Friday, August 5, 2016

All Player Ratings for Steelers Roster in Madden 17


If you're like me, then you love Madden and look forward to the new release every year. It's always fun to check out the player ratings and see how good your team will be. You can go check out the full list of player ratings yourself, but I saved you all some trouble and listed the full ratings for the Steelers roster, as well as some some analysis for the grades. 

The players are in the positions they're listed as on the spreadsheet. 

Quarterback 

Ben Roethlisberger - 93
Bruce Gradkowski - 69
Landry Jones - 66
Dustin Vaughn - 62

Ben is one of the best in the league, so it comes to no surprise to see him as one of the top QB's in the game. The rest of the guys don't get much love, but the ratings given are pretty fair. 

Running Back

Le'Veon Bell - 94
DeAngelo Williams - 81
Daryl Richardson - 67
Fitzgerald Toussaint - 67

The running backs are represented well, as Bell & Williams are one of the best duos in the league. Both get respectable ratings.

Fullback

Roosevelt Nix - 80
David Johnson - 74

I was genuinely surprised Nix got such a high grade. I love him and I'm glad to see him starting to get some respect. Johnson's 74 isn't bad at all - solid grade for a vet.

Wide Receiver 

Antonio Brown - 97
Martavis Bryant - 82
Markus Wheaton - 76
Darrius Heyward-Bey - 71
Sammie Coates - 70
Demarcus Ayers - 62
Canaan Severin - 62
Marcus Tucker - 61
Eli Rogers - ???

Antonio Brown rightfully owns the highest receiver rating in the game, making him unstoppable on the screen along with on the field. Bryant gets an 82... at least we'll be able to use him in the game. Wheaton, DHB, and Coates all seem to have low scores, but they will all surely rise as the season goes on.

For some Eli Rogers was absent on the spreadsheet.

Tight End 

Ladarius Green - 81
Jesse James - 67
Xavier Grimble - 62

Green gets a very solid 81 - we'll surely notice a difference when playing with him compared to Heath Miller. James' score is surprisingly low considering his solid play last year.

Offensive Tackle 

Marcus Gilbert - 83
Ryan Harris - 76
Alejuandro Villanueva - 70
Jerald Hawkins - 67
Brian Mihalik - 65

Gilbert's rating of 83 is way too low for anybody who watched him last year. Assuming he shuts down almost every edge rusher he faces once again, his rating should see an increase.

Offensive Guard 

David DeCastro - 84
Ramon Foster - 82
Chris Hubbard - 67

Similar to Gilbert, DeCastro doesn't get the respect he deserves. As one of the next star offensive lineman in the league, there is no way his rating doesn't rise this year.

Center 

Maurkice Pouncey - 88
BJ Finney - 65
Cody Wallace - 65
Quinton Schooly - 59

Pouncey is one of the best centers in the league, but has been plagued by injuries in the past year. His rating is dependent on health; if he plays all year, expect an increase.

Defensive End 

Cam Heyward - 88
Stephon Tuitt - 78
Giorgio Newberry - 62
LT Walton - 59
Cashaud Lyons - 59
Johnny Maxey - 57

Heyward is the man I always play with on defense, he's a monster in the game. Tuitt though is underrated in this league. On many occasions I've written that I see him being a breakout star this year, and I stand by that.

Defensive Tackle 

Ricardo Mathews - 69
Javon Hargrave - 68
Dan McCullers - 66
Lavon Hooks - 60
Devaunte Sigler - 58

What an ugly group ratings-wise. Assuming Mathews & Hargrave both play roles this year in the nickel, I'd expect a marginal increase in their ratings.

Inside Linebacker

Ryan Shazier - 79
Lawrence Timmons - 78
Vince Williams - 73
Steven Johnson - 68
Tyler Matakevich - 65

This angers me. Shazier flashed so much talent last year so I'm kind of shocked he is still in the 70's. Shazier will be a star in this league if he stays healthy. His rating will change. Timmons rating is also jarring; he's hardly lost a step despite getting older and is still a cornerstone on this defense. 

Outside Linebacker 

James Harrison - 85
Arthur Moats - 78
Jarvis Jones - 73
Bud Dupree - 70
LJ Fort - 68
Jordan Zumwalt - 65
Anthony Chickillo - 62
Travis Feeney - 62

Harrison is very respected in this game. The rest of the ratings are all pretty fair, especially for Jones and Dupree since neither played that great last year. I'm hopeful all of these young players get increases, including Chickillo.

Cornerback 

William Gay - 82
Ross Cockrell - 73
Artie Burns - 72
Senquez Golson - 71
Doran Grant - 66
Donald Washington - 65

This seems pretty accurate. Gay is a very solid cornerback and his 82 is fair. Cockrell's rating seems low, but that's likely due to his non-flashy play last year. The rest are all unproven.

Safety 

Mike Mitchell - 84
Robert Golden - 74
Shamarko Thomas - 72
Sean Davis - 71
Ross Ventrone - 64

Mitchell gets a respectable 84. Once he managed to be in full health and learn the defense, he's been a great player for us. Golden & Davis will both get extensive playing time this season so I expect their ratings to rise. 

Special Teams 

Jordan Berry - 79
Chris Boswell - 77
Will Monday - 68
Greg Warren - 65

Similar to Nix, i'm surprised Berry and Boswell got such solid ratings. I'm glad all of these young players are gaining respect! 

Steelers Overall: 85

Monday, August 1, 2016

Observations From My First Training Camp Experience


Today I made my first ever trip to Latrobe for training camp! While my fiance was swooning over Ben Roethlisberger, I was trying to take in as much as possible while the guys did work all over the field. It was such a great experience seeing all of these guys that you see on TV practice in person; I definitely recommend everybody making the trip at some point in their lives.

I jotted down some notes throughout practice so here are some of my observations:

- Alejandro Villaneuva & Dan McCullers are both massive human beings.
- The guys played the fan-favorite game where they competed to see who can catch the most balls consecutively without putting any down. Surprisingly, Roosevelt Nix tied Sammie Coates with 5 balls. The game definitely got the crowd fired up. 

- It was really funny hearing the guys, notably Cam Heyward, heckle DeAngelo Williams during stretches. "Happy birthday D-will!" "You get tomorrow off for your birthday!"

- Eli Rogers sure is quick; he flew threw the agility drills today. I still think he makes the 53 man roster. 

- Got to witness a camp fight today - Cash Lyons & Brian Mihalik had a little scrum. 

- Sammie Coates was burning guys all day. He made Doran Grant look silly in the 1v1 drill when he blew past him on a vertical route. The Steelers may have found another deep-threat gem.

- Sammie Coates also had a big drop today during drills, which drew a collective "awwww" from the crowd. We can certainly expect some drops this season from Coates along with his big plays.

- Antonio Brown versus Artie Burns just isn't fair. Brown blew by Burns with ease and seemed to be toying with him in open field with his shiftiness. Really regret not filming it...

- This squad sure can hit. Heard lots of pops during drills today. These safeties, especially Ross Ventrone & Jordan Dangerfield, love bringing the hammer. 

- Anthony Chickillo got a pick today - intercepting Bruce Gradkowksi. Chickillo isn't fooling around this week and has been making a lot of noise. 

- If you say David Johnson can't catch, you're a liar. He made an impressive grab today where he and Ryan Shazier caught a ball simultaneously and Johnson ripped it away.

- Roosevelt Nix got time in the slot today and did well! The former linebacker made some good grabs and showed off his soft hands. One of my favorite players is getting even better! 

- Daryl Richardson had an impressive day, making some good catches and getting a big run. He may provide some legitimate competition for Fitzgerald Toussaint. 

- Dustin Vaughn didn't do much during his limited playing time. He seemed like he was lost. But hey, he's QB #4 so who cares.  

- Xavier Grimble showed off his athleticism today in 11v11's with this nice catch in traffic.

- Antonio Brown continued to show today why he's the best receiver in the league. Crazy to watch him fly in person.


Thursday, July 28, 2016

Headlines From Steelers First Day of Camp

It's finally here! Players began arriving at camp Thursday and with that came a plethora of headlines. Here is some of the noteworthy news for those who may have missed out.

The Bell saga continues



Antonio Brown is going to play fast & furious this season



Weight Watchers: Steelers Edition


Xavier Grimble's got the look down


Tomlin continues not to live in his fears


We shouldn't worry about losing Wheaton at least


Vince Williams is ready go to infinity and beyond



Kevin Colbert gains a new title


Artie Burns is ready to roll


No new money yet


Pacman still salty


Better late than never 


The Ferrari is still in the shop


St Vincent college - still beautiful in the rain

Meanwhile in New England...