With Madden 16 around the corner there is a huge fan base patiently waiting to dive in Connected Franchise Mode. While this is not the most popular game mode among competitive players, the following for this mode is very committed. According to EA Sports, there has been several improvements to Connected Franchise that should make for a more in-depth experience this year for league play enthusiasts.
One of the biggest decisions a Connected Franchise owner will make in Madden 16 is what team they will choose to play out the experience with. Do you choose to go with a team with a bunch of young talent or do you need to win now in a money league and choose to go with a team that has established talent? We thought we could help you out with a list of a 5 teams in each category to help narrow your choices.
TOP 5 SLEEPER TEAMS IN CONNECTED FRANCHISE:
- Minnesota Vikings– The vikings are a young team at almost every position on the field with the exception of RB, where you have one of the NFL’s best for the next few seasons. The major asset to this team in our opinion is the linebacker group. You will start the franchise with three linebackers who are at or around 90 speed (assuming they don’t short newly drafted LB Hendricks) that will be young enough to go the distance for you in most leagues.
- Oakland Raiders– The Raiders much like the Vikings are young everywhere. You have first or second year players at the QB and WR positions, a third year player at RB, and one of the youngest and most talented defenses at most positions. Our suggestion with the Raiders would be to take them without making a bunch of moves and build the DL through the draft.
- St. Louis Rams– For the last three years or so, the Rams have been silently building a monster of a team. They have one of the best defensive line groups in the entire league and they would make for a solid nucleus to build around. On offense the recent addition of newly drafted RB Todd Gurley gives them a viable threat on the ground to return to their “Greatest Show on Turf” roots.
- Philadelphia Eagles– With the addition of great players like Kiko Alonso, and DeMarco Murray, the Eagles have an outstanding foundation to build an impressive team around. They have solid young players on defense and a future star at the WR position in Jordan Mathews. Another great thing about the Eagles is that they have plenty of depth at the QB position to choose from, including Tim Tebow. Tebow may not be a great player in real life, but in Connected Franchise where you can boost his throwing ratings, he has all the makings of a Madden stud.
- Tampa Bay Buccs– The Buccs have one of the most Madden ready offenses in the game with Winston at QB, Evans at WR, and Sefarian-Jenkins at TE. Those are three very young, very Madden ready players that you will be able to build around for the duration of your Connected Franchise. On defense they do have a few holes, but those holes are negated by young monsters like Lavonte David to take the edge off.
TOP 5 WIN-NOW TEAMS IN CONNECTED FRANCHISE:
- Seattle Seahawks– The Hawks are probably not as over powered as they once were with one less monster in the secondary, less talent at WR, and an aging RB. That being said however, they are still one of the most dominant teams on Madden and will put you in a position to win in your Connected Franchise immediately.
- New England Patriots– The Patriots took a big hit in their secondary this year, losing both Browner and Revis, but still remain a very solid Madden team. With QB Tom Brady you will have a two to three season window to bring home a championship before he will need to be replaced. The offense still has weapons, and the defense is still very stout in the front seven. This is a team in the AFC that will be a formidable opponent for anyone.
- Denver Broncos– Veteran talent is everywhere on the Denver Broncos roster, and should give you one of the best teams in the league for at least the first two seasons. Peyton Manning may vanish after the first year however, so start winning early and often. The only real glaring hole on this team is at the RB position, where there is no real “Madden threat”.
- Dallas Cowboys– America’s Team will give you not only a great threat early on in the Connected Franchise, but also has enough youth to support the team going forward for many years as well. The major problem with the Boys, very much like the Broncos, will be the RB position. Our suggestion would be to make minimal moves and look to draft a RB after the first season. Once you have a solid RB your only real task after that will be to groom a replacement for Tony Romo who is getting up in age.
- Indianapolis Colts– Andrew Luck finally has help on the offense this year, and with the veteran talent that has found a home in Indy, you will have one of the NFL’s most potent offenses to use for at least the first two to three seasons. The defense leaves room for improvement, but with an offense like the Colts have you could always just try to outscore your opponents.
We hope that you enjoyed this article and that it will help you decide on a team for your Madden 16 Connected Franchise!