have my eye on another late-round RB later.

Round 5:

Was- Brandon Jenkins OLB/Passrusher

Now- Latavius Murray RB. Actually kind of an over-hyped prospect at this point, but he's a size/speed freak with great hands, exactly what I need as a change of pace to Morris. It doesn't matter in Madden that he runs too upright and isn't a natural RB. Jenkins should rotate in and be a force eventually in real life, but I'm very comfortable with my OLB starters and passrushing depth right now and don't see enough of a role for him in Madden.

Round 6:

Was- Bacarri Rambo S

Now- Baccari Rambo S. Loved this pick as well. Character risk, but great value in the 6th and finishes up the secondary if he fulfills his potential.

Round 7:

Was- Jawan Jamison RB

Now- Marquess Wilson WR. Don't need another RB, and I really like Wilson as a redzone target and developmental outside guy. I'd feel really comfortable with my WR corps moving forward with Harper and Wilson progressing, especially since Garçon hasn't proven to be fully healthy.

Undrafted rookie FA's:

T.J. Moe WR. Went to the Pats in real life, on IR now after an injury. But he'll be my future slot receiver once Moss hangs 'em up. Maybe sooner. He's physically a Welker clone. Not fast, but a Combine leader in tons of agility/explosion tests and has great hands.

Tyler Bray QB. Enormous arm, tiny brain. Will develop him as the long-term backup to RG3 once I trade Cousins, eventually. There will be a market.

Robbie Rouse RB. Just like the little guy. He's thick, stocky, and quick. Might make it as 3rd string if Helu can't get healthy.

Brad Wing P. Monster leg. Our P is aproximately 87 years old, so we'll see if the young cannon leg can beat him out.

Lawrence Okoye DL. Pure athletic freak, developmental depth.

That about wraps it up for now lol. I love this alternate draft stuff.

[Chernobyl426]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

I'm thinking of taking Arizona and moving them to Memphis, as soon as possible. I'd love to see the Memphis Cardinals. A two-headed monster of Ellington and Mendenhall, along with possibly grabbing Bray as a FA or trading for Ryan Mallett.

[Gronk4M13]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

I'll be doing a Connected Franchise Owner Mode with the Ravens. I won't move them because I only started liking them because they are in Baltimore. I'll be doing Owner Mode pretty realistically, nothing crazy. I'll experiment though, playing Owner Mode as the Raiders/Jaguars/Browns at some points and relocating them.

[azdawgpound]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

I try to keep my team intact just like the real team... although with my team it seems every season were changing coaches or half our roster out for new players.

this yr im gonna be airing it out alot since our offense is gonna be an attacking offense so I may break some records passing.

[Candyman5]

Play with Adrian and with the Vikings. Start a Franchise up and go from there.

Alternate method: Trade for Tim Tebow and make him fail miserably do his rating goes down enough so as I don't hear his name in my franchise.

[adamshpe]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

Team:
Green Bay Packers

Offense:
Trade A-Rod for quality mobile QB
Go to spread option offense
Run No-huddle all game

Defense:
Go from 3-4 to 4-3 with speed rush defensive ends

[Mr. Face]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

I have to franchises I'll be doing.

A Patriots one where I prepare the Patriots for a post-Brady time. In the Brady era I'll keep the same system in place as usual. A sped up Spread look with a lot of short passes and methodical drives. I'll probably keep Mallett around and see if I can build around him. If after two years or so that fails I'll draft a new QB. Ridley and Vereen will be huge parts of my offense and Gronkowski will likely be my primary receiver.

Defensively I'll probably also keep the Hybrid Multiple-D in place. I'm liking how the defense is looking as is. Devin McCourty is a Pro Bowl caliber safety. If Ras-I Dowling stays healthy I can develop him and Dennard will develop nicely. Arrington will probably be my fourth CB if Ras-I is healthy (and if I keep Talib). The linebacker corps is beastly with Jerod Mayo, Dont'a Hightower and Brandon Spikes sitting back there as well as Rob Ninkovich sometimes playing as an OLB. Defensive line is looking decent but has room to grow. Chandler Jones will be a beast of a lineman and Ninkovich can hold his own. Wilfork is Wilfork but I'll have to look to replace him a few years down the old as he begins to slow down.

The other franchise is the Eagles. I'll give Mike Vick one more year to perform in the Spread and if he fails I'll either probably work with Barkley in either a West Coast or a Spread. LeSean McCoy will be my primary player offensively. #1 thing on my mind with that team is improving that offensive line though. Defensively I might either use Hybrid Mutliple or the 4-3. If I can get a large enough guy that can prevent runs up the gut I will run a 3-4 (Kyle Love might work here). Trent Cole will be an impact player on the line but I'm looking at getting a big guy in the DT position. The linebacker corps had DeMeco Ryans who can be an impact player on the defense. I'm not too impressed with the rest of the defense though. The secondary also needs a fair amount of work. Brandon Boykin has the ability to turn into a good CB but he's a bit small. Otherwise they don't have much of anything in the secondary that I like. That'll probably need an overhaul.

The Eagles franchise is the more interesting to me as I actually have things I really need to add to the team.

[crf2013]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

doing a vikings franchise developing ponder into a middle of the pack guy and drafting like al davis would speed speed speed looking at guys like mike davis from texas and im gonna try and get purifoy from florida may try and make jamarcus russell valuable if ponder fails

[kunner]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

I'll be taking over Green Bay, as usual, just cant get myself to play as anyone else.

Ill be looking to upgrade my O-Line and bottom of the depth chart in the WR positions. Turn Lacy and Franklin into a studly 1-2 punch at RB.

Defense, try to find the next great safety in the draft to place next to Morgan Burnett.

Otherwise, the same old Ted Thompson stuff, go into the draft with 7-8 picks, then turn them into 12, all the while maybe signing 1 or 2 middle of the road at best free agents. Staying away from the big names, using the draft and develop strategy

[cuttingteeth]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

WIN.

I'm going to win.

[Mauer4MVP]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

Team:
Green Bay Packers

Offense:
Trade A-Rod for quality mobile QB
Go to spread option offense
Run No-huddle all game

Defense:
Go from 3-4 to 4-3 with speed rush defensive ends

So you are trading Aaron Rodgers for Aaron Rodgers?

[Mauer4MVP]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

Year 1: Play with current Vikings roster.
Off-season 1: Move Ponder and draft a QB. Let go Kevin Williams and re-sign Allen.

Year 2: Super Bowl Homeboy.

[KLima878]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

Use my Jags. Give Gabbert one more year to show he can become a franchise QB. Keep MJD as my first option and slowly move to a quick spread offense with Blackmon and Shorts

[Callsign Stitch]

Re: What are you going to do with your team?

Starting as a coach for my team, getting rid of any players I consider to be dead wood and making sure I have versatility and depth in every position. That is key.