Madden 12 News Post

Madden NFL 12 Rookie Ratings: Top Quarterbacks

05:25 PM - July 22, 2011 by Steve_OS

Check out the latest Madden NFL 12 rookie ratings, showing off the top rookie quarterbacks.

A fresh infusion of talent by way of the NFL draft is the surest way your favorite team can build for the future. Why do you think we always debate the top draft classes and not the top free agency classes of all time? We get excited adding rookies to Madden NFL 12 too. Rather than tweaking and adjusting ratings for the same old veterans we get to build new guys from scratch, projecting how they�ll transition to the pro game. If only their coaches could do that.

Rookie quarterbacks in Madden NFL 12 almost have it as tough as their real life counterparts. If a player isn�t a Hall of Fame caliber player after his first snap, he�s immediately subject to more verbal abuse from fans than he�s ever heard in his life. Whether you�re yelling at them --or for them-- with a remote control, gamepad or $10 pretzel in your hand, quarterbacks get far too much credit and far too much blame for their team�s success or failure.

In Madden NFL 12 the rookie QBs will likely be subject to even more scrutiny with the addition of player traits and tendencies as those are just more metrics on which you can base your hastily formed opinions after each snap.

10. Greg McElroy - NYJ - 65 OVR

9. T.J. Yates - HOU - 66 OVR

8. Ricky Stanzi - KC - 68 OVR

7. Ryan Mallett - NE - 69 OVR

6. Colin Kaepernick - SF - 70 OVR

5. Andy Dalton - CIN - 71 OVR

4. Christian Ponder - MIN - 73 OVR

3. Jake Locker - TEN - 74 OVR

2. Blaine Gabbert - JAX - 75 OVR

1. Cam Newton - CAR - 77 OVR

Again nobody from this group, including the #1 overall pick, breaks into the 80s with their overall rating. Quarterbacks have it extremely tough when it comes to ratings, though. Drew Brees only briefly flirted with a 99 OVR rating after posting a 5000-yard passing season in �08 and then leading New Orleans� celebrated Super Bowl run in �09; Ben Roethlisberger has a pair of Super Bowl rings and he only hovers around a 90 OVR in Madden NFL games. So now what do you think Cam Newton will have to do for Carolina to get into even the low 80s as a rookie?

Don�t forget, we�ll be consistently updating all rosters and all players during the 2011 NFL season, so these lists are just a starting point. Keep it here for more on Madden NFL 12 rookies, ratings and info.

Game: Madden NFL 12Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Wii / Xbox 360Votes for game: 44 - View All

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Member Comments

# 41 ubernoob @ 07/25/11 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TearsOfPurple


	tl;dr Haters gonna hate.

I hate the Vikings. With a passion. Although they reached here, I think they got a good QB for their team. A smart one, who won't make bone-headed plays and can take care of the ball. They still have AP, Harvin (who as much as I hate him, I want to see him healthy), etc.

If I were to pre-guess at the type of year Ponder is gonna have in the NFL I will venture a C+ / B- type season from him -- not necessarily his fault. He's not gonna win games by himself, but the team has a lot of holes. Overall a good pick-up in the draft though for Minnesota, in my opinion.

# 42 TearsOfPurple @ 07/25/11 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubernoob


	I hate the Vikings. With a passion. Although they reached here, I think they got a good QB for their team. A smart one, who won't make bone-headed plays and can take care of the ball. They still have AP, Harvin (who as much as I hate him, I want to see him healthy), etc. If I were to pre-guess at the type of year Ponder is gonna have in the NFL I will venture a C+ / B- type season from him -- not necessarily his fault. He's not gonna win games by himself, but the team has a lot of holes. Overall a good pick-up in the draft though for Minnesota, in my opinion.

Yeah, he could be called a reach. But if you truly believe a QB is you're franchise QB: You take him. Especially when the Redskins were right around the corner and wanted to draft him also.

As for his rating: I think it's fine. I made him as a 75 in Madden '11. He's got a lot of stuff you just can't teach, and he's a great fit for the Viking's offense. His season this year? If he even starts, I'd say a B- sounds about right to me.

# 43 Yeah...THAT Guy @ 07/25/11 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madwolf


	What talent does Carolina have? Rookie QB Cam Newton - High potential IRL, Heisman winner RB Deanglo Williams - Pro Bowler RB Jonathan Stewart - Starter quality back WR Steve Smith - Pro Bowler WR David Gettis - Watch him, promising 2nd year player TE Shockey - Pro Bowler LT Jordan Gross - Pro Bowler LG Trevell Wharton - Solid G C Ryan Kalil - Top5 NFL C RT Jeff Otah - Solid RT DE Charles Johnson - Julius Peppers who? OLB Thomas Davis - Pro Bowler MLB Jon Beason - Pro Bowler OLB James Anderson - Solid OLB, sought after FA CB Chris Gamble - Top15 NFL CB Rookie Head Coach Who was the DC for the Bears during the Super Bowl, and for the Chargers the last few years. D'Will is leaving Based on? Carolina has the 2nd most money to spend in the NFL Steve Smith demanded a trade No, he didn't. He said if things don't change he wanted a trade. Carolina isn't going to let him out of Charlotte unless someone wants to dole out some high draft picks. Yes, he cleaned out his locker... just like a lot of NFL players did when they got locked out. Anything recently on this front? NOPE! Your theory = No running, or passing threat I'd hate to lose D'Will, but Stewart can take over with little loss in production, especially being backed up by Sutton and Goodson. If Steve Smith is going to be traded Carolina will go out and grab a #1 WR in FA. Plus, they have one of the newest dual-threat QBs in the league. Teams are going to have to treat him closer to Mike Vick or Vince Young, opening up the passing and running game. Most of the experts think Carolina will end up with next years #1 I watch ESPN and NFL Network all the time and haven't heard that echo'd once. A team with a 12-4 record, and an 8-8 record in 2008 and 2009 didn't fall apart simply because Jake Delhomme left town. 2010 was all about coaching, and the complete lack of it. John Fox was a lame duck coach, deal with it. Carolina will get swept in the NFC South I think Carolina gets swept by the Saints, but they have a chance to get wins against both the Falcons and the Bucs. Neither of those teams run an offense that will bury the Panthers. 4 wins will be considered a success I personally don't think 4 wins is a success for Carolina. There are 5 teams on their schedule that I think are lower tier teams this year. Carolina should be able to win at least 3 of those and then sneak 3 games or so from the mid-level teams. If Newton can take care of the ball, the ceiling could be closer to 8 wins.

For what it's worth, they had one of the NFL analysts on ESPN First Take the other day and he said Carolina is going to be the worst team due to the fact that they have a new coach and a raw rookie QB.

# 44 Madwolf @ 07/25/11 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yeah...THAT Guy


	For what it's worth, they had one of the NFL analysts on ESPN First Take the other day and he said Carolina is going to be the worst team due to the fact that they have a new coach and a raw rookie QB.

Carolina could very well be the worst team in the NFL, it's very possible, but they have more talent, IMO, then a lot of the other teams on the bottom of the pile.

Teams I could see finishing worst:
Seahawks - If Hasselback leaves
Titans
49ers - Andrew Luck sweepstakes
Bengals - I say they have a 90% chance given their over-all ineptitude at all levels of the Franchise. Their HC will be extended afterwords though. Can't ruin the "good thing" they have going there.
Redskins
Vikings - All depends on how healthy AP is.
Raiders
Miami - Coaching controversy when they entered the Harbaugh sweepstakes with a HC.

I honestly don't think Carolina will finish last, they would have to lose a lot of talent through FA and trades with little return on investment, and given the amount they have to invest, I don't see that happening.

# 45 Blazzen @ 07/25/11 12:25 PM

In response to those saying Cam Newton should have "F" potential rating:

Potential is what COULD happen - it's a player's ceiling. Cam Newton has the highest ceiling of any QB, maybe any player in the draft because of his physical tools.

Will he actually harness those tools and learn the mental part of the game? That remains to be seen.

He has the POTENTIAL to be a great player, thus "A" POTENTIAL.

See how that works?

# 46 spfhelmiii @ 07/25/11 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blazzen


	In response to those saying Cam Newton should have "F" potential rating: Potential is what COULD happen - it's a player's ceiling. Cam Newton has the highest ceiling of any QB, maybe any player in the draft because of his physical tools. Will he actually harness those tools and learn the mental part of the game? That remains to be seen. He has the POTENTIAL to be a great player, thus "A" POTENTIAL. See how that works?

Agree. Newton should be something like a 63-65, with great physical attributes (ACCEL, THP, BKT) and the like and an A for potential. He should have the possibility of being a great player, which the A potential would make happen so long as you are patient and bring him along.

Conversely, guys like Mallett, Stanzi, McElroy should have higher initial stats in the QB-specific areas, but lower potential based on where they were drafted. Sorry guys, you can complain all you want, but if a guy was drafted late that means that 32 NFL teams and their scouts had solid concerns over and over until they finally thought he was worth a low pick. So I laugh at those saying Mallett is hands-down the the 3rd best QB, when NO NFL team strongly felt that way unless they decided to completely ignore "best player available" their first few round picks, since remember that solid QBs generally have a premium and are picked a bit higher than talent alone would dictate.

Then you have guys in the middle, who may be on the lower end as far as potential (since they aren't physical freaks) than the guys like Cam, but higher stats. These are the Christian Ponders and Colin Kaepernicks - while there were (and are) serious questions about the game of each coming out of college, they were taken high enough that there was some feeling that they will be successful.

So my rankings, in order of OVR (but not necessarily quality of player in franchise mode anyways) would be something like the following: Rating (Potential)

Christian Ponder - 74 (B)
Ryan Mallett - 74 (C)
Ricky Stanzi - 71 (C)
Greg McElroy - 70 (D)
Jake Locker - 70 (B)
Colin Kaepernick - 68 (B)
Cam Newton - 65 (A)

So for franchise mode, my "best" QB would be Ponder, followed closely by Locker, at least after a few years. These players are the best mix of "pro ready" and decent (but not outstanding) potential. If you stick with Cam Newton, his A potential will eventually shoot him past everyone, but it will take a while. Guys like Mallett and Stanzi will be initially better than most of the class, but won't move up much.

# 47 angels eclipse7 @ 07/25/11 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madwolf


	What talent does Carolina have? Rookie QB Cam Newton - High potential IRL, Heisman winner RB Deanglo Williams - Pro Bowler RB Jonathan Stewart - Starter quality back WR Steve Smith - Pro Bowler WR David Gettis - Watch him, promising 2nd year player TE Shockey - Pro Bowler LT Jordan Gross - Pro Bowler LG Trevell Wharton - Solid G C Ryan Kalil - Top5 NFL C RT Jeff Otah - Solid RT DE Charles Johnson - Julius Peppers who? OLB Thomas Davis - Pro Bowler MLB Jon Beason - Pro Bowler OLB James Anderson - Solid OLB, sought after FA CB Chris Gamble - Top15 NFL CB Rookie Head Coach Who was the DC for the Bears during the Super Bowl, and for the Chargers the last few years. D'Will is leaving Based on? Carolina has the 2nd most money to spend in the NFL Steve Smith demanded a trade No, he didn't. He said if things don't change he wanted a trade. Carolina isn't going to let him out of Charlotte unless someone wants to dole out some high draft picks. Yes, he cleaned out his locker... just like a lot of NFL players did when they got locked out. Anything recently on this front? NOPE! Your theory = No running, or passing threat I'd hate to lose D'Will, but Stewart can take over with little loss in production, especially being backed up by Sutton and Goodson. If Steve Smith is going to be traded Carolina will go out and grab a #1 WR in FA. Plus, they have one of the newest dual-threat QBs in the league. Teams are going to have to treat him closer to Mike Vick or Vince Young, opening up the passing and running game. Most of the experts think Carolina will end up with next years #1 I watch ESPN and NFL Network all the time and haven't heard that echo'd once. A team with a 12-4 record, and an 8-8 record in 2008 and 2009 didn't fall apart simply because Jake Delhomme left town. 2010 was all about coaching, and the complete lack of it. John Fox was a lame duck coach, deal with it. Carolina will get swept in the NFC South I think Carolina gets swept by the Saints, but they have a chance to get wins against both the Falcons and the Bucs. Neither of those teams run an offense that will bury the Panthers. 4 wins will be considered a success I personally don't think 4 wins is a success for Carolina. There are 5 teams on their schedule that I think are lower tier teams this year. Carolina should be able to win at least 3 of those and then sneak 3 games or so from the mid-level teams. If Newton can take care of the ball, the ceiling could be closer to 8 wins.

I actually think the Panthers might not be in the bottom 10 this year. That saying, they will likely lose D. Williams at running back. I agree, Stewart is pretty good himself and will fit in fine as a starter. But will he be the pro bowler that Williams was? I don't know. Maybe. A lot of speculation has been Steve Smith will not be a Panther next year. So he could be out of the loop too, however even if he stays, he isn't elite like he once was.

Jeremy Shockey is no where near the pro bowler he used to be. He is still a good number one tight end and the best tight end Carolina has had in a long time, but don't expect a pro bowl year out of him.

The comments about the offensive line I will give you. Gross and Kalil are pretty darn good and they play the 2 most important spots on the offensive line.

Charles Johnson is not making people say Julius Peppers who?. Julius Peppers was probably the most dominant defensive end of the last decade. Athletic freak. Charles Johnson, maybe has a 60% chance of remaining in Carolina this year, and if he does, yes he may put up pro bowl numbers again or he may have been a one year wonder. We'll see.

Carolina's linebackers are beast. Best set of 4-3 linebackers in the league, IMO. I'd love to hear if anybody can name a 4-3 defense with better linebackers.

Idunno if Gamble is a top 15 corner... maybe though.

# 48 The GIGGAS @ 07/25/11 03:21 PM

Hooboy, a 75. I like it!

# 49 Jarandaras @ 07/25/11 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TearsOfPurple


	Yeah, he could be called a reach. But if you truly believe a QB is you're franchise QB: You take him. Especially when the Redskins were right around the corner and wanted to draft him also. As for his rating: I think it's fine. I made him as a 75 in Madden '11. He's got a lot of stuff you just can't teach, and he's a great fit for the Viking's offense. His season this year? If he even starts, I'd say a B- sounds about right to me.

Ponder was also the only QB the Bills were interested in and they were planning on trading back into the 1st round to take him until the Vikings did what any smart team would do and thats take him.

I wouldnt agree that Ponder was a reach.. He was as solid a player you could get at that point. I think Locker and Gabbert were reaches though.

# 50 ubernoob @ 07/25/11 03:42 PM

Is that sunshine from Remember the Titans?

# 51 Krodis @ 07/25/11 04:35 PM

For all of Ryan Mallett's strong points, he was also an extraordinary moron (on the field), who would panic and throw it into triple coverage.

# 52 shylo3716 @ 07/25/11 05:03 PM

Tyrod will sadly be underrated due to being a 6th Rounder......He improved every year at Tech as a PASSER!

# 53 angels eclipse7 @ 07/25/11 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shylo3716


	Tyrod will sadly be underrated due to being a 6th Rounder......He improved every year at Tech as a PASSER!

True, and he did slide in the draft but he was still really a 4th-probably 5th round talent.

# 54 Adam14 @ 07/25/11 07:32 PM

As a Titans fan, pretty pleased with Locker's rating. I was shooting for a 75 and A Potential, but 74 is reasonable enough. I'm hoping, as a franchise gamer, to use him as my franchise quarterback, so A Potential is essentially a must. We'll see though.

# 55 TheKingOfVa @ 07/25/11 08:12 PM

Tyrod Taylor got screwed. He should be a top 10 qb

# 56 Blazzen @ 07/25/11 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afrikan


	If Cam has an "A" Potential.....then so should Colin Kaepernick. Kaep is just as fast if not faster than Cam...about the same size 6'5 (10lbs less?) Kaep had one of the strongest arms in the draft. again, 10,000 yards passing and 4,000yards rushing in college.....sure it was mostly in the WAC, but those are still impressive #s...and a record for that matter. sooooooo looking forward to this season

You know who else had 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 yards rushing? Armanti Edwards of Appalachian State. He also won back to back to back national championships. He won the Walter Payton award (their "Heisman") at least once, maybe it was twice. I went to App State during those years.

Edwards didn't amount to **** in his first year in the NFL on the Panthers. Largely the fault of John Fox who didn't give him a chance, but that's a separate issue entirely.

# 57 brettmickey @ 07/25/11 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarandaras


	Ponder was also the only QB the Bills were interested in and they were planning on trading back into the 1st round to take him until the Vikings did what any smart team would do and thats take him. I wouldnt agree that Ponder was a reach.. He was as solid a player you could get at that point. I think Locker and Gabbert were reaches though.

Actually Buddy Nix (Bills GM) stated after the draft that if Cam was there they were more than likely going to take him. If Dareus wasn't there then they would have pulled the trigger on Gabbert so essentially their top 3 list was Newton, Dareus, and Gabbert. FWIW

# 58 bayarea510 @ 07/25/11 11:46 PM

I was afraid they were going to rate Kaepernick too low. the guy is an athletic beast. Fast, Strong arm, and accurate, the top ratings for a quaterback in madden. so i wonder what they cut back in to make his rating a 70

# 59 Madwolf @ 07/26/11 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angels eclipse7


	I actually think the Panthers might not be in the bottom 10 this year. That saying, they will likely lose D. Williams at running back. I agree, Stewart is pretty good himself and will fit in fine as a starter. But will he be the pro bowler that Williams was? I don't know. Maybe. A lot of speculation has been Steve Smith will not be a Panther next year. So he could be out of the loop too, however even if he stays, he isn't elite like he once was. Jeremy Shockey is no where near the pro bowler he used to be. He is still a good number one tight end and the best tight end Carolina has had in a long time, but don't expect a pro bowl year out of him. The comments about the offensive line I will give you. Gross and Kalil are pretty darn good and they play the 2 most important spots on the offensive line. Charles Johnson is not making people say Julius Peppers who?. Julius Peppers was probably the most dominant defensive end of the last decade. Athletic freak. Charles Johnson, maybe has a 60% chance of remaining in Carolina this year, and if he does, yes he may put up pro bowl numbers again or he may have been a one year wonder. We'll see. Carolina's linebackers are beast. Best set of 4-3 linebackers in the league, IMO. I'd love to hear if anybody can name a 4-3 defense with better linebackers. Idunno if Gamble is a top 15 corner... maybe though.

Deangelo Williams said he wanted to "retire a Carolina Panther" today, so I think he's coming back. The only guy that's going to be difficult to hold onto now is Johnson.

And make no mistake, Peppers is a freak, but last year Johnson matched his production. My one frustration with Peppers was that he is such a freak, but he doesn't have a motor like say Allen from the Vikings. If he had that motor he would be far and away the best DE to may be ever talk the field, but he doesn't, so as a Panther fan I do hold that against him. It was painful to watch him take plays off at times in Carolina.

My two concerns right now are resigning Johnson and Anderson. If we get those 2, I think Carolina can have a pretty nice turn around year provided Newton doesn't try to do to much and just lets the game come to him.

# 60 Madwolf @ 07/26/11 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brettmickey


	Actually Buddy Nix (Bills GM) stated after the draft that if Cam was there they were more than likely going to take him. If Dareus wasn't there then they would have pulled the trigger on Gabbert so essentially their top 3 list was Newton, Dareus, and Gabbert. FWIW

I think the Bills did a GREAT job picking up Dareus. That's going to pay dividends on defense. Just worried about them protecting the QB. I want the Bills to be contenders again. One of my best friends is a Bills fan, and he's a very humble fan. Doesn't talk trash, just likes to watch his team. Great guy to watch a game with.

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