Madden 11 Tips: 8 Added Players of Intrigue

The latest Madden 11 roster update has been live for a few days now, and if you’re anything like us you’re scrambling to find all the new gems added to your team’s roster. Or, you were just waiting for us to tell you, because you’ve got a great head on your shoulders. Congrats, man with great head. Your headiness will not go unrewarded!

In total, over a hundred players were added to the Madden 11 roster in the past preseason update, but of all the additions there are eight players that stand out the most. Join us as we discuss the four offensive, and four defensive players you should take notice of in Madden 11′s latest update.

8 Added Players of Intrigue (DEFENSE)

Derrick Burgess (OLB)
Derrick Burgess is an interesting addition to the Madden 11 Patriots roster, but not at the position he’s plugged in at by default. By default, Burgess is a 72 overall outside linebacker, however his real value is moving him to defensive end where he not only jumps up to an 88 overall, but with 82 speed, 88 acceleration and 93 finesse move truly become dangerous. The biggest problems with Patriots defensive ends in Madden 11 is they are very slow, and many people like to run a nickel coverages in Madden 11 rather than a 3-4 scheme because it adds more speed to the field, and is better-adjusted for common 3 WR formations found in online play. Burgess turns a position of big liability, into awesome utility at DE.

Jonathan Casillas (OLB)
Jonathan Casillas is an interesting case in Madden 11, and a prime example of understand potential. While Casillas is only a 55 overall at ROLB, he has 87 speed, 88 acceleration and 85 agility to go with an impressive 82 jump. While his awareness, and power/finesse moves may be lacking, he has all the skills to be a fantastic user-controlled defender, and has the kind of speed and mobility that you want to try and get on the football field in the right situations. In a franchise, the fact that Casillas only has one year of experience also makes him a great developmental talent.

Geno Atkins (DL)
Why is a defensive tackle only rated a 69 overall on this list? Quite simply: utility. While Geno Atkins isn’t the strongest of the bunch (83 strength), he could be a very interesting sub in a pinch where you want more versatility, as his 73 speed, 94 acceleration and 70 jumping make him a do-it-all defender that has the skillset to drop back into coverage and surprise an offense. Even when not dropping back, Atkins still has great value as he is doubled-up in ability with 75 power move, 71 finesse and a surprisingly high 85 pursuit. Atkins is not your prototypical defensive tackle, and that’s exactly why you could find him useful in the right situations.

Leon Williams (MLB)
While the other defensive players listed are more highly specialized for a purpose, veteran linebacker Leon Williams is the guy every team would be satisfied to have added to their roster. His 71 overall may not be terribly impressive, and his 75 speed is very middle-of-the-pack, but he shines across the board in technical skills with 95 pursuit, 86 blockshed, 82 hit power and 85 tackling. He’s even more mobile than you might think, as his 87 acceleration and nearly-80 agility are a good way to round-out a very solid overall player. Williams is a great depth player in Madden 11, and can certainly be used in a pinch. The only difficult part is finding a spot for him in the Cowboys’ already impressive linebacking corps. We’re sure you’ll find a way.

8 Added Players of Intrigue (OFFENSE)

Brian Westbrook (HB)
At this point in his career, Brian Westbrook just isn’t going to start over a guy like Frank Gore, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still have great value in Madden 11. At 30 years old Westbrook may have lost a step, but when you start out a step ahead of everyone else, losing a step just evens things up. For an aging veteran Westbrook still boasts excellent athleticism stats with 91 speed, 90 agility, and 88 acceleration, but like in real life, his most dangerous features lie elsewhere. Westbrook has long been considered the premier pass-catching running back, and after all these years this is still reflected in Madden with 85 catching, 80 catch in traffic, 75 spectacular catch, and 75 beat press ratings. Gore is no slouch as a pass catcher either, but when it comes to third downs and passing plays, Westbrook has almost no equal.

Victor Cruz (WR)
Who is Victor Cruz? If you look atop the current preseason stats, you’ll know who. Victor Cruz is an undrafted free agent wide receiver who has made the most of his opportunity to showcase his talent in preseason action. Cruz first exploded for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns against many of the Jets starters and has continued his ascension towards making the final roster. After three preseason games, Cruz comfortably leads the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. It remains to be seen if the Giants will reward Cruz’s stellar play, but Madden already has by adding him to the Giants depth chart in the latest roster update. Cruz’s starting stats are very respectable with 90 speed, 90 agility, 94 acceleration, and 85 elusiveness. Based on his Madden 11 stats, Cruz may already be the Giants’ fourth-best receiver.

Kareem Huggins (HB)
Like Cruz, Kareem Huggins is another nationally unknown undrafted rookie who is reaping the benefits of strong preseason play. Huggins leads all Buccaneers running backs in rushing yards and yards per carry through three preseason games, and is rumored to be putting Derrick Ward’s depth chart spot and roster spot in jeopardy. In Madden, it could even be argued Huggins is the best running back on the team. Huggins’ 92 speed, 87 agility, 93 acceleration, 84 elusiveness, 87 spin move, and 86 juke move are all Buccaneer bests at running back, some of them by significant margins. While he lacks strength and trucking, and gives way to Ward’s superior pass catching ability, Huggins is still proving capable early on.

Terrence Austin (WR)
Terrence Austin is 7th-round pick for the Redskins that has yet to make his mark in the NFL, but when a player is added into the Madden world with 93 speed, it’s always note-worthy. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is aside from that speed Austin has little else going for him in terms of Madden ratings. His 91 agility and 89 acceleration are mediocre, and his 57 route running and 61 catch in traffic can make him a liability on the field. As of now Austin’s use is highly situational, being limited to a special teams contributor and a substitute receiver in specific situations where you want pure speed, but that could always change. Austin is basically an interesting developmental player to monitor for the future.