ATH Players

[JeffHCross]

But he should be rated at multiple positions and you should be able to line him up in multiple positions.

You can line anybody up at multiple positions, and, yes, their ratings do take a hit. Is it more of a hit than you get if you declare that player for that position? Maybe, I don't know. But I don't know of any practical difference an ATH staying at ATH versus moving to his best position would give you. The OVR is the same (sometimes better), so I assume that their "best"/"default" position gives the best AWR rating.

I agree with you that in the ideal circumstance, an ATH would be an ATH would be an ATH. However, there are some things that would have to be significantly re-worked (position minimums and CPU depth charts, for example), and I don't think that trade-off is worth it. Especially since, off the top of my head, I'm not sure there's a true disadvantage to moving an ATH to his best position.

[Jayrah]

You can line anybody up at multiple positions, and, yes, their ratings do take a hit. Is it more of a hit than you get if you declare that player for that position? Maybe, I don't know. But I don't know of any practical difference an ATH staying at ATH versus moving to his best position would give you. The OVR is the same (sometimes better), so I assume that their "best"/"default" position gives the best AWR rating.

I agree with you that in the ideal circumstance, an ATH would be an ATH would be an ATH. However, there are some things that would have to be significantly re-worked (position minimums and CPU depth charts, for example), and I don't think that trade-off is worth it. Especially since, off the top of my head, I'm not sure there's a true disadvantage to moving an ATH to his best position.

I know you can do it but another user can't see exactly what you have on the field. It's mostly important for OD. When you line a WR up at RB, it still shows the guy as a on the Offensive players list while you're choosing defense. It's confusing and other users don't like it.

[JeffHCross]

I know you can do it but another user can't see exactly what you have on the field. It's mostly important for OD. When you line a WR up at RB, it still shows the guy as a on the Offensive players list while you're choosing defense. It's confusing and other users don't like it.

I don't follow. In that case you'd rather he show up as an RB (the position he's lined up at), or be able for it to just say "ATH" (which would be even more generic and confusing). I can agree with the former, except that when I see Percy Harvin break the huddle, I don't know where he's going to line up on the field. There's no strategy if the Gators (or Vikings) had to declare "He's going to be at RB this play!". That said, I can see the frustration.

[Jayrah]

I don't follow. In that case you'd rather he show up as an RB (the position he's lined up at), or be able for it to just say "ATH" (which would be even more generic and confusing). I can agree with the former, except that when I see Percy Harvin break the huddle, I don't know where he's going to line up on the field. There's no strategy if the Gators (or Vikings) had to declare "He's going to be at RB this play!". That said, I can see the frustration.

You don't necessarily know where he's going to line up but you can make an educated guess based on the other players in the package as a D-coordinator. In game you don't have the luxury of seeing the actual players in the package, so all you can see is what type of players there are. It's only fair to bring him in as an "RB" in a 3 wide set (for example) so that the defense can line up in the proper or corresponding package. There are still offensive sets that allow you to take advantage of personnel groupings by odd alignments, but if you see a 4 wide set with a TE (as it is currently if you take a wr and line him up at rb) you're defense is gonna go dime or quarter when in reality it's a 3 wide set with your "ath" as your RB. The way the game depicts your awareness as a D-coordinator, it's the only way to fairly move players from their position without switching multiple players to "show" the correct personnel package.

[gschwendt]

You don't necessarily know where he's going to line up but you can make an educated guess based on the other players in the package as a D-coordinator. In game you don't have the luxury of seeing the actual players in the package, so all you can see is what type of players there are. It's only fair to bring him in as an "RB" in a 3 wide set (for example) so that the defense can line up in the proper or corresponding package. There are still offensive sets that allow you to take advantage of personnel groupings by odd alignments, but if you see a 4 wide set with a TE (as it is currently if you take a wr and line him up at rb) you're defense is gonna go dime or quarter when in reality it's a 3 wide set with your "ath" as your RB. The way the game depicts your awareness as a D-coordinator, it's the only way to fairly move players from their position without switching multiple players to "show" the correct personnel package.

To me though... the Dexter McClusters and the Aaron Hernandez that line up in different positions should indeed be a question mark that you have to account for as a defense coordinator. I do this all the time in ODs... find that guy that can play multiple positions and then build my playbook with some stuff based on that.

For example, in Powerhouse, I have a TE that plays more like a receiver. He's my 2nd TE and my 3rd WR so if I go Ace - Big, he's on the field with a hand in the dirt and it shows 2 WR, 2 TE, 1 HB. If I call Shotgun - Normal, he's lined in the slot but it still shows the defense at play call 2 WR, 2 TE, 1 HB. I intentionally call plays so that the defense doesn't know where he'll be until we line up, and then they have to adjust. That forces them to make a decision... do they want to always go 4-3 against that personnel or do they want to worry about him as a WR and call Nickel more often.

Same thing, in SBCOL, I have a WR that also has very good runningback skills. He's my 3rd WR and my 2nd HB. Sometimes I line him up at HB/FB in Shotgun - Split so the defense sees 3WR, 1 TE, 1 HB but they'll be surprised to see a more powerful formation than they expected. Other times, I'll pull the HB and put him in during Shotgun - Spread so again, the defense sees 5WR (0 HB) so they assume an Air Raid style play but instead he takes it up the gut.

Assuming we're on the same page, I don't see why the defense needs to be told where he's lining up seeing as how with the same exact personnel, he could be lined up in any number of places. It's one of those small mind games that happens in real life that keeps you guessing and forcing you to adjust on the fly.

[JeffHCross]

You don't necessarily know where he's going to line up but you can make an educated guess based on the other players in the package as a D-coordinator.

Can't you make that same educated guess based on the other players on the field in NCAA? If I see 4 WRs + Percy Harvin, I can make a pretty good guess that he's either going to be in the backfield or a fifth WR. That doesn't make a significant difference to my play call. Yes, because of some of the limitations of NCAA you're sometimes screwed on alignment, but, in this example, I need to plan for 5 WRs, regardless of whether one of them is actually lined up at RB.

Similarly, the difference between Shotgun - Normal and Shotgun - Y-Slot is 4 WR versus 3 WR/1 TE. I have to make a judgement call based on that package whether to treat 3 WR/1 TE as 4 WR threats, or as 3 WRs plus a TE that my LB can cover. Whether that TE is Aaron Hernandez, Gronk, or Jake Ballard probably will influence that decision. Whether Gronk shows up as a TE or a 4th WR is probably less important to that decision. In my opinion.

[Jayrah]

Can't you make that same educated guess based on the other players on the field in NCAA? If I see 4 WRs + Percy Harvin, I can make a pretty good guess that he's either going to be in the backfield or a fifth WR. That doesn't make a significant difference to my play call. Yes, because of some of the limitations of NCAA you're sometimes screwed on alignment, but, in this example, I need to plan for 5 WRs, regardless of whether one of them is actually lined up at RB.

Similarly, the difference between Shotgun - Normal and Shotgun - Y-Slot is 4 WR versus 3 WR/1 TE. I have to make a judgement call based on that package whether to treat 3 WR/1 TE as 4 WR threats, or as 3 WRs plus a TE that my LB can cover. Whether that TE is Aaron Hernandez, Gronk, or Jake Ballard probably will influence that decision. Whether Gronk shows up as a TE or a 4th WR is probably less important to that decision. In my opinion.

these are good points. However i would argue that if I know an "ath" is in the game I can manage some sort of guess better than if I think he's coming in for a wr set. Maybe not an "ath" position even, but a pulse around his # in the play call screen whenever he's in the game to alert the defense that this player (ala Harvin from your example) is a moving piece within the offense so be aware he could be a rb. The limitations of time in the play call screen doesn't allow users the luxury of gandering over the # of every player and then pick an educated defense.

TEs are different imo based on who they are and their skill set because the #1 TE is generally the guy out there so whether he's flanked or not is basically irrelevant to "seeing" who's in the game. Even if they're in a tight form, if they're a featured wr you can plan for that, or not.