With Madden NFL 15 only a couple of months away, and E3 in the rear view mirror, let's look ahead at the who will be the most exciting teams to use come August 26th! As you read this list, understand that this is Madden specific, and not any kind of prediction or opinion about any of the real-life NFL franchises or teams.
    
    Success in Madden has traditionally come down to highly rated players at skill positions on offense and defense. In Madden NFL, the game has often felt like both the offensive and defensive lines were afterthoughts. This is especially true with interior linemen, who existed only to field an authentic number of players on the field.  Quarterback has been the most important key to success for a long time in Madden, with running back, and wide receiver/tight end rounding out the “must have” positions. Let's hope that all of the talk about the defensive side of the ball actually comes to fruition this year.

32. Tennessee Titans – The Titans are strong in the one area that typically doesn't make that much difference in Madden, offensive line. The team lost perennial Madden superstar RB Chris Johnson in the off-season, and added rookie RB Bishop Sankey in his place. QB remains a question mark. I can't imagine a more run-of-the-mill team to use in Madden unless you're a fan.

31. Miami Dolphins – QB Ryan Tannehill remains an intriguing player who showed real improvement and new addition Knowshon Moreno will be the most exciting running back Miami has had since the duo of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. WR Mike Wallace is still a Madden beast but after Tannehill/Moreno/Wallace there aren't impact players on offense.

30. Kansas City Chiefs – Kansas City will be very tough on defense and will probably be the only team that can compete with Denver for the AFC West title. In Madden however, defense doesn't win games. On offense the Chiefs have Jamaal Charles and he is a legit stud running back. WR Dwayne Bowe and QB Alex Smith are solid, not spectacular players.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jacksonville Jaguars will struggle again this year. The only reason this team isn't at the top (or bottom if you prefer) of this list is because of the additions in the NFL Draft. The hope is that some combination of QB Blake Bortles, RBs Toby Gerhart and Storm Johnson, and WRs Cecil Shorts III, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson, and maybe Justin Blackmon (will Madden have him on the roster?) can bring some excitement to the franchise.

28. Saint Louis Rams – The Rams improved their team in the NFL Draft, but did so mostly at non skill player positions. For that reason, it remains to be seen how much of that improvement transfers to Madden NFL 15. QB Sam Bradford is back and he's been given a couple of new weapons. RB Tre Mason was drafted to help provide the Rams with a legitimate running game, and WR Kenny Britt was signed to bolster a WR core that is already young and exciting.

27. Oakland Raiders – The Oakland Raiders have all of the trappings of an overrated team in Madden NFL 15. Big name, aging free agent defensive signings? Check. Big name running backs with injury history that Madden doesn't replicate? Check. Shiny new QB? Check. It could be ugly unless the ratings are adjusted to realistic values.

26. San Diego Chargers – With the Manti Teo story in the background, most casual NFL fans overlook the Chargers despite San Diego being a playoff team. QB Phillip Rivers is an elite player, and RB Ryan Mathews had a breakout season in 2013-2014. TE Antonio Gates is still playing at a near elite level despite his age, and the WR corps is better than you think, Keenan Allen was a revelation last year. Danny Woodhead flies under the radar and deserves more recognition.

25. Buffalo Bills – The addition of WR Sammy Watkins to go along with Robert Woods, automatically makes Buffalo much more exciting. QB EJ Manuel has been more effective in Madden than in real life thanks to his mobility, and DE Mario Williams should remain an exciting pass rusher. C.J. Spiller will always be an exciting player, especially in Madden, where he doesn't suffer the injury issues that he does in real life.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers – QB Ben Roethlisberger is still an elite player and Antonio Brown and Heath Miller return as the top targets. WRs Lance Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey don't move the needle much. LBs Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier are two potentially exciting players to use on defense in Madden NFL 15.

23. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens had some nice additions in the off-season, including signing WR Steve Smith, drafting ILB C.J. Mosley, and adding Owen Daniels at TE. Joe Flacco is still a top flight QB and Torrey Smith is turning into a #1 receiver. The interesting thing will be to see how Madden handles RB Ray Rice. Not only his suspension, but where he rates after a disaster of a season in 13-14.

22. New York Giants – Everyone knows Eli Manning's pedigree and WR Victor Cruz is an elite NFL wide receiver. The questions begin after that. The loss of Hakeem Nicks, the regression and injuries of RB David Wilson, and the loss of security blanket TE Brandon Myers all point to a less potent offense in 2014-2015. Drafting Odell Beckham Jr. helps fill the void but questions remain. Andre Williams was drafted to help at RB.

21.Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals still have one of the best WRs in the game, A.J. Green. Giovani Bernard is on the verge of becoming a legitimate game breaker while former LSU RB Jeremy Hill adds intriguing depth. The interesting question here is at QB. This is a make or break season for Andy Dalton.

20. Houston Texans – One name. Jadaveon Clowney. That sums up the majority of interest and excitement gamers will have in using Houston this season. I almost guarantee every Madden gamer will use this team at least once, just because of Clowney. This team is not devoid of talent, despite it's 2-14 record last season. Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, and promising youngster DeAndre Hopkins bring excitement on offense.

19. Arizona Cardinals – Arizona could be a lot of fun to use if defense is truly back in Madden NFL 15. The team still has exciting pieces on offense too, including Larry Fitzgerald, Andre Ellington, and Carson Palmer. They added QB Logan Thomas in the NFL Draft for those of us who play franchise mode, as well as signing deep threat Ted Ginn Jr. to stretch the field.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – The Bucs have an interesting roster for Madden. They added Josh McCown to stabilize the QB position, drafted WR Mike Evans to join Vincent Jackson, and have an exciting running back in Doug Martin, who underperformed and was injured most of last season. The Bucs will have a new look and new philosophy under new Head Coach Lovie Smith and it'll be interesting to see how Madden captures the changes.

17. Minnesota Vikings – Much of the excitement in Minnesota comes from the addition of QB Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater adds a quality signal caller to an offense that already features arguably the best running back in the NFL, Adrian Peterson, and one of the most exciting young receivers, Corderelle Patterson. If the Bridgewater/Peterson combo clicks, watch for Minnesota to go to the top of this list next season.

16. New York Jets – The Jets' roster is somewhat like the Raiders that I talked about earlier, in that they've signed veteran players who could be over-rated in Madden on name value alone. See: Vick, Michael and Johnson, Chris. Virtual Vick will probably continue to be a much more deadly weapon than the real Vick. Eric Decker gives the receiving corps a legit play maker with size, TE Jace Amaro will probably start Week One, and WR Shaq Evans could be an interesting sleeper to produce.

15. Chicago Bears – Everything starts with the QB/RB combo. Jay Cutler and Matt Forte give the team the means to compete with any team, especially with Marc Tressman's offensive scheme. WR Alshon Jeffrey, who blew up last year, is now a serious focus for opposing defenses, allowing Brandon Marshall to be even more effective.

14. Indianapolis Colts – Franchise QB Andrew Luck was given an added weapon in WR Hakeem Nicks to go along with T.Y. Hilton, Coby Fleener, and the aging Reggie Wayne. Luck also has a stable of running backs at his disposal. Trent Richardson was a disappointment after the trade last season, and it'll be interesting to see how he's rated. LB Robert Mathis is coming off of a 19.5 sack season, and should be a beast in Madden NFL 15.

13. Dallas Cowboys – Dallas is still Dallas, and this team will always be a popular team to use. QB Tony Romo is likely to be rated as an elite QB, WR Dez Bryant is unquestionably an elite talent, TE Jason Witten seems ageless in his production, and WR Terrance Williams began coming into his own last season. The Cowboys will still be a fun team play with, even if the defense is historically bad again.

12. Atlanta Falcons – Despite the struggles of the real Falcons, the amount of talent that Atlanta has on offense ensures that they will still be one of the most popular teams to use in Madden NFL 15. Matt Ryan is still a franchise QB, WRs Julio Jones and Roddy White are still exciting play makers, and the addition of Devin Hester could make the return game elite in Atlanta. The retirement of TE Tony Gonzalez hurts, and the running back situation is not ideal.

11. New Orleans Saints – The Saints have been a popular Madden team for a long time. QB Drew Brees is one of the best to ever play the position, Marques Colston has elite size at WR, and Brandon Cooks was drafted to give the offense an over the top threat. The biggest reason for the Saints' popularity however, has been TE Jimmy Graham. Anyone who's played Madden in the last several years knows how unstoppable a good TE can be in Madden.

10. Cleveland Browns – The drafting of Johnny Manziel took the Browns from a Madden afterthought, to a team that almost everyone is excited to use. Everyone is waiting to sling it (and run it) with 'Johnny Football'. TE Jordan Cameron is an emerging star, while Miles Austin and Nate Burleson bring name value to the WR corps. So much hinges on how Madden handles the Josh Gordon suspension.

9. Green Bay Packers – Everyone knows why gamers use the Packers. QB Aaron Rodgers has been a Madden monster for years now. With the emergence of Eddie Lacy as a #1 RB last season, the Packers offense is more dangerous than ever. WRs Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson are studs. The Packers defense added DE Julius Peppers in the off-season.

8. Carolina Panthers – With Luke Kuechly and Cam Newton so prominent in the advertising and cover voting of Madden NFL 15, the Panthers should see an uptick in usage this year. Carolina features two dynamic pass rushers in Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy, and perhaps the best ILB in the NFL, Kuechly. The appeal of Cam Newton is obvious, as he's a ridiculous dual threat. The Panthers drafted Kelvin Benjamin to give Newton the big target that he's never had at WR.

7. Philadelphia Eagles – No offense in recent memory looks like a "video game offense", like the Eagles. QB Nick Foles threw for 27 TDs against 2 INT last season. Running back/receiver extraordinaire Darren Sproles joins LeSean McCoy to give the Eagles a ridiculous 1-2 punch. TE Zach Ertz is emerging. The loss of Desean Jackson hurts, but Jeremy Maclin hopes to come back healthy in Chip Kelly's fast paced attack.

6. New England Patriots – This year's squad added big name CB Darrelle Revis after losing Aqib Talib to Denver. While the Pats hope they've improved the defense, the reason Madden gamers will use them is the QB, Tom Brady. Brady has plenty of weapons this year in the backfield and at receiver. Rob Gronkowski is a Madden beast. The young WRs are improving as well.

5. Washington Redskins – Despite his struggles last season returning from a knee injury, RG III is still one of the most exciting players in the NFL. The team added Desean Jackson to give Griffin the over the top game breaker that he's never had. Jackson is joined by Pierre Garcon, Leonard Hankerson, and Andre Roberts. Alfred Morris is still holding down the RB position and TE Jordan Reed is turning into a really good weapon.

4. Detroit Lions – If ever a team seems built for Madden domination, it's these Detroit Lions. QB Matt Stafford got even more weapons in the off-season. Detroit signed WR Golden Tate and drafted TE Eric Ebron. They join an offensive fantasy roster that includes Megatron and Reggie Bush. The defensive line could be dominant.

3. San Francisco 49ers – The San Francisco 49ers are built to compete for a championship. Colin Kapernick is a favorite in Madden due to his dual threat ability and Frank Gore is still going strong into his 30's. Vernon Davis is an elite tight end, and SF added more depth to WR in Stevie Johnson and rookie Bruce Ellington. The defense has incredible talent at nearly every position.

2. Seattle Seahawks – If any team in recent memory makes you long for the promised defensive improvements in Madden, it's the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. In Madden NFL 15, I'm excited to run with the Seahawks and the 'Legion of Boom'. Russell Wilson is an emerging star and a dual threat weapon in Madden. "Beast Mode" Marshawn Lynch is one of the most fun RBs to use in the game.

1. Denver Broncos – Led by QB Peyton Manning, Denver added the pieces to get back to the Super Bowl and win it. Normally, losing a running back who gained 1,000 yards and scored 10 TDs would be a big blow. With the system that Denver employs however, Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman share the load and will likely replace his production. Eric Decker also departed in the off-season and in his place, Denver signed Emmanuel Sanders. WR Cody Latimer was drafted to help as well. CB Aqib Talib figures to be a big upgrade over Champ Bailey. SS T.J. Ward gives Denver a new enforcer, and the team took a chance on pass rushing specialist DeMarcus Ware as well.

There you have it OS. This is my list, what do you think? Which team(s) are you most excited to try out in Madden NFL 15?