A Tale of Three QBs
So in spirit of expanded attributes I thought it would be fun to tell the tale of three QBs in regards to hidden potential, progression and regression (with illustrations to boot).
Once upon a time, there were three prospective 1st round QBs who had all the scouts scratching their heads:
- Drake Gortles - He was everything you look for in a QB, tall, built, cannon for an arm but his mental acuity was somewhat questionable
- Donny Namziel - He was electric, a playmaker, he made you love football but there was something about his heart that made you pause
- Eddy Ridgewater - Quiet but solid, a true team mate but never excelling in the eye test
The three QBs were eventually all drafted in the first round and the scouts and coaches put them through their paces.
- Drake Gortles did okay his rookie year and then excelled in his sophmore season when his team brought the QB whisperer to town. He progressed well under this QB coach despite being of modest potential. However, once the QB coach was gone, Drake stumbled and stalled in his development for the next few seasons until one day a light bulb lit up above his head. He finally got it! He found his brain! But by this point, a decline in progression and regression meant that it was too late to achieve his full potential, but did well as a successful journeyman until his retirement.
- Donny Namziel was flash with cash now he was on a team. The coaches got a look at his heart, but realised he wasn't "all in" when it came to the game. He didn't do well in the clutch, or with morale, he sunk team chemistry and the coaches realised despite the high physical and playmaking skills, his potential was limited by his lack of heart and intangibles. Donny was cut and spent years bouncing around the league, entertaining with his flashy play that was just a flash in the pan.
- Eddy Rridgewater came last and was humbled by it. The coaches got to meet this kid and realised he had great intangibles and his heart was in the right place! He progressed quickly under great coaches early on despite a lack of size and questions about his slight frame. Ultimately disaster struck and a freak injury caused a severe regression in Eddy. He eventually found his courage and recovered, proceeding to work his way back up but the pundits would always wonder how high his potential was if that injury never happened. Eddy found success as a solid field general, leaning on his sharp wits and cheery morale over his lack of physicality and size
And then all three were buggered when the shining knight Eric Barr was taken in the 2nd round and put them all to shame...
The drawings below illustrate my idea of how developing a player in Madden could be. Potential is hidden and acts as a soft ceiling to a players OVR. The progression rating starts off at its peak and slowly declines with age as that player becomes more of a known commodity. Good coaching combined with high progression means players hit their potential faster and more consistently. The regression attribute slowly decreases with age which increases the chance and magnitude of a player regressing. Starting off with a high regression attribute holds off the effects of father time a little bit longer but injuries can chip away at this attribute. A good trainer helps keep father time away too! :P