Strategic Keys to Running a Solid Madden Football Video Game Franchise

Personally, my base formation is a 4-3. I also use a fair amount of nickel, dime and quarter defenses for obvious reasons (passing situations). These two simple facts point to one overwhelming truth that is sometimes overlooked by gamers: the middle linebacker is tremendously instrumental in the success of my team, as he will play in all of the above formations. Of course, the same could be said for one defensive tackle, one defensive end and four defensive backs (two cornerbacks and two safeties). While that is relevant, the defensive backs are often not highly involved in running situations, so, the three key players left include one defensive tackle, one defensive end and a middle linebacker. Of those three positions, the middle linebacker undoubtedly covers the most ground. For this reason, I aim to have a tremendous middle linebacker. The best way to do this is to draft. In contrast to the way Daniel Snyder has historically run the Washington Redskins (look where it's gotten them), drafting is key to creating a solid franchise. You can pay young players much less than free agents, plain and simple. However, when thinking about which positions to draft, there is one thing to bear in mind...

Use Training to Your Advantage

If you are good at a particular type of training session, then you can draft mid-round players, train them in that particular session and build a quality franchise with young prospects that progress rather well. On the other hand, if you are horrible at the offensive or defensive line drills, then the only way to draft for those positions is in the 1^st or 2^nd round, as you will not manually be able to improve those player's attributes. Furthermore, if you can consistently perform at a top level at the Kicking training, then there is no need to ever pay top dollar for a kicker. Sign one to a seven year contract, train him to capacity and move on to a younger, cheaper kicker who can easily be trained up to capacity very quickly. If you're lucky, like I was, you'll end up with a kicker in the last year of his seven year contract who is also a Team Leader, and therefore benefiting the younger kicker you acquired a year before the previous kicker's contract expires.

Sometimes, you need to acquire a free agent. You may be starting out with a poor quality team and need to fill more holes than you have quality draft picks. In this case, you should be mindful of a few aspects, which brings up an important aspect to running a solid Madden Football Franchise...

Use Player Weapon Icons to Your Advantage

Both current gen (Playstation 2 or X-Box) and next gen (Playstation 3 or X-Box 360) Madden Football video games utilize player weapon icons, depicting a player's best attributes or roles. While one may automatically know that the icon displaying hands signifies that the player has a great catching ability, it is often less obvious player weapon icons that people need to be aware of when acquiring free agents, or trading for older players (although I'd keep the later to a definite minimum). Roles to look out for in such circumstances include: NFL Icon, Team Mentor and Team Leader.

"NFL Icons" give all teammates on the same side of a ball an awareness (AWR) boost of +1. "Team Mentors" give players at the same position an AWR boost of +1. However, if those players are young, then they get a +2 boost. (Another reason to build with the draft.) Additionally, "Team Leaders" boost young players AWR +1. (The arguments for building through the draft make themselves.) Each of my two Playstation 2 Madden Football franchise teams has at least one player from each of the aforementioned categories. My Washington Redskins franchise contains seven players from the above three categories that boost AWR, especially for young players. However, while these player weapon icons are vitally important (and may not be easy to attain), other player weapon icons should not be overlooked, especially...

Speed, Which can not be Taught or Acquired Through Training

Speed also kills. There is no deep threat without a speedy wide receiver (WR), a running game will never be top-notch without an elusive back and training can improve other attributes of players, but not speed. Speedy defensive backs are useful, especially safeties, as they are the last line of defense, but there's a little trick to playing the speed game. Often a late round draft pick will not provide much usefulness, but there is one place where there is an exception to this rule...

The Kick Return Factor

Both my Houston Texans and Washington Redskins franchises have Kick Return Specialists and you've never heard of either one of them. One of them was acquired as the thirty second pick of the fifth round and the other was picked up in the seventh round of the draft. Technically, on the wide receiver (WR) depth chart they rank 6^th and 5^th, respectively, but they also have speed attributes of 99 and 98, respectively. Their real role is to return kickoffs and punts as far as they can. Additionally, due to their relatively low overall attribute numbers, they are cheap. While they typically don't make any catches during a game, they come in handy when other WR's get injured or I'm in the spread shotgun formation trying to play catch-up in the last moments of a game. To illustrate the point, in my last completed season, one of them had five catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns - a 32 yard average with a touchdown scored 60% of the time he touched the ball offensively. Speed kills. The other one has yet to catch a pass, but he's young and there's time, after all, this is franchise we're building. Taking everything into consideration, there is one more important way to create a solid football franchise...

Build Vertically

Stack veterans who are NFL Icons, Team Mentors and Team Leaders on the top of the depth chart above young players with promise. If you can manage to find a Team Mentor at the wide receiver or cornerback position, then you will be substantially rewarded by acquiring a couple promising young draft picks at the same position, as there is no limit to the number of players whose AWR can be boosted. Additionally, by building vertically you can help solidify the chance of a young draft pick becoming an NFL Icon, Team Mentor or Team Leader simply by following in the footsteps of one. Think about this like creating double dividends for yourself - today's young player constantly receiving AWR boosts is tomorrow's AWR booster.

LIVIN has played Madden Football on Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, X-Box, X-Box 360, Playstation 2 and Playstation 3. LIVIN's favorite video game platform for the Madden Football franchise is Playstation 2.