Charm City - M12 Franchise

Preseason notes:
- The majority of games were simmed as my main focus was to cut unnecessary UDFA’s, adjust depth charts, make realistic/suitable trades for the upcoming 2012 draft. I’m using a generic madden class, sorry guys - I just can’t deal with those jacked up shoulder pads haha. I swapped third round picks with the Lions for the 2013 draft (my IRL home state team, making trades between both teams a house rule every couple years or so)

- Ravens went 2-2 in the preseason, a lot of our position battles were seemingly locked right from the get go. I made the decision of starting Ladarius Webb(75ovr) and first-round pick, Jimmy Smith](76ovr) at the cornerback spot while Chris Carr(78ovr) and Dominique Foxworth(79ovr) added a veteran presence behind them. I may switch these four around based on performance. No other notable roster cuts, I just parted way with UDFA’s and the lowest rated players on the squad.

- Based on real life, the Ravens signed LT Bryant McKinnie(85ovr) under the suggestion of fellow Miami alums, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. I moved LT Michael Oher(82ovr) over to the right-side. Oniel Cousins(77ovr) loses his projected spot in the starting lineup. He will most likely be cut or placed on the trade block. I don’t expect much for him though, maybe a 5-7th round pick. Needless to say, our offensive line is stacked! I’m expecting a big year from HB Ray Rice(92ovr).

- Ray Lewis usually retires after the first year, so hoping to try and make a deep playoff run and try to get him one last ring as his “swan song”. I’m set with Flacco for a few years, so this will be a fun experience to continue to evolve the offense while trying to rebuild the defense post-Ray Lewis and company.

Around the League:
- There were a ton of highly-rated players left in the free agency pool. I made sure to analyze each team (injuries, depth, rating, etc..) and sign players (using randomizer) I thought would be appropriate. Maybe some day I’ll post a detailed guide to my settings, sliders, and house rules. If you’re interested PM me, I guess.

- Green Bay Packers coach, Mike McCarthy(90ovr) led the 2011 All-Madden team. Other notables were QB Tom Brady, TE Antonio Gates, SS Troy Polamalu, and CB Darrelle Revis. (99ovr club)

- Notable acquisitions in Free Agency were FB Leonard Weaver(87ovr, Redskins), WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh(78ovr, Cowboys), RT Jon Stinchomb(88ovr, Raiders), DT Pat Williams(86ovr, Texans), MLB Lofa Tatupu(88ovr, Giants) ROLB Keith Bullock(84ovr, Falcons), CB Kelvin Hayden(85ovr, Titans). Another stand out was the Colts signing LG Brian Waters(91ovr). After spending his entire career with the Chiefs, Waters himself wanted to spend his final year(s) with a strong contender to win a championship. I think he made the right decision to say the least.

- My roster update was from Aug. 29th, so a lot of the training camp injuries (Cardnials HB Ryan Williams(73ovr), Lions HB Mikel Leshoure(72ovr), Giants DT Terrell Thomas(85ovr), Panthers DT Ron Edwards(81ovr), etc…) were already placed on IR. Oh, and lets just pretend the lockout never happened, okay? We had a few minor injuries take place during the preseason, the biggest blows were probably Bears QB Jay Cutler (out until week 11), Cowboys QB Tony Romo (out until week 3), and Chargers captain, MLB Taeko Spikes (out for the entire season)

- For those wondering about the notable quarterback battles… I wanted to keep Peyton Manning around, he missed the entirety of the preseason but after a successful neck surgery Peyton will be ready to resume starting role. Rookie Cam Newton (#1 overall pick) is being groomed to be the “face of the franchise” by the Panthers and will start the season. Another rookie, Andy Dalton gets the job after Carson Palmer sits out the entire preseason. Yes, the Bengals/Palmer dispute continues. My goal is to trade Palmer, but recreate history by not sending him to Oakland. - Bills, Redskins, or reuniting with Pete Carroll in Seattle, perhaps? The Vikings, Jaguars, and Titans all went with the veteran route by having the rookies back up for a year (Donovan McNabb < Christian Ponder, David Garrard < Blaine Gabbert, Matt Hassleback < Jake Locker). Despite what the fans want, John Elway is sticking with Kyle Orton as the Broncos starting QB, but is on a “short leash” when it comes to the job. After a closely contested battle in training camp and preseason, Rex Grossman was named the starter over John Beck for the Washington Redskins job. And for the Seattle Seahawks, they have decided to roll with Tarvaris Jackson as the starting quarterback.

Season Goals:
1.) Reach AFC Championship
2.) Win AFC North
3.) Top 10 Overall Defense
4.) HB Ray Rice 1,600+ total yards, 10+ TD’s
5.) QB Joe Flacco 21+ TD’s, -11 INT’s, 3,600+ passing yards.
Bonus: 4+ Players named to the Pro Bowl.

- Another bonus just for fun, Super Bowl prediction? Philadelphia Eagles vs. Indianapolis Colts, essentially a home game for Indy. Eagles have been deemed the “Dream Team” and are the heavy favorite to win it all. (highest rated team) The Patriots, Steelers, Packers, and Saints are also in the running. My Ravens HAVE to be included next from the teams mentioned.