Madden NFL 99

Ah, The Franchise. This part of the game could be the most rewarding or the most frustrating. In the Franchise mode, not only are you the head coach, but you are also the General Manager. You are in charge of making the decision that will lead your team to greatness or you to the unemployment line.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: In franchise mode, it is important to think long term. How do you want to build your team? Does it need to upgrade the offense? Does the defense need to be upgraded? Is this an "old" team or a bunch of "youngsters"? Know where you want to head before you start splurging your millions in free agency.

We don't rebuild, we reload: I like to get my hands on all the talent that I can possibly get. I feel it is better to have a whole lot of good players at all positions. In case of injury, you have a back-up that can just step right in. Second, in the off-season, they can be used as trade bait to get other players. Third, I'd rather have players that I don't need then need players that I don't have.

Have a philosphy: What kind of team are you trying to build? Do you want a team that can smash the ball or do you want a passing team? Do you want a team with a great secondary or do you want Pitbull like linebackers? I basically try to improve on the general chemistry of my team by adding players that I feel will either complement or improve my system. I stay away from making radical play style changes.

Change that play book: It seems that every year, the AI in Madden is getting on to your old tricks. It seems as if somebody stole your playbook and now every NFL team has it. And why not? They have had years to watch you run the same plays over and over again. Suggestion-change your play books about once every one or two years.

Resign your free agents: Several questions you may ask yourself when signing your own players: Can I afford to resign him? Is he asking for too much money? Is this player a critical part of my teams cohesiveness? If I can't or don't resign him, can I replace him or can I live with Steve DeBerg as my starter? How many good years can I get out of him? If this player has a lot of positives about him (great overall rating, improving each year, not asking for a King's Ransom, I really need this guy to go to the SuperBowl next year, etc...) then I resign them. Bench warming jobbers who made eight tackles all year long and are asking for $1 million per can go look for work elsewhere. This is a trick that I picked up somewhere. After each season, save the season on the memory card. Then go to the free agents screen and see who is a free agent. Then restart your game and re-order your roster before you re-sign your free agents. Certain positions are cheaper to sign that others. Change your QBs, RBs, CBs and WRs to TEs, FBs and Safties. Change your Offensive Tackles to Guards. Change your Defensive Linemen to Linebackers. You can now resign these players for alot cheaper and switch them back.

Free Agents: Time to spend that dough you have saved by not signing your All-STARS or by switching positions. Three things to look for are quality, youth and need. Do you really want to sign a 12 year vet to a multi-year contract? These players can bring quality to the table right now. They may be good as a stop gap but they can retire at any time and they will not get any better. I try to sign those young players who are still improving to those long multi-year deals so I won't have to worry about them for a while. I also look for the young players here to add depth to my team (In case of injury) or to improve a weak position. What I also like to do is sign the very best free agents out there, even thought i may not need them. Why? Because you can trade them for players that you do need! Good quarterbacks are scarce. So look to see who retires and trade that extra QB you just got for the pick of their litter. In fact, you can unload an 40 year old veteran on a team because the computer is so stupid. It is not looking at how old the player is, it is looking at the ratings. Try and wait until after the draft so you can try and sucker the computer into giving up their top draft pick.

Trades: Generally, at this point in the off-season, the computer will try to unload some over-paid jobber for some of your up and coming talent. Generally, I don't bite on these but when the computer offered me Randy Moss for Corey Miller I bit!!!! Even after this you can go to some other teams and make trade offers. The computer usually goes for 90+ players and quarterbacks. One really sneaky dirty rotten trick that I do is to convert a linebacker to a defensive end or a wide reciever to defensive back and unload him on some other team for some younger player (Haha. The computer Liquid AI is sure is dumb when it comes to that. I had Jessie Armstead playing defensive end for the Pack and Ike Hillard playing cornerback for the Fish!)

Draft: Your picks can go one of two routes. By need and available talent. Sometimes you may have a really pressing need at a certain position. Unfortunately the draft is rarely an immediate answer. I try to take care of those problems during the free agency boom. What I try to do here is get that talent that is available to work with. With a little luck you can sign them to a long term deal and develope them into quality starters. Also, if you kicker decides that he rather play soccer in Barcelona, it is also a goo place to replace him in the later rounds (4th) if you are asking yourself why do you even have this pick??? What I try to accomplish is younger players stepping in to replace losses due to retirement and free agency then sign them up for long term contracts. Please also note that from year to year, no draft will be the same. Sometimes, you have an All-Jobber draft. The next year will be an All-Pro draft.

Stentor's Rules: Allright, this is a real challenge for those who have suckered the computer into making stupid trades and stuff. Try these on for size! (1) In your first season, no signing free agents! NOBODY! Not Dar Dar, not Bennett, not Zimmerman, nobody! (2) No changing positions-a RILB is a RILB not a LILB or DE! (3) No substitutions! The computer can't sub in players when they get tired, why should you? (4) You cannot initiate trades, ever! (5) You can't cut anybody-you have to play them until their contract expires! Their is nothing offical about these rules. You can use them, you can lose them, you can make your own!

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