The 10 Rookies That Will Change Madden 16

Feature Article

Submitted on: 03/25/2015 by Danny Webster

Image credit to Associated Press / Julio Cortez

When it comes to Madden, two things matter from March until the game is released: free agents and rookies.

Not only are you enamored with the thought of all these players going to new teams, but you start thinking of what teams are you going to use the most when the new Madden 16 comes out.

Madden 16 might be the craziest game yet, in terms of new faces. Not only have their been plenty of moves this offseason, but the rookie class is slated to be the deepest, talented class in a long time. Especially with how much mock drafts are valued, the different possibilities where the top rookies could land provides never-ending intrigue. Let's take a look at the 10 rookies that will be in Madden 16 that will be on your radar when playing online or on connected franchise.

Jameis Winston - QB, Florida State: All signs point to the former Heisman Trophy winner to go No. 1 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That would actually be an insane fit for CFM.

How it would play out: Winston is the quarterback from Day 1, and he already has two great targets in Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. In video game world, he also has Doug Martin as a healthy running back, but a questionable offensive line. If you can work around that, then Winston is your guy to build around.

Marcus Mariota - QB, Oregon: It's a competition between Winston and Mariota for the top quarterback in the draft. Mariota is an intriguing prospect due to his speed and throw power.

How it would play out: It wouldn't surprise anyone in the least if the Philadelphia Eagles decided to trade up for Mariota, because Chip Kelly is Chip Kelly. But signs point to the New York Jets as a possible landing spot. If that's the case, Mariota works the read-option to perfection with whatever running back the Jets can pick up later on in the draft. He also has the luxury of having Brandon Marshall as his go-to receiver. In a couple of years, Mariota is the league MVP and the Jets are winning Super Bowls with their re-tooled defense also making plays.

Amari Cooper - WR, Alabama: Cooper is projected to be the first receiver to go in the draft. He's the safest bet because of his size (6-foot-1, 210 pounds) and a 4.4 40-yard time.

How it would play out: Cooper more than likely goes in the top-10 and there are plenty of teams that could use a No. 1 receiver, like the Oakland Raiders, the St. Louis Rams or the Chicago Bears. Cooper becomes the No. 1 guy for years to come and potentially has young quarterbacks like Nick Foles or Derek Carr throwing the ball. If he's drafted by Chicago, good luck with Jay Cutler at quarterback.

Leonard Williams - DE, USC: Williams has been a top-5 projected pick since the end of LAST YEAR'S NFL Draft. That's how good scouts have him rated. He would be an instant upgrade for any team that needs a 4-3 defensive end.

How it would play out: Williams more than likely goes in the top-5, either to the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars or the Washington Redskins, if he falls that far. If he goes to the Titans, Williams plays in a 3-4 defense, but also has Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo on his side. Jacksonville is becoming a great defensive team under Gus Bradley, and he'd be a start for the Jaguars. Many teams could use him. You could also play Williams at defensive tackle, which would make him another version of J.J. Watt. So if the Texans draft him, you might as well forfeit the game.

Kevin White - WR, West Virginia: White is the fastest receiver to enter the draft. This is a guy that ran a 4.2 40-yard dash during the combine. He has great hands to go along with that ridiculous speed.

How it would play out: Now, if he goes to St. Louis (where a few mocks have him going), forget about it. The Rams would become a team where speed kills everything. White on the opposite side of Tavon Austin would be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. There would also be a lot of deep-ball cheese on the horizon. Foles probably wouldn't mind throwing the ball 50 yards down field about 15-20 times a game if that were the case. It would be like having a 99-overall Michael Vick on your team, but at wide receiver and they can catch anything.

Melvin Gordon - RB, Wisconsin: For the first time in a long time, the running back position holds value. You may know Gordon as the back that held the FBS rushing record for a solid week before Oklahoma ball carrier Samaje Perine topped it.

How it would play out: There are plenty of talented backs in this class. Gordon is the prototypical back that any team would want. San Diego comes to mind as a team that needs a running back, since Ryan Mathews went to the Eagles. Gordon has good speed and power at the point of attack that he can even be depended on for those tough goal-line situations.

Dante Fowler, Jr. - OLB, Florida: Fowler is a versatile pass rusher that can either play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, or a 4-3 speed rusher. He ran a 4.6 40-yard dash, so he's quick and useful against those faster quarterbacks.

How it would play out: Fowler is like Williams in that he could go on any team and be a dominant presence at the line of scrimmage. He would fit better in Tennessee's scheme, but after signing Orakpo, there's no need. Jacksonville could be a great fit, as well as the Washington Redskins. They'll be lacking defensively in Madden next year, so it's best to build your front seven around Fowler if he drops to No. 5.

DeVante Parker - WR, Louisville: A potential mid-round steal, Parker can also be a No. 1 option for a team that needs it. He missed seven games last year due to injury, but when healthy, he's capable of being a game changer.

How it would play out: The ideal scenario would be Minnesota at No. 11, because Teddy Bridgewater would probably feel more comfortable having a buddy to throw the ball to. Also, the possibility of Adrian Peterson not being traded this offseason means you could still use him as a primary back. And the Vikings also just traded for Mike Wallace. Minnesota finally would have a pretty stellar offense, and Bridgewater would have no excuse to not lead the Vikings towards a division title.

Todd Gurley - RB, Georgia: Gurley's draft stock took a hit after tearing his ACL last season, stacked onto the improper benefits situation. But he's still projected to go mid-to-late first round and has a lot of talent.

How it would play out: There could be a chance one running back falls to the Dallas Cowboys, and if it's Gurley, it would be a great replacement for DeMarco Murray. Now that the Cowboys have signed Greg Hardy, defensive end becomes a secondary concern. Gurley would be a great lead back, with Darren McFadden right behind him, leaving no loss of production for Dallas' running game.

Brett Hundley - QB, UCLA: One of my sleepers in the draft, Hundley is a projected 3rd- or 4th-round pick that has shown flashes of great potential. He won't be asked to be a starter but he has tools to be one day.

How it would play out: Hundley goes to a team that already has a quarterback in place. If said quarterback goes down or retires, or just plays terribly, Hundley steps in and takes the reigns of the franchise. Let's just say the Denver Broncos draft him in the middle rounds. He sits behind Peyton Manning, takes over when he retires, and the Broncos don't miss a beat.

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Member Comments

# 1 ATLBrayden @ 03/25/15 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shady Mike


	Yes new players and new faces, but the same terrible graphics / gameplay. I hope they update the player models and running animations significantly.

Gameplay isn't on point but I thought the one definite thing Madden had going for it was its graphics lol.

# 2 azdawgpound @ 03/25/15 06:11 PM

we'll seeing as i only use the browns i doubt i'll get use any of these unless we trade up to get mariota to be our qb.

# 3 ASUBoy93 @ 03/25/15 06:36 PM

Kevin White ran a 4.35 at the combine, not a 4.2 just so you know. Still fast, but not 4.2 fast.

# 4 Trick13 @ 03/25/15 06:45 PM

I would rather the Cowboys draft a CB, than RB, especially one coming off an injury - Dallas has done this too many times - projecting value too high with little regard for injury history...

# 5 trey2k198003 @ 03/25/15 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shady Mike


	IMO Madden looks worse than every other next gen game. ESPECIALLY every othe next gen sports game.

I respectfully disagree with that entire statement

# 6 SVCbearcat10 @ 03/26/15 08:53 AM

The only ones that will change Madden (as in people will control those teams more) are the QBs. There's no real difference between the good ones and the bad ones, so having a fast QB is all that matters.

# 7 snc237 @ 03/26/15 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shady Mike


	IMO Madden looks worse than every other next gen game. ESPECIALLY every othe next gen sports game.

You can't say madden is the best looking game but its not horrible. Ya NBA 2k looks amazing but they only have 10 people on the court at one time. That's not even enough to field a team in football. Is there room for improvement oh yes but it's far from what you say.

# 8 RickyAC @ 03/26/15 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLBrayden


	Gameplay isn't on point but I thought the one definite thing Madden had going for it was its graphics lol.

Madden's "graphics" problem is really a problem of the Uncanny Valley. If you take a screenshot of Madden gameplay and it looks great.
But, put those nice player models into action, and the benefits of detailed eyebrows and accurate nostril widths are annihilated by the problems of animation and locomotion.
Running animations are awful and identical. Nobody has obvious body weight, strength, flexibility, or functioning brains. There is not a human body underneath all the gear. Interactions between players, in different contexts, is cheesy and unrealistic.

The art team cannot overcome total incompetence from animators and programmers.

# 9 nuckles2k2 @ 03/26/15 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyAC


	Madden's "graphics" problem is really a problem of the Uncanny Valley. If you take a screenshot of Madden gameplay and it looks great. But, put those nice player models into action, and the benefits of detailed eyebrows and accurate nostril widths are annihilated by the problems of animation and locomotion. Running animations are awful and identical. Nobody has obvious body weight, strength, flexibility, or functioning brains. There is not a human body underneath all the gear. Interactions between players, in different contexts, is cheesy and unrealistic. The art team cannot overcome total incompetence from animators and programmers.

I agree with everything you said.

Also, none of the EA Sports titles are doing much to take advantage of the hardwares available.

While game size can be a misnomer, because we know audio takes up a sizable chunk of storage space, but so do high quality textures, so there should be no reason for EA games to clock in under 20gigs while 2K & The Show average 35+gigs.

That space can be used for logic for a more robust physics engine, improved textures, better lighting/shading, better football AI, etc.

Even if there's some level of compression going on (those textures they're using don't need compression...at all...), how much are they compressing to get Madden 15 down to 18gigs while 2K15 is 48+ & MLB 15 is 35+?

Don't know why they won't go all out & at least dazzle us with some crazy visuals. Crazier than what they're giving us, because it's not like we haven't seen & heard better.

# 10 CBAT @ 03/26/15 05:37 PM

4.2!? Try 4.35.

# 11 BreakingBad2013 @ 03/27/15 12:17 AM

I disagree.

Mariota, Yes, Kevin White yes. But in terms of Madden... the players that will change the game are

Mariota
Kevin White
Dorial Green Beckham
Sammie Coates
Trey Waynes
Breshad Perriman
Duke Johnson
Phillips Dorsett
Leonard Williams
Dante Fowler

# 12 Tabez @ 03/29/15 05:40 AM

Wow can't wait to use the 2015 Jags in the next madden! Hopefully Leonard Williams Slips to them.

# 13 WingedLion14 @ 03/29/15 10:33 PM

I think the offensive lineman are really underrepresented here. Depending on how you view various lineman, there are three college LTs who are capable of being plug-and-play at multiple spots (Peat, Scherff, Collins) and several Ts and Gs in rounds 2 and 3 who could be significant next year.

# 14 Boilerbuzz @ 03/30/15 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snc237


	You can't say madden is the best looking game but its not horrible. Ya NBA 2k looks amazing but they only have 10 people on the court at one time. That's not even enough to field a team in football. Is there room for improvement oh yes but it's far from what you say.

I drives me nuts when I see this excuse. Not just talking 2K, but just basketball games in general:

1. A basketball game has closer gameplay cameras. So their models have to render higher details than football. Can you see actual faces on the football players during gameplay?

2. Basketball games have to render higher detailed secondary character models like coaches, bench players, and officials. Not to mention -

3. Basketball games have to always render more detailed crowds during gameplay.

4. More stadium detail including scorers' tables, chairs, and especially the goals.

So before downplaying a basketball game graphics in comparison to football, consider the FULL scene. Not just the players.

# 15 LBzrule @ 04/03/15 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BreakingBad2013


	I disagree. Mariota, Yes, Kevin White yes. But in terms of Madden... the players that will change the game are Mariota Kevin White Dorial Green Beckham Sammie Coates Trey Waynes Breshad Perriman Duke Johnson Phillips Dorsett Leonard Williams Dante Fowler

These guys are not going to change Madden. Also I wouldn't have any defender on the list unless you can get them completely free on the pass rush. As for the offensive players they won't change Madden they will actually continue to contribute to the way the game plays. Just taking Coates, Perriman and Mariota as an example. If these three get on the same team, someone will probably put up 50 points easy. Scramble left with Mariota, Send Coates on a streak down the right sideline. Watch your defense all drift toward Mariota and leave Coates wide open for the TD. That's against zone. But against man the CB is gonna get raped by the speed, which would be realistic for the most part.

In other words, OL vs DL still needs a lot of work. There is too much there that is a mess. In order to prevent that now you have A gap nanos from DL or you have the .5 second block shed to try to stop someone from scrambling. Or nobody gets any pressure whatsoever. The trenches are still a mess IMO.

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