Picking up a rebuilding project in any kind of sports video game is a daunting task. You have to be resigned to the fact that you're going to lose more than you win and that reaching the playoffs is more of a pipe-dream than a reality. But the reward is unlike anything else, in Madden. Slowly building your team back to prominence takes a skill unlike any other. You have to be persistent, smart, and methodical.

The real question is, where do you even begin? Here are five of the biggest rebuilding projects in Madden, and what you can do to fix them:


1. Oakland Raiders

Let's be honest: few NFL fans have suffered in the same way that Oakland Raider fans have in the last few years. Seemingly unwilling to commit to a ground-up rebuild, the Raiders continue to throw small band-aids over gaping wounds. Maurice Jones-Drew? What's the point. Matt Shaub? Same thing. The Raiders need a youth-movement in the worst way, and that's what we are going to give them.

• Move on from McFadden. The truth is, he's never going to become the dominant RB that he could have been. He still has enough upside that someone with a strong O-Line and no running back may be willing to take a shot on him.
• Give Carr the rock! There's a significant chance Carr is never better than his brother, but that shouldn't stop the Raiders from giving him a couple of years to mature and progress as a QB.
• Draft a stacked defense. The Raiders don't have a good defense, and it's only going to get worse. They are older around the board, and need to begin taking some high risk/high reward guys in the draft.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have been one of the NFL's worst franchise over the course of the last decade. It's hard to believe, but they are headed in the right direction. They had their first great draft in a few years, they seem to have a franchise QB, and may have found a gem or two in their WR corps. Their defensive line is deep and tenacious, with the upside of being young. Still, there is a lot you can do here to speed up the process.

• Play Bortles. Henne is washed up and doesn't have a future anywhere else but on the bench. Most of the WR's that are playing are also young, so why not let Bortles mature with them?
• Draft an offensive line. The Jaguars have the worst line in football, and it's not really close. The first thing that needs to be done is to get Bortles some protection.
• Draft a shut down corner. The Jaguars have the defensive line to force a lot of pressure, but not the secondary to make offenses pay for it.

3. Minnesota Vikings

Things only get worse for the Vikings without Adrian Peterson. The good news is that I think the Vikings are probably a lot closer to being a contender, even without Peterson, than most people think. They have a good bit of work to do defensively, and it might be better for them to start getting younger as soon as 2015. They have two potential superstars on offense in Bridgewater and Patterson. If Peterson doesn't make your roster, or is cut all-together, where can you look for a running back?

• Because I don't think it's worth trading a pick for, I'd wait to draft the next big thing at running back. If Peterson is there, then your offense is just about set up going into the future.
• Set up the Bridgewater-Patterson connection. Look, this is going to be a common thread amongst these rebuilding projects. Play the young guys, and let things unfold how they may.
• Draft a pass rusher. Do whatever it takes to get the next Clowney, because the first step toward rebuilding a defense is to draft a monster pass-rusher. Pairing them up with Floyd would be a nightmare for opposing offenses.

4. St. Louis Rams

It may be time to move on from Sam Bradford. Then again, it might not be. Even though he's out for the season, this may be a good time to find your next weapon offensively. Big-play potential guys like Tavon Austin and Tre Mason should be seeing chunks of play-time, even if it is with Keenum or Hill at the helm.

• Build for '15. The Rams have a surprisingly nasty defense, so why not see if you can take the year to build an offense to match it?
• Use all of your time and energy to make sure Greg Robinson becomes a superstar at LT. Put every ounce of XP and such that you can into him, because LT is the most underrated position in the game and Robinson has a massive ceiling.
• Let your young defensive backfield show their talent. Guys like Jenkins, Roberson, Joyner, and Gaines have the potential to be one of the most deadly defensive backfields in the game.

5. Houston Texans

The Texans are really close to having it all, defensively. Joseph, Clowney, and Watt are a ton to handle in terms of defensive superstars. The problem is always going to be the offense. They need to find a QB, and they need to find one quickly. Until then, the plan should be simple: give the rock to Arian Foster and Alfred Blue.

• Draft a QB. Perhaps the most obvious statement so far, the Texans are in desperate need of a young QB who can manage a game. Unless you think Savage is the answer, use a first-rounder on a QB.
• Trade Foster. It sounds silly, but there are a ton of teams in need of a playmaker at RB. The Texans aren't going anywhere this year unless they can grow another ten JJ Watt's, so try and get another early rounder to prepare for next year.
• Do everything you can to ensure that Clowney isn't a bust.