LA Rams News: Madden ratings adjusters missed it by a mile

What Madden Got Wrong

Madden 21 rated many offensive players correctly, besides one key player we will get to later. The two I will touch on now are two rookies from last year, OG Bobby Evans and OG David Edwards. Edwards who played RG last season and an RT in college they have out of position at LT. Evans, they at least have at the correct position at RT. Overall wise Evans is a 65 while Edwards is a 64.

While both were backups, they were thrust into a starting role.  As starters, they performed very well. When Blythe moved to the center, Edwards playing the right guard had little drop-off and Evans outperformed an injured Havenstein. A low 70’s rating would have been a more accurate reflection of their performance on the offensive line.  In fact, OL depth is one of the few places the Rams are solid.

Defensive drops

Defensively there were three obvious mistakes. Rookie safety Taylor Rapp played very well but is rated 75 overall.  Cornerback Troy Hill was a solid performer, who only rated a 74 overall, and lastly linebacker Kenny Young, who was awarded a pedestrian 64 overall. Rapp and Hill while not in the ’80s should still be closer to it hovering around the 78-79 range. Young would have been a 70-72 rating player.

According to Pro Football Focus,  Hill outperformed Ramsey this past season while having the bulk of the receivers targeted. Still, he only gave up a 47.3 reception percentage which was the third-lowest in the NFL. Meanwhile, Rapp performed close to what fans expected from Johnson in his time on the field after Johnson’s injury. While one good season doesn’t make a player bonified, it still gave an indication of how good he is. A 75 rating was, unexpectedly low.

Young who is entering his third season is rated less than some rookies who have had zero starts. Just to be clear a 75-80 is what an average player should be receiving. While Young has only had six starts as a player for the Baltimore Ravens. That alone should be enough to project him as a  low 70’s rating.  Instead, Madden’s rating score projected him lower than many incoming rookies.