The roller coaster ride continues as Washington has reached its halfway point in the season. There's been unexpected stars rising, as well as players the coaching staff thought would shine playing below their expectations. Washington sits at 4-4, tied for last in the NFC East but only 2 games back from the division lead and 1 game out of a wildcard spot. With 8 games left, things will need to improve if we expect to reach the postseason. 

The Good

Despite rookie QB Lloyd's seemingly lackluster performance over the first half of the season, the coaching staff has been impressed with aspects of his game. He is taking the usual lumps a rookie would take, throwing 11 TDs to 12 INTs on the year. Although this appears to show Lloyd is lacking the understanding of making NFL reads, the coaching staff points to Lloyd's impressive 71% completion to show that he is understanding how to read the defense. 

"The Kid is right there. We have seen the promise that he can show; imagine what his numbers will look like in a year when he adds a few more TDs and knocks off a few INTs and continues to throw at this high completion rate. He will be talked about as a steal in the draft." - Coach Gruden

Everson Griffen was picked up as one of the early FA signings this last offseason by the previous regime. Coach thought initially that he would split time as Griffen has seen younger days, but the man has been playing outstanding. Currently leading for Defensive Linemen of the Year, he has accumulated 23 tackles and 5 sacks on the year while also forcing 2 fumbles. Griffen paired with Poppy, and the interior linemen Payne and Allen gives Washington one of the most fierce defensive fronts in football. 

The Bad

Derrius Guice is a superstar in this league and was expected to play as one. One of the most notable, if not the most notable offseason acquisitions was that of T David Bakhtiari. This was another anchor on a great offensive line lead by Trent Williams and Brandon Scherff. Guice, although injured for a good part of the season, has produced putrid numbers so far. He is averaging a measly 3.6 ypc and is being outproduced in ypc by backup Samaje Perine. 

Where we put much blame on Guice, we also spread that same blame towards the offensive line play as well. Where previously mentioned the acquisition of Bahktiari was to help produce in the run game and also protect the QB, it has done neither of those. The line has allowed 21 sacks on the year which puts them just inside the top 3rd worst in the league. 

Redskins Team Stats-

Offense - 2317 yards (28th)

Defense - 2067 yards (1st)

Points Scored - 158 (26th)

Points Allowed - 150 (10th)

Coach Gruden was brought in unexpectedly late in the offseason. After a Super Bowl loss, ownership made the surprise choice it was time to go a different direction with the team. This was the start of the controversy and it hasn't slowed down since. 

Coach started the offseason in a bit of a weird spot. The team has acquired a 1st round pick from the previous regime, which ended up being pick 7 to go along with their first they already had at 31. In most situations coming into a team with two first round picks is a dream. You really can get to evaluate the prospects and take two players you really want to build a franchise around. Unfortunately, this was not the case in Washington. Coach was hired mere days before the draft and had to rely solely on the word of the former regime's scouting department along with cramming in as much tape as he could manage in the hours before the big day. 

One player that everyone knew about coming into this draft was Defensive End Poppy Sanu. Sanu was a beast out of Michigan State wreacking havoc against any offensive line. He was one of those rare breeds of players who dominated in both stopping the run and rushing the passer. Poppy was considered to be the #1 prospect in the draft, and to grab him at 7 was considered to be impossible. But as the draft started and the first few names were called, Poppy was still there. As it was announced that Washington was on the clock, the pick came in quicker than could be imagined. Washington fans were ecstatic to be able to draft Poppy.

This left coach with the next question of who to take at 31. With the 9th pick of the previous draft, the Redskins had selected a QB out of Alabama, Michael Veldman. Veldman was going to take over this franchise. He sat his entire rookie season in favor of Tyrod Taylor who ended up winning the MVP and leading Washington to the Super Bowl. So, it came as a complete surprise that at pick #31, the Redskins selected QB George Lloyd out of Michigan State. 

And so even more controversy ensued. Veldman was now a one year vet. He studied behind the MVP Taylor and had a year to learn the offense, or what would have been the offense if the previous regime stayed around. Veldman also was extremely physically gifted and played with a similar playstyle to Tyrod. 

Lloyd was named the week 1 starter. The fans didn't know what to think or how to feel, and the ride so far has not proven to give any concrete answers. Lloyd was perfect on his first drive of his first game, going 7-7 and marching down the field before he was hit hard and had to leave the game. In comes Veldman. Veldman played a great game and ultimately lead the Redskins to a victory. He was nearly perfect, and his physical talents were displayed prominently. 

Through 5 games now, Lloyd has been up and down. He is completing an outstanding 71% of his passes but has 7 Tds and 7 ints to go along with that. Washington was ready to head into the bye at 4-1, but league officials overturned a win against the Chargers after the game was finalized. Coaching staff and fans were absolutely irate by this decision and still want answers. This has not steered Coach away from the end goal though. He has already held team meetings to raise the morale back up and he expects the team to come out even hotter following their bye week. 

Coach has stated from the beginning that he planned to utilize both QBs in his offense. And so far he is not happy with the results. Veldman has seen much more playing time than any other backup QB would but it is still not enough. Coach plans to fully utilize his running and passing abilities throughout the second half of our season. 

And we are back with our MLB The Show 17 roster updates! As much requested from the community we will be providing you once again with the latest info on the most recent roster updates for MLB 17. As we did last year, we will try and keep this short, sweet, and to the point. For the full list of changes, that will always be at: http://daddyleagues.com/dd/17/attributes?date=2017-05-19

Starting out with the positive movers: Craig Kimbrel +4 (92), Zack Greinke +1 (89), Carlos Correa +2 (87), Greg Holland +3 (87), Lance McCullers +1 (85), Kevin Pillar +4 (84), Trevor Rosenthal +3 (84), Adam Duvall +3 (83), Matt Bush +8 (83), Alex Wood +3 (83), Brian McCann +3 (83), Felipe Rivero +3 (82), Evan Gattis +1 (80), and lastly Eduardo Rodriguez +3 (80). These, of course, aren't all the positive movers, but it is everyone who is at least an 80 overall +. 

The negative list is much, much shorter in the 80+ range. There is really only a few that we are dealing with and they are as follows: Rich Hill -1 (86), Masahiro Tanaka -4 (82), and Edwin Diaz -3 (80). 

The biggest update we had actually was a few days ago with the addition of 10 new cards with all but the last one coming in at over 80+. To list those they are: Tony Gwynn 96, Cal Ripken Jr 94, Robin Yount 93, Andrew Miller 93, Mat Latos 91, Joe Carter 89, Steve Garvey 88, Harmon Killebrew 87, Doug Fister 85, and lastly Tony Perez 78.  

As stated above, if you want the full list of changes including everyone in the mid 70s tier and new player additions come on over to our Diamond Dynasty Roster Change, and for the new players added in the form of flashback cards you can find that here. 

If you liked this article, and the mlb 17 weekly roster updates and have any ideas or comments you want to leave about how you think this can be improved feel free to leave it in the comments section below. Until next week, happy hunting. 

Chargers trade: 

HB Melvin Gordon 76 OVR - Age 23

Saints Trade: 

LG Joel Bitonio 83 OVR - Age 24

Chargers accept. We have a weak offensive line and no HB will find success until we improve it. We have capable hbs in woodhead and Oliver while we fix the line. 

With Madden 17 coming just around the corner, I figured it was a pretty good time to dive into the ratings talk. Most Madden Vets think they know what everything does, and most Madden newcomers have no idea what half of the attributes do. There still is the unknowns like what exactly does awareness do and what exactly does play recognition do, but we have definite answers for almost all the ratings. For reference, I found an EA Blog that was written midway through Madden 15 discussing what specifically many of the ratings do. Most of the attributes are still the same, and the function that they serve really doesn't change from year to year, so expect them to all still serve the same way. 

Awareness- This is the toughest attribute to explain because it is the most important but the least important at the same time. It just depends on the situation. And mostly, at least for current Madden, it is one of the biggest influences on the overall. According to EA awareness is the reactions to other players on the field, both teammates and opponents. It's really a pretty vague description. But as far as any player you user, throw awareness out the window, it's useless. That means it is always not important for a QB since you always user that player. If you always user the LOLB on defense, awareness doesn't matter. But at the same time, awareness is then pivotal for the players you never control like offensive linemen. Awareness is just a general knowledge of football. Who to block, what gap to hit, stuff like that. In an older interview done by The 4 Verts Podcast (I will link it in the end to anyone who wants to listen to a good interview), Clint Oldenburg talked a little about awareness and said that for a defensive player it dictates stuff like how much of his designated zone he will cover, or if his awareness is really high how much he can effectively leave and re enter his zone to cover more ground. 

That is going to more than likely be by far the longest description of any attribute. Most of the rest are really very straightforward and will require little to no explanation past what EA has said they each do. We will start with the physical and more basic attributes. 

Speed- How quickly a player runs after fully accelerating

Acceleration- How quickly a player reaches full speed

Agility- How well a player cuts and how they respond to moving the left stick

Jumping- How high a player jumps

Stamina- How quickly a player gets tired

Injury- How often a player will be injured

Strength- Provides a boost for blocking, shedding blocks, power moves, throwing and trucking. This one is a little bit interesting. Most Madden fans know that strength is very important for offensive and defensive linemen because it is essentially what makes up the battle in the trenches. It dictates how well the offensive linemen can hold the block, as well as how the defensive linemen disengages the block. But something that is interesting about it is it's affect on power moves. Most players don't know that it also affected power moves. As well as being important for trucking and we can assume the way the player moves through the tackles and does or doesn't fall forward some. Another part of this attribute that is explained but probably some madden vets but most madden newcomers don't think about is the blocking aspect for both WRs and DBs. If you have a WR with high strength he can block better on runs, and beat the press and throw the DBs off easier. And the same applies to the DBs with how they react to the WRs. 

Now let's get into some more position specific attributes. I'm only going to hit a few. The ones like spin move and juke and catching etc., are pretty self explanatory as to what exactly they do. 

Trucking- How well a runner knocks down a defenders tackle attempt

Elusiveness- How well the runner jukes, makes spin moves, and breaks tackles. This one is another one that has a part to it not many people know and that is the breaking tackles. When you have the plays where the ball carrier basically slips the tackle whether that be from a move where he actually breaks the tackle out of a move, when a defender hits the ball carrier and the ball carrier just slips through it, or when the ball carrier kind of shrugs him off and sidesteps him; this is all determined by the elusiveness rating. 

Route Running- The receivers ability to create separation against man coverage. While not explicitly stated, I think it's pretty safe to say this is also the crispness of the routes that the receiver will run. Obviously, the more crisp and fluid, the more separation. 

Release- Determines the receivers ability to beat press coverage. This along with strength will make a big difference in how the receiver gets off the line. 

Throw Accuracy (Short, Medium, Deep)- Accuracy for passes under 20 yards, in between 20-40 yards, and greater than 40 yards. I wanted to include this for two main reasons. First is because some people don't know the actual breakdowns of the yards. And secondly because people say wow 20 yards that's pretty far for a "short" throw. In which yes I agree with this. But the throw is taken from where the QB is standing. if you drop back 8 yards and throw it to the first down marker, it's only an 8 yard pass in the stats, but you're really throwing an 18 yard pass. So from that viewpoint you can see where this fits in better. 

Impact Blocking- The ability for the blocker to pancake block, or knock the defender down. 

Hit Power- How hard a defender tackles and chance of fumble and injury

Pursuit- Ability to catch up to the ball carrier when unblocked or when the block is shed

Play Recognition- Ability to react to specific routes and run or pass. Determines if they fall for play action. Like Awareness this one is really vague. It says the ability to react to specific routes, but what routes? Is it really specific routes or is it just ability to react to any route? Unfortunately, I do not have this answer. But again, like awareness, it is useless when you user someone because you manually bite on the play action or jump a route 

Kick Return- Enhances broken tackles and elusiveness on kick and punt returns. I included this mostly because this was news to me, so I assume it will also be for mostly everyone else as well. The kick return rating doesn't just tell you how they are as a return man, but actually boosts some of their stats for it. 

That is the end of our attributes explanation. As I said, I wasn't going to cover all of them but if there is anything you guys want to know feel free to leave it down in the comments and I can help you out. Also, if you were interested in seeing the Clint Oldenburg interview where some awareness is discussed, check that out here, and if you wanted to check out a newer, more recent 4 Verts Podcast where they talk with Dustin Smith who is the new guy in charge of ratings you can see that here. 

As always thank you guys once again for checking this out, and if there is any specific questions you have feel free to leave it in the comments section here.

Today is another one of those pretty lackluster roster updates. There really isn't too many big changes. There's a plethora of guys being moved around in that 83-84 range which I will list the biggest ones. We have a new diamond card, congratulations Kris Bryant. But more surprisingly there really is no movers on the negative side really worth taking note in. The highest one was Steven Matz going from an 85 to an 83. More importantly though, the biggest part of this roster update, similar to last week, comes in the form of new flashback cards which we will spend the bulk of the time looking at. 

Let's start off with the few negative movers, I will list everyone up until we hit 80 OVR: Steven Matz -2 83, Jason Heyward -1 82, Jack McGee -2 81, Yadier Molina -3 81, and lastly Carolos Gomez -3 80.

We have a few more guys who got rating increases this week in that upper diamond/gold tier, and they are: Jose Altuve +2 98, Kris Bryant +2 93, Corey Seager +2 89, Troy Tulowitzki +2 88, Carlos Carrasco +2 86, and Miguel Sano +3 84. I'm gonna stop this one here because there is about 10 more guys who all got bumped to 83 and 84, and rather than being redundant and listing the same thing over and over, I'll let you guys head over to DaddyLeagues DD Roster Changes to check all that out. 

Now, the biggest part of the update: New Flashback cards. We got a pretty good chunk today and some good ones too. Leading the way is a Yankees prime flashback of Robinson Cano 97 OVR, and 96 OVR prime flashback Mark Teixeira. Both these guys have excellent fielding, and are absolute nightmares to right handed pitching. Right behind them is a prime flashback and postseason flashback of Adam Wainwright and Cole Hamels, respectively. Wainwright comes in at 96 OVR while Hamels tops out at 95 OVR. 

That's all for the Diamond players, now we have a few gold being lead by prime flashback Yovani Gallardo at 89 OVR. Behind him is Miguel Montero 88 OVR, a rookie Robinson Cano 85 OVR, prime Tyler Clippard 85 OVR, a rookie Cole Hamels at 80 OVR, rookie Ryan Howard 79 OVR, and then finally a rookie R.A. Dickey at 75 OVR.

As you can see, the big names this week are a couple positive movers in the diamond and gold tier, but not much to speak of in the negative side. But as I stated earlier, the big part of this update is really the 4 new diamond players and 4 new gold players added in the forms of Prime Flashbacks, Rookie Flashbacks, and a postseason flashback. Once again, if you are interested in seeing all the changes to everyone's overall, stat changes, or the new live series players that I did not list don't hesitate to come over to DaddyLeagues DD Roster Changes to get the full scoop. 

Another Friday, and another MLB The Show roster update. Following last week, which in my opinion was probably the biggest roster update we have seen so far, this week is probably the total opposite. Their really isn't too much in the way of big +/- movers unless you get down into the low 80s and mid to upper 70s. But this was a decent week for some prime and rookie flashbacks with pretty good overall, as we have two pairs of each. So let's start with the rather small lists of some +/- movers this week.

On the negative side we have: Jake Arietta -1 95 OVR, David Price -2 91 OVR, Trevor Rosenthal -1 81 OVR, Adam Eaton -2 79 OVR, and Patrick Corbon -3 79 OVR

On the positive side we have: Josh Donaldson +1 96 OVR, Jose Fernandez +1 95 OVR, Madison Bumgarner +1 94 OVR, Kris Bryant +2 91 OVR, Danny Salazar +1 86 OVR, Jay Bruce +2 83 OVR, and Adam Warren +4 81 OVR.

As previously mentioned, we have a pair of players that received both a prime flashback and a rookie flashback, all of which are very solid cards. We have a 99 OVR Troy Tulowitzki prime flashback, and an 88 OVR rookie flashback for him

In addition to the pair of Tulo's, we also have a pair of Tim Lincecum. Specifically a 97 OVR Prime Flashback and an 83 OVR Rookie Flashback.

Well, that's all the big news for today's roster update. Unfortunately it was not a big one, and really it was nothing in comparison to what was given to us last week. And as always, if you want to check out the full list of changes and more specifically the bigger movements of that mid 70s tier players, come on over to DaddyLeagues DD Roster Changes 

The new 6/24 roster update is out! And boy is this a big one! There was some huge changes in this roster update a few big, big drops for some guys and an addition of new flashback cards as well. So let's get into it and break it down for you guys. 

As always let's start with the negative movers: Bryce Harper -2 (95), Dellin Betanches -1 (92), Andrew McCuthchen -5 (89), Giancarlo Stanton -6 (87), Chris Archer -2 (86), and David Robertson -3 (85). 
 

We also say goodbye to diamonds for Betanches, McCutchen, and Stanton.

On the positive swing, we have: Andrew Miller +1 (93), Xander Bogaerts +3 (93), Mookie Betts +2 (90), Will Myers +3 (85), Ian Desmond +2 (85), Michael Saunders +6 (83), and Joe Blanton +9 (83)

And welcome to the Diamond club: Andrew Miller and Xander Bogaerts.

We have some really, really good flashback cards that I think will be highly sought after in this update. And they are: 97 OVR Prime Flashback CarGo, 97 OVR Prime Flashback Felix Hernandez, 92 OVR Prime Flashback Fernando Rodney, 87 OVR Prime Flashback Martin Prado, and 84 OVR Prime Flashback Franklin Gutierrez. 

Thank you guys as always for checking out the most recent update, and you can always find the full list of upgraded and downgraded players as well as the attribute changes at DaddyLeagues DD Roster Changes 

The MLB 16 6/10 roster update was released this morning before the DaddyLeagues team departs for EA Play and E3! So let us quickly highlight the new cards added as well as the biggest movers on the +/- side as well. 

The best addition this week is the new Adam Wainwright card. This is a postseason flashback edition as Wainwright boasts a 99 OVR. 99 clutch, 99 K/9, 99 HR/9, and 91 H/9 make this a great option for any pitching staff. 

A few more additions are a 92 OVR Gold rookie flashback of Aroldis Chapman, who currently is an exact mirror image of the current series Chapman, so not much has changed in that aspect currently. 

A prime Victor Martinez is a real scare for right handed pitchers as he has 87 power and contact vs righties, as well 90 plate vision.

87 OVR Prime Flashback Rajai Davis is just a nightmare on the basepaths with 95 speed. This guy can cover some ground for you out in Center Field as well as turn that single into a double. 

And lastly, rookie Flashback of C Joe Mauer. Great fielder, great arm strength. But he also carries to the plate with him 99 contact vs righties and 91 plate vision. 

Now let's move on to some big changes. As always we will start off with the biggest movers on the + side:

Jon Lester +2 to 90, Matt Carpenter +2 to 88, Corey Seager +3 to 87, Evan Longoria +3 to 86, Drew Pomeranz +3 to 85, Will Harris +3 to 84, and Jonathon Villar +4 to 83

On the - side we don't have many big drops, but a few high end guys dropped a little:

Josh Donaldson -1 to 95, Chris Davis -2 to 86, Drew Smyly -2 to 83, Adrian Gonzalez -4 to 83, Carlos Martinez -2 to 83. 

So that will wrap up the main movers on the +/- side that we have for this week, as well as the new players. Make sure you guys also check out the new card pack that dropped earlier today as this will yield you the best chance to snag one of these new cards. 

Also don't forget that this week is EA Play and E3! And the DaddyLeagues team will be there! We promise to provide you guys with as much info and content that we can possibly get our hands on, as well as first hands on impressions of the new titles. Stay tuned as we are anticipating the release of the Madden 17 CFM blog as well, which I know most of you Madden fans are waiting for!

The 5/27 roster update is here! And alongside some of the bigger changes on the +/- side I will also highlight some of the new cards added in today's update. 

First new card is a legend Robin Yount, SS for the Brewers

Next we have another SS, a prime flashback of Nationals SS Ian Desmond

Another prime flashback, and another SS, Indians SS Asdrubal Cabrera

Wrapping up the list of some of the not top tier additions we have another SS prime flashback, SS Andrelton Simmons, and lastly Rookie 3B flashback Matt Carpenter. 

Some big movers this week in the (+) side are Daniel Murphy +3 (now gold), Jonathan Lucroy +3, Vince Valasquez +2, and Jay Bruce +3.

Some (-) players this week are highlighted by Matt Harvey -3, Sonny Gray -2, Ryan Madson -2 (down to silver), and Russell Martin -3.

These are only some of the highlights of the new players added as there are quite a bit more current but lesser known players added, as well as the biggest up and down movers. For the full list and attribute comparison from a week to week basis check it out at DaddyLeagues DD Roster Changes

Madden 17 New Features Part 2

Well guys, we now have part two of the new features! And let me tell you something; I am really excited about this one because it has addressed not only some major topics for me personally but also some issues close to the hearts of the community. Let's dive right in and talk about the new additions.

First up is the Special Teams. It truly has been quite some time since the special teams has gotten some love. We all know kicking was a gimme in Madden as long as it wasn't out of range. If you were within 50 yards it was basically automatic. This doesn't appear to be the case anymore. The new kicking meter resembles more of a golf or I think actually closer to an old madden kicking meter. The classic 3 click system: first starts the meter, second sets the power, and third sets the accuracy. The farther the kick, the harder to get it accurate. The common theme we have seen since the first blog is this: Ratings matter!!! 

Next up for special teams is a slew of some what minor, maybe bigger to some than other, features. First off is the re-introduction of the squib kick which has been fine tuned. To go with the squib kick is also an improved onside kick which will allow you to better choose where to place the ball. A side note to this, the new ball mechanics which I will later get into make onside kicks more unpredictable than ever. 

This next part of special teams I will group all together as it seems all the risk/reward feed directly into each other. New abilities to block kicks, and also new trick plays for special teams. Alright, let's start with the blocked kicks. Now in Madden there is an actual way to block kicks rather than having to try and find some sort of exploit. There is designated blockers who will be given the "B" icon pre snap. If you user control these players and time the snap correctly you have a chance to break through untouched, but then need to run in the proper path and correctly time your jump as to not cause a roughing the kicker penalty in order to block a punt. Though it is not stated specifically what is in place, EA assures that there is caps in place to make sure no one abuses the kick block mechanic. Hand in hand with this is the new special teams trick plays. The only thing really stated is that these will have higher success chances when a defense is all out going for the block. As it seems, defenses will now have to really decide whether they actually want to go all out for the block or play conservatively to not allow a trick play. 

Now is ball mechanics. And this is honestly the #1 thing I am most excited about. It may not seem like a huge improvement but trust me it will change the game. Gone are the days of balls being caught threw defenders and the tipped passes that always just bounce straight up when broken up. For the first time in Madden history, the football will join the players in the Ignite engine. What specifically does this mean? As EA has stated, previously the ball was on what was called the legacy system which is the Gen 3 engine. Meaning that the balls path is almost pre determined. When a catch animation is initiated it is either caught or tipped out. No one can come in and jar it loose or anything. Now, the ball joins the true physics engine. And what this really means is that the ball will be organically tipped and knocked out of a players hands. Kicks will play more true to life taking unpredictable but realistic bounces, and here is the real big one: Say goodbye to the sack incompletions!! It has been a long time coming but EA states they are truly gone. You all know what I am talking about; the times when the QB is literally all but sacked and the ball just floats out the back and is an incomplete pass. QBs will now be able to be stripped and have fumbles occur on these plays. So getting the ball out when under pressure is now more important than ever! 

Aggressive catch was a really common complaint from the community. And EA has done a few things to address this topic. Let me start out by saying nothing specifically was done to nerf aggressive catch. However, an all new "Swat Mechanic" was added into the game which is designed specifically to be the Aggro catch stopper. In addition to this, the injury has also been tuned. If WRs are constantly going up for aggressive catches and leave their bodies exposed, they will be more susceptible to injuries from incoming defenders. 

Lastly we enter into new zones. This gets pretty technical and is a little more advanced than just your standard additions as this takes on actual NFL concepts. So rather than breaking it down I will just highlight the main points and let you read over all the gory details over at EA's website. In a nutshell, zones and defenses in general now work on a global scheme. Before, players knew of only their assigned coverage and that is all. They didn't know what their teammates were or weren't covering. All zones also have priorities now to stop certain routes first and will adapt to their secondary if the first route isn't present. In addition to this, zone defenders can now organically change into man depending on the routes run and defensive zones called.

That wraps it up for the new features today. As always, continue coming back and checking us out where we will strive to keep all the Madden news flowing to you guys immediately after it is released! Follow us on Twitter @DaddyLeagues as well as our youtube channel so you can watch all of our breakdown videos and gameplay tips.

P.S. Notice in some new photos some of the new equipment and helmets. Although nothing has been announced regarding it, you can see in the images some of the new gear. Enjoy it all you equipment junkies! 

The next roster update for MLB The Show 16 came out today, and we are going to highlight some changes. As always, you can find your full list of ratings changes as well as easily compare which attributes have changed from a week to week basis, but we are going to highlight here some of the more notable ones as well as some fan favorite players getting a boost or dropping down. 

Most notably is probably the drop of Joey Votto. A drop so big he has actually lost his diamond tier, and dipped into the gold tier. You'll notice a drop off in all contact and power categories, as well a vision.

Fan favorite Bryce Harper also dropped his 99 status. His contact for both righties and lefties have dropped below their starting points, 80 and 72 a (-8) and (-9) change respectively. You'll also see plate vision took a considerable dip, (-18) points. 

Some other notable movers in the negative are Nelson Cruz (-2), Carlos Gonzalez (-2), Adam Wainwright (-2), and Justin Upton (-8).

On the positive side, we have Andrew Miller knocking on the door of Diamond Tier at (+1) 93 OVR. Also, Ben Zobrist (+3), Ian Kinsler (+2), and David Ortiz has gotten some more power and contact vs righties and has a (+2) boost. And lastly, Odubel Herrera gets a pretty solid boost to go up (+3). 

Also players appearing on the list for the first time as they are the rookies just added are as follows: 

Tony Kemp 2B 73 OVR

Alen Hanson 2B 71 OVR

Matt Reynolds SS 67 OVR

Colin Moran 3B 65 OVR

Tommy Joseph 1B 61 OVR

Tayron Guerrero RP 60 OVR

Jarlin Garcia RP 60 OVR

Matt Purke RP 58 OVR

Dean Kiekhafer RP 54 OVR

For a full list of player changes as well as easy access to compare all the specific attribute changes head over to: http://www.daddyleagues.com/dd/16/attributes?date=2016-05-20

Madden 17: The Ground Game

It's finally here!! Our first real bit of Madden 17 news regarding new features and gameplay. While many of us here at DaddyLeagues are anxiously awaiting the CFM news, gameplay really is the core of Madden and that's just what we got today: Madden 17 gap assignments and ball carrier moves. 

Let's start by going into the new ball carrier moves. First off, ratings for moves are now more important than they have ever been before. Moves are now tiered; meaning that depending on what your players skill is for a certain move, that will determine how a move is performed. Much like the performance modifier of previous Madden where if you had a move above a "90", your player would perform a special move with the precision modifier. Well now it seems as though you do not need to use the modifier to achieve better moves. Having a special move (Juke, spin, stiff arm, truck, etc.) above a rating of "90" will now automatically perform an "elite" tier move. While being anywhere above a 65 but not above 90 will result in your standard moves, not quite as explosive as the elite level but still can get the job done if timed correctly. And lastly comes the "lumbering" move, which is basically reserved for your offensive and defensive linemen who scoop up a fumble. These moves are exactly as they sound: slow, lethargic, non impressive versions of the better versions. 

Next up comes the new fakeout system. This will play hand in hand with the new special moves that will result in about a thousand new interactions before the tackle. To break it down simply, the Fakeout Interaction System is basically a dynamic set of interactions that can occur between 2 players or up to 6 players that have varying animations based on your ball carriers skill, timing, as well as your own skills on the sticks. According to EA, each move has its own area where success is much greater, with the example of hurdling being much more successful when running at someone head on rather than them pursuing you from a side angle. 

To go with the Fakeout Interactions and tiers of move, also comes some more modified ball carrier mechanics.

The first set is the Standard Moves, which is basically what we all know and are used to: executed by just pressing the corresponding button of the move. The standard moves will be performed based on your rating for that move, and will have the normal rating on fatigue, fumbles, and injury as well as being able to fakeout a maximum of 2 defenders. 

Next up comes the Speed Modifier. These set of moves is most likely how we are currently performing moves: Holding down the "RT/R2" while performing the move. And they are just what they sound like: quick, one cut moves designed to quickly juke out one defender. The design of the Speed modifier is to be able to, as I said, quickly juke out one defender while also not diverging from your current path. Speed moves carry the lowest risk of fatigue, fumbling, and injury, but also only allow a maximum of 1 defender fakeout per move. 

Next on the list of new moves, the Precision Modifier. These moves are very close to their Madden 16 counterparts and also offer the biggest risk/reward of all the moves, and are performed by just holding down the "LT/L2" buttons along with the corresponding move. As is with all the new moves, the higher the rating, the better the move. As I stated with the highest risk/reward, comes being able to fakeout many defenders, but suffering the penalty of the highest fatigue loss, and biggest risk of fumble and injury.

Finally, comes the big new set of moves, the Steerable Modifier. The Steerable Modifier is performed by holding both the "LT/L2 and RT/R2" and the corresponding move button. The design of the steerable modifier is, as it sounds, to give the user more control and steer their move. Basically, the user will flick the left stick in the direction they want this move to be performed. Unlike the aforementioned moves, this set of moves does not involve the fakeout interaction system, but rather is designed to influence the defenders pursuit angle. 

Lastly for the offensive side, comes several new visual feedbacks which I won't go into too much detail about, as they are by default turned off on all-pro and all-madden. But the last main addition is what EA calls "Tackle Battles". This is somewhat similar to the old Fight for the Fumble feature and is designed to give the user more control, but it isn't a "who can hit the button faster" mechanic, but rather a "who can hit the button quicker" mechanic. Basically in a nutshell, when a ball carrier and a defender engage into a tackle but it is a standstill where both players are at an equal position, a random face button will appear and whoever hits it quicker will result in either a broken tackle, or a tackle. 

Now let's move on to the defensive side. With all the new offensive ball carrier moves, we need to have some defensive improvements to be able to combat this right? You guys won't be disappointed in what was added. 

Most importantly, for the first time comes a true to life Defensive Gap Assignment. I won't go into too much details of the specifics as you can read the full blog over at EA Sports, but rather will breakdown the new assignments and positions. 

First off, a fully dynamic gap assignment as I previously mentioned. Each play has pre play gap assignments that will show you who covers what gap if the run is to the right, or to the left. But most importantly, then comes the post play gap assignment. Each player who is assigned a gap is given an AI, and is able to recognize when they need to cover a gap or cover a hole created by the line. This is heavily influenced by each players Play Recognition rating. The Play Rec rating will help determine a few things after the ball is snapped; most importantly how fast they will react to the gap and if they will cover the correct gap. 

Also added into Gap Assignments, is Technique. The added techniques are Force, Cutback, Fill, Jet, Crack-Replace, and 2-Gap. Again, I won't get into too much specifics here as it is all on EA Sports, but basically this is an organic system that develops as the play goes on. A force defender is designed to force the play back inside and not get beat outside, while the cutback is designed to play on the opposite side and patiently wait to ensure he isn't beat by any form of cutback. Fill players are basically anyone who is not a force or cutback player, and not blitzing. Their job is to fill the gaps on the run and also not get beat to the outside, basically making the ball carrier decide to run through the defense, or try to beat the force or cutback defender. Jet defenders are the easiest set of the bunch, and they are just the blitzers. The Crack-Replace defender is where EA really says the new system shines. As previously stated, this defender relies much on Play Rec. Their job is to identify when the force defender is blocked, and then they will fill in and replace that force defender. A 2-Gap is used mostly in 3-4, with the job of engaging in a block, but then reading the play and deciding which direction to try and shed the tackle to make the play.

While some may think that this may be overpowered, I truly feel it won't be. Something that I will emphasize, that is also emphasized in the article by EA, is that play calling truly matters now. Unlike Madden 16 where you can see players get a away with calling mostly nickel or dime or dollar, that is not the case with the new run fit system. If you call a pass heavy defense, not all gaps will be accounted for if the offense comes out in some sort of heavy set. In addition to this, the different sets you come out with defensively, will alter the amount of gaps and techniques your defenders will use. Not all defenses will have a Crack-Replace defender, so if that force defender is picked up and blocked, the ball carrier will have some room to run on the outside.

Well guys, that's all for our first batch of Madden 17 new features. I know all my fellow Madden junkies are thrilled for this as we can now start getting ourselves readty and anticipating for what will be in Madden 17. I myself am really happy for these features, as I have been wanting improvement to the run game, Oline/Dline, and just in general run stopping defense for a couple years now. Make sure you guys keep checking out DaddyLeagues for all of the Madden 17 news and content as soon as it is released as we promised, and also follow us on Twitter and YouTube. Check back next week where we are hoping for the CFM blog which will be at least my most anticipated blog. Also, stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as we will deliver to you guys all the EA Play and E3 content we can get our hands on. As always leave any questions in the comment section as well as your feedback on our article. We will see you guys back here soon for some more Madden 17 news!  
 

Madden 17 Release Date Revealed, Cover Athlete Announcement

We have finally gotten our first taste of Madden 17 news for all the fans waiting: Madden 17 will be released August 23rd this year. 

Not the biggest batch of news, but it's a start. Along with this, came that on Thursday, May 12th, during the 6 P.M. EST showing of SportsCenter, the Madden 17 cover athlete will be revealed along with our first taste of gameplay. So it seems that this is really the date that Madden fans will be writing down. 

The title will be released for PS4, Xbox One, as well as previous consoles PS3, and Xbox 360. As per usual, fans with EA Access on Xbox One will be able to access the title early with a limited amount of playing time. 

For all of your Madden 17 news and content as soon as it is released, keep tuning into DaddyLeagues media where we will continue to keep everyone up to date with the best Madden content available. 

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Madden 17 Top 5 CFM Sleeper Teams: Post Draft Edition

As the NFL Draft is coming to an end, and most Madden leagues are either dying or restarting with the most up to date rosters; the anticipation for Madden 17 is about to reach its all time high. The analyzing, debating, and back and forth of which teams to choose is about to commence. But for all those wishing to restart their leagues with post draft rosters, or simply for those who have already begun the wait for Madden 17; I have compiled a list of the top 5 sleeper teams that can offer a great rebuild in CFM. Teams that have for so long been an afterthought, but now have the pieces to build a dynasty.

5. Raiders

The Raiders were thought to compete for the AFC West this past year, and had a much improved season but ultimately fell short of both the division and wild card. However, in my opinion this team is in the driver’s seat to make a serious run for the division this year with a great chance of winning it. Oakland picked up some serious playmakers in free agency and were one of the most active teams! Sean Smith, Bruce Irvin, and Kelechi Osemele to name a few immediate impact players. Michael Crabtree has seemingly found new life in a revamped Oakland offense lead much by the arm of a young star quarterback in Derek Carr and dynamic wide receiver Amari Cooper. The Oakland war room faired quite well in the draft as well, nabbing safety Karl Joseph with their first pick who will be a replacement for the aging Reggie Nelson, but you can also play him at strong safety instead of Nate Allen. No need to fret if Carr gets hurt, Connor Cook from Michigan State should serve as a viable backup. The legs of Latavious Murray, and the arm of Carr with his skilled set of wide receivers behind one of NFLs best offensive lines makes the Raiders one of the most intriguing picks for Madden 17.

4. Cowboys

It's hard to put the Cowboys here because they are always a top Madden team, but considering that they did just go 4-12, it makes the Cowboys an interesting pick for Madden 17. While the ratings may not be too favorable for the Cowboys, they have some serious pieces to build on. Out of the teams on this list the Cowboys are the most ready to win now, but still have some pieces set up for the future. Other than Romo, you have an offense that will likely last for whatever amount of time your league lasts for. Rookie HB Elliot as well as Dez, Terrence, Escobar to replace Witten, and one of the youngest and best offensive lines in the NFL, should serve to be a top offense for any Madden user. All question marks aside on Smiths knee, when you can land 2 players in the top 5 talent wise in the draft, you have to deem that as a success.  Once again, knee questions aside, ratings will be favorable towards Smith. Smith and Gregory should help to increase the pass rush Dallas has been looking for since Ware left. With a few top draft picks focusing on the defensive side of the ball, you should be able to quickly turn Dallas back into one of the top teams in your league.

3. Texans

The Texans had one of the biggest off seasons in my opinion. When you have a defense lead by a stud like JJ Watt, you need to focus on the other side of the ball which is exactly what the Texans did. Regardless of your thoughts on how well or how poorly Brock Osweiler will do in real life, I can promise you he will have a very solid Madden rating. To go along with their new strong arm signal caller, also came a whole new offensive look. Star receiver Hopkins stays the same and will rejoice in someone other than Brian Hoyer throwing him the ball. Lamar Miller is a dynamic back who showed some signs of greatness in Miami, and will take that Houston. Will Fuller was the fastest receiver in the combine this year and he will serve wonders for Brock’s big arm. Look for this team to be on the upswing in most Madden franchises.

2. Titans

This team is really set up for the future. Be ready to have a few extra early draft picks for the 2017 draft because of the Rams move up to get Goff. Let’s start up front here. For the team that had the #1 pick in the draft, they feature a pretty competent Madden offense. Warmack, Lewan, and rookie Conklin will anchor this offensive line that you can build on for years to come. Besides that what do that have? Only one of Madden’s favorite young franchise QB in Mariota. Fast and accurate is usually everyone’s favorite combo at QB, and that’s exactly what he brings to the table. You have a vet at HB in Murray along with Alabama’s rookie star Henry. Rounding off the Titans other 2^nd round picks you add some great help to the pass rush with Dodd, and line help with Johnson. Use your 1^st round pick along with the extra Rams first to add some help to the secondary, and possibly WR if Douglas and Wright aren’t to your fancy, but this time is really set up to make an impact.

1. Jaguars

It really feels like forever since I have been able to say I am confident that the Jaguars will be able to compete. And I really only have one word for what the Jags have done in the 2016 offseason and draft: WOW! Let me put something into perspective for you for a minute; the Jaguars starting lineup for 2016 will feature 3 guys in the top 5 talent who are taking the field for the first time in their NFL career: Jalen Ramsey, Myles Jack, and Dante Fowler. Remember Fowler missed all of 2015 with a torn ACL? Well he is back now. Ramsey, as many say, is a once in a lifetime CB along with Jack who was said to arguably be the top talent in this past draft if it wasn’t for his knee injury. That is three top 5 talents taking the field for this defense in 2016! On top of that, the Jags went ahead and added another great CB in Prince Amukamara from the Giants, who beside from his injuries was relatively successful alongside of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in New York. This is definitely a defense you can build around. This offense still has some question marks, but I think Bortles is a great Madden QB with his strong arm and feel ratings will be favorable towards him this upcoming year. Robinson had a breakout year for Jacksonville, along with Hurns. Look for the Madden ratings to treat both of these young wide outs great.

That’s all for our Madden 17 sleeper teams! Of course these aren’t all the teams that will be sleepers for Madden, but these are the top 5 in my opinion. Make sure to continue to tune into DaddyLeagues media section where we will keep you up to date with all of the Madden 17 news as soon as it is released, as well as any changes that come to Madden 16 for its remaining life cycle. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel once again to stay up to date with all Madden 17 news and videos as soon as they are released!