Scouting rookies, what is your process?

[nelsonb24]

I like to run offline franchise modes. Scouting is always the biggest issue for me. I'm never quite sure what exact attributes I should be keying on for different positions. I also am not good at finding sleepers. Can you guys give me your normal process when it comes to drafting in off-line leagues?

[RodgersComeHome]

There are a lot of variables that go into scouting. First off, you have to focus in on 1 or 2 positions where your team needs the most help. Due to the fact that, at most, you can get 2,000 scouting SP per week (and that's if you buy like the 50,000 XP scouting package upgrade), spending scouting points on different players with different positions every week will get you nowhere. You can narrow it down even further, and deem what type of player your team needs. For example, if you need a speedy WR, you would go through most of the WR's and scout their speed, if you wanted a sack artist you would scout finesse moves, power moves, etc. But the most underrated part of scouting is scheme, it costs little to no points and is one of the determining factors on the player's overall as it relates to your team. A player who fits your offensive or defensive scheme will have a higher overall rating, conversely a player that does not fit your scheme can, in some cases, have their rating go down quite dramatically. For instance, while scouting RBs I thought I found a gem with a 2nd rounder who was an 87 OVR. He was a speed back, and I grabbed him because I wanted to get the BPA. Well, I was running a West Coast Offense and on my depth chart he was listed as a 79 OVR. Meanwhile, Reggie Bush, a pretty mediocre back, fits great into the WCO and is consistently rated in the low-to-mid 90s for me. Lastly, a big trait that a lot of people scout for is the Development trait. Personally I don't scout this trait until the last couple of weeks or so, when scouting XP is at a surplus, because it costs 5,000 XP to scout. But basically, development has replaced the potential trait in Madden, and the better the Development trait the quicker your player will gain XP and consequently get a higher overall rating. So be careful when you're scouting, even if you've found the perfect player that fits into your scheme, scout his development trait to see if he'll get any better in the long run.

So, personally, I recommend narrowing down the type of player you want, whether or not he fits your scheme/playing style, looking at the important traits and not unnecessary ones, scouting the Development trait, and buying the scouting XP upgrade (worth every penny...or XP).

There are also ways to cheat the system and get every player's overall rating, but not only is that process tedious, it takes the fun out of scouting. So if you want to scout the real way, just follow the tips I have provided above.

[Altimate]

I did the above method pre-patch because certain attributes were outrageously expensive. I think it's a waste of time now. Here is my current method, it's easy and it WORKS.

Buy the scouting upgrade to double the xp.
Look at your roster to see what you need or where you want to upgrade.
Scout "Intangibles" first. You could probably scout 4/5 of the entire class and draft based on the letter grade alone and do pretty well.
If a player has B intangibles, then scout physical and durability. This gives you an idea of how well they can play the position and if they are injury prone.
If it is a C player, you can do what you want. I choose to do nothing unless it is a position on my roster that is empty. Then I'll scout key position attributes like blocking, catching, etc. Usually this happens with TE's.
If it is a D player, don't do anything, maybe they will be around in round 6 or 7.
If its an F, forget about it.

I draft the best available player, and usually I have about 10-12 picks. If you draft 'B' intangible players you are almost always going to get a 75-82 overall and quick development. C's are solid backups. D's are hit or miss, usually miss. F's aren't even worth mentioning.

From my 20+ drafts, the easiest positions to fill with good players are MLB, HB, and LT. There are usually 3+ "B" intangible players at those positions in each draft. I'd say there are a total of 15-20 "B" players in each draft class.

[Smokie36]

I save up all of my scouting points and use them in the offseason. I identify the positions of need and scout those first.

I only unlock the letter grade usually and I am looking for a B or better in each of these categories:

1. Awareness
2. Injury
3. Stamina
4. Intangibles

This method allows me to scout just about every player available and results in drafting players with overalls between 75-85. A high Awareness and Intangibles are key to finding the best players.

[justingambino]

I've very new to madden but my strategy so far has been to look at their OVR letter grade. It's very possible to get C rated guys in the later rounds while D and Fs can pop up all over the place.

Then to decide between two similar guys, I look at development. A star or fast development can turn into a stud in a season or two regardless of their overall.

[sbattisti]

Quote: Originally Posted by Smokie36

I save up all of my scouting points and use them in the offseason. I identify the positions of need and scout those first. I only unlock the letter grade usually and I am looking for a B or better in each of these categories: 1. Awareness 2. Injury 3. Stamina 4. Intangibles This method allows me to scout just about every player available and results in drafting players with overalls between 75-85. A high Awareness and Intangibles are key to finding the best players.

This is very close to what I do, but I have been rethinking a bit lately. Using this method I got a SS who is 83 to start. But he is SLOW! And increasing AWR is way easier than increasing speed. So, I think for my next draft I am going to increase the focus on the physical skills that are hard to increase. Just a thought.

[RogueHominid]

I never thought about looking at intangibles early, or at all even. I typically look at basic position-specific attributes that fit my scheme.

I do look at durability often; I don't want starters who wear down quickly. Development can be bought for a reasonable price, so I'm not overly worried about that. I'm more concerned with a basic skill set durable framework.

I'm not hooked on speed on offense, and you can up awareness several points per season for young players, so I tend to look at other areas.

On defense, no matter the position, I'm uncompromising in my search for strong tacklers. I don't mind having corners with B speed and a SS with C speed so long as they have good tackling, pursuit, and play recognition attributes. I get a lot of winning plays from corners who are a force in the running game and safeties who hit receivers hard after the catch. I much prefer those benefits to having small, fast, but largely one-dimensional DBs.

I'm a big tackling and zone coverage guy with LBs. C speed isn't a problem for me, provided that acceleration and agility are okay. Play recognition and pursuit ratings can make up for a lack of speed in a lot of cases.

[hellothere]

I know typically you want a player with a higher overall, and if that's all your looking for than scouting Awareness, Intangibles is the way to go.

But for me in my online CCM I scout differently. I don't particularly care what your overall is-I care if you can do the things well that I care about.

If i'm scouting WR's then the things I care about are
Speed, Catching, Catching in traffic etc.

O line
Strength, Run Block, pass block, impact block

Linebackers
Zone coverage, hit power, tackling

I know it seems like common sense, but I've drafted a few 69-74 overall guys that ended up being a lot more coveted than the guys in the 80's because they had stats in the places that were most important.

So don't get carried away looking for overall, look for what matters to you and you will end up with a team that fits you like a glove.