Madden 12 ~ jaymo76
Team ~ Oakland Raiders
Year~ one

Starting off my Raiders franchise, I did something I have NEVER done in Madden (or 2k)... I played the exhibition season. I went 2-2. A comeback victory versus the Cardinals followed by a shootout (55-34) victory over SF; then a tight 23-17 loss to NO followed by a blowout 34-17 loss to the Seahawks. It was a real challenge to figure out the ratings of rookie players.

Big decisions:

Cutting Boller... Edwards is the backup QB and Pryor is 3rd stringer and runs the goaline O series
Making Jacoby Ford the #2 receiver... Heyward Bey is now 4th behind Denarius Moore
*** Bey just hasn't shown me anything while Moore had an outstanding preseason
Keeping FOUR tight ends (Boss is the starter... with reservations) raw rookie David Ausberry has an A potential
*** Myers had a poor preseason and his catching stats are poor... he is on the trade block as we speak
Starting Wisnieski over Satele at CENTRE (I may look to move Satele to another position on the line)
Cutting RB's Bennett, Rankin, and Cartwright and going with the raw rookie Taiwan Jones as 3rd string and #2 returner
*** Jones impressed in preseason enough for me to make him the 3rd down back.
Trevor Scott gets the start at DE over Matt Shaughnessy... just going with my instincts on this one
Going with Van Dyke and Chekwa at CB... I cut Ware and Brown to make room on the roster
*** the secondary is very, very weak... this is the number 1 draft concern

Currently my biggest concerns are:

1. Jason Campbell... I may replace him with Trent Edwards if I can't get better production
2. LOLB.... Quentin Groves isn't cutting it... I am looking at FA Lofa Tatupu to shore up the position

After playing around with custom playbooks I went into Denver and held on for a 28-23 victory. My D line saved my butt... I was badly outplayed. Campbell, the secondary were attrocious. However, Darren McFadden had 29 carries for 202 yards and a TD.... an absolute beast! Van Dyke was great on returns and had a pic for a TD.

Bring on week two!