by Hiighwalkr

High Times – Owner/Team Rankings V3

After a two-week-long hiatus, we find ourselves a day into our inaugural Season 7 – week 1 matchups. player bidding is finally in the rearview, trades have been executed and the waiver wire is in full swing. Below we will recap what’s happened and what we predict could happen moving forward. As always, congrats to everyone involved, and here’s to hopefully what will become the best VFL season ever. 

#8 JOHNNY WHEELS x BLUNKEY (LAST WEEK #8) 

No surprise here, the Eagles are team that will ultimately sink or swim… At this point, there doesn’t seem to be any type of in between. After player bidding concluded, the dynamic duo of Wheels and Blunkey seem poised to “shock the world” you could say, with massive signings of Willy, Nate, Shady and Hutch – veteran players that have proved to be more than capable in past seasons. Though now a day into Season 7, they quickly find themselves in a 0-3 hole. Can GM QB Blunkey save the day? 

#7 ACEBOOGS x BWALL (LAST WEEK #6) 

At #7 The Money Team AKA The BBB (Big Baller Brand) of the VFL, finds themselves in a familiar spot with this ranking. Similar to the Eagles, this is another sink or swim team filled with big talent from past seasons. With the bidding selections of Areis, Sacrifice, Clutch and Crazy Effect and then a quick trade of former SB champ elite RB Ibprofam – this team is STACKED with talent and possibility. After going a respectable 2-1 last night, this team is poised to jump up the rankings with another stellar outing tonight. Though, as we dive into their 2 wins from Sunday, 27-24 over the Eagles and 28-24 win over the Browns, is this an Icarus scenario with a team that’s potentially flying too close to the sun? If you don’t know the reference… maybe hop off Madden for a moment and read a book 🙂

#6 TPBRAVES x MIDNIGHT (LAST WEEK #7)

To make sure I don’t come off bias here, heading into Sunday the Bengal’s were surely battling the #8 Eagles for the possible lowest ranked team to start our Season 7 kickoff. Flash forward to today, this team was literally 1 point away from starting the season 3-0 and this is after ending the night almost completely shutting down the QB star of the evening in KC (BLKSUPERSA1YAN). There’s a lot more football to go, but what a promising start from a team that most of the league has already written off. 

#5 LUCKY x NEDLEY (LAST WEEK #3) 

There is a lot to untangle here, so let’s just dive in headfirst- shall we? Rumors are swirling through the NFL this morning, stating Aaron Rodgers could possibly sit the rest of the 2022 season, making this team selection ultimately worthless from an offensive standpoint. Now it might not happen this upcoming week due to Rodgers stating he wants to play until the Packers are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but at 4-8 that day could be here WELL BEFORE our Season 7 playoffs begin. On top of all this real-life drama, the VFL Packers have potential problems of their own with last night loses of 21 points and 42. In 3 games their Points scored is 31 and Points allowed is 93. Is it still ring season?

#4 DROCK x BRADY (LAST WEEK # 4) 

RPO Stretch Left, Stretch Right and when all else fails, streeeeetch a little more. Staying put at #4 The Browns have shown the league their goal and that goal is run the football, at least until Deshaun Watson comes back. All jokes aside, I personally think it’s a brilliant concept, when you take away heavy passing it simply allows you to control the clock and typically win the turnover battle, which is a recipe for wins, especially in a league that QBs struggle with turning the ball over. 

#3 TXJAMES x CHAMP (LAST WEEK #5) 

After starting the season 2-1 the Chargers are quite possibly turning into my dark horse SB candidate and here’s why – ZERO PLAYER PERSONAL DRAMA, it’s really that simple. As we see most teams star players extremely vocal in chat, either complaining or overly trash talking their opponents, you’ve probably noticed most of the Chargers lineup simply play their games and keep shit moving. I highly doubt this team has to deal with any player turnover and it will allow their lines to build true chemistry together, while most of the league’s owners are contemplating trading away key players every second of the day. Maybe I’m wrong, but I doubt it. 

#2 EBOK x HUCCI (LAST WEEK #2)

Not much to dive into here with my final top teams. We know these #2 and #1 juggernauts will make playoffs and be contenders until the very end. I suppose my only question for the Chiefs here is, how well can BLK play throughout an entire season? You can clearly tell he’s a converted RB to QB by how dynamic he can be, especially when the play breaks down and he’s forced to freestyle. On the flip side of that, you see at times where he lacks reads and overall play call ability. Either way, this is a more than competitive team with ginormous upside.

#1 ABYSS x KOOLAIDZ (LAST WEEK #1) 

2 weeks in a row now, we’ve given Abyss and company the #1 slot and that trend looks to continue as we play through week 1 and head into week 2 Sunday. Whichever way you slice it or dice it, this team is going to be a tough out, no matter what line it is and no matter what team they face. Now playing the devil’s advocate here, something to look into is Tristian Wirfs health moving forward. The star lineman could be out for the rest of the season and that would be a HUGE loss to this already banged up offensive line. 

by TXJamesSmithTX

Top 5 AFL Players Likely to Make an NFL Roster

Unfortunately not everyone can start off on the NFL level, some players need to work their way up the ladder to have a shot at the big leagues. Today we’re going to take a look at 5 players I expect to make the jump this season.

#5 - KING JOHN

King John, this player will probably end up in the VFL sooner rather than later. Due to the fact he is on a team who’s Management is inexperienced and may have some bumps along the way throughout their season. Couple that with players unwillingness to give new owner/management a full opportunity to prove themselves. They might end up having players quit, leave or demand a trade. Which is something we see quite often from new owners teams. With that being said don’t let that take away anything from what King John can bring to the table. John is a GAMER across the board, mostly known for his play in the VBA (Virtual Basketball Association), King john is more than capable of helping a team win at the AFL or NFL level regardless. Although John has not played in the league since season 5, He has a career rushing average of 5.2 YPC, to put this in perspective the upper tier last season was above 7 YPC. So he has not been at the top but can still produce. In season 5, he racked up 22 sacks which does go in his favor. A player who can rush the passer is highly sought after in the league. So I assume if the Eagles find an opening on their roster, King john can easily fill a role on the team.

#4 - HogCrazy

It isn’t a surprise that Hogcrazy made this list. He is on the fast track to being called up immediately. His ability to play multiple positions is going to be key to his success in both leagues. Although he struggled massively last season in the NFL as a QB, throwing 7 interceptions, unofficially having 4 unentered, accumulating at least 11 that I know of. Also only throwing 4 registered touchdowns. He clearly had a bad season but don’t let this fool you. He is a competitor and is capable of winning games at the QB position. With that being said after his struggles last season at QB he switched to WR for the packers racking about 500 yards on nearly 30 receptions and helping Green Bay grab some must needed wins at the end of the season to fight for the number 1 seed. This shows his flexibility couple that with his experience in the league and knowing the right people he will be in the NFL before the season is over with.

#3 - Call Me Kyle

The Chiefs used their 1st round pick of the AFL draft on Call Me Kyle. Call me Kyle is rejoining EBOKstop (Owner of the Chiefs) this season after being the interim GM for the Super Bowl winning Buccaneer’s last season. He found said job when now player DFeetu had to step down to person issues last season. That did not stop Kyle from stepping in and taking advantage of the opportunity, helping the Buccaneers win the Super Bowl. After defeating the Bills in the Super Bowl Kyle had his hopes on owning his own team. Applying for ownership in the offseason, unfortunately that did not come to pass. He had found himself in the AFL draft. With that being said though Kyle had solid play last season. If a management spot opens up and he finds an opportunity to rejoin the NFL in anyway, I see him taking it as well as producing. 

#2 - Bhedden

Bhedden, this is a guy who I personally am shocked did not receive a bid in the NFL bidding. If he would have sign up to play WR, he would have found himself a home in the NFL. Him signing up at RB whilst there was so many hot RBs to choose from was his demise. With little sample size of his RB skills, owners were hesitant to take a shot on an unproven player. But with him being a staff member, great teammate and personality to deal with, he should have received a bid. At WR, last season had upwards of a 1k yard season after joining the Chiefs week two, and was a big factor in helping the them make a solid playoff run. The Chiefs needed to move on from one of their WR’s, Bhedden was able to step in, take over that role and that line did not lose a step. Bhedden went on to have a solid season on both sides of the ball showing his skills. This is a main reason why I feel Bhedden deserves a spot in the NFL and will be doing so in the future as soon as the opportunity arises.

#1 - TWCGpaWarpath

The only reason this player was not taken in the NFL bidding was because he was not in it. He signed up late and was placed into the AFL draft. That being said he was not taken until pick #2 in the second round. This player probably has to do with his availability issues. As well as some interception issues as he is the sole leader for most INTs in the league history with 83 and only 57 touchdown passes. But do not let the stats fool you, this player is capable of winning games. He is a solid 3rd line QB who can scrape together wins, and do so against solid competition. He may not be a solid #1 or carry you to a Super Bowl but he is capable of succeeding. The main reason he finds himself at the number 1 spot on this list is because he is a QB and regardless of what any one thinks, the QB position is the most valuable and sought after position in the league. There will be a time where a team loses a QB due to IR, blacklist or other means and that team will be knocking on the Bills door I assure you. This player (as long as his availability allows it) will be playing in the NFL before the season is up.

by TXJamesSmithTX

Player Bidding Grades and Analysis

In this article we will evaluate the highest paid player from each team, the best deal, the most overpriced and hand out some grades. This is not a power ranking and they’re in no specific order.

Team Management: 

Owner: DROCK | General Manager: IR BRADY

Roster

BROWNS
Xxchildxplease
JAD
F34R Painkiller
NORTHZIDE
dfeetu44
SixthMallard940
ez ty

Bidding overview:

DFEET and Child please both will be playing quarterback for this roster are solid selections and should be capable of playing well with a heavy dose of the run. Nick Chubb is going to be a handful. Couple that with one of the better RB/DL in the league NORTHSIDE, this team is going to be capable of causing some havoc. That being said they’re missing star quarterback, DeShaun Watson and then even when he returns there is no telling what his release or abilities will be, or if he’ll have any at all. 

Highest Paid:

Northsides | RB/DL | 14.5 million (Fair price for Browns)

I would say they overpaid for Northsides because any time you throw this much money at a RB/DL your team is going to be a heavy purse to carry. But this is one guy we knew that had to make this team. So for the Browns this is a number they will pay and pay happily. This player has been coupled to IR Brady for a long time and will probably continue to be so. He is a solid RB/DL who is well worth a pay check. Then give him Chubb and Myles Garrett there will be hell to pay this season.

Best value:

Child Please | RB/DL | 1 million (Good Value)

In order to secure players like Northsides, you have to find good value in high value positions. Grabbing Child Please, a QB for only one million is good grab for the organization. They don’t need to go out and spend a ton of money on quarterbacks when you are playing with the Browns and you have the best running game in the league. You just need to find solid role players and clock managers who can limit turnovers and play solid defense. I think for one million Child is a good fit in that spot.

BIDDING GRADE: B-

Team Management:

Owner: ACE boogie | General Manager: BWALL

Roster

BILLS
Areisx21
Never Practices
xx sacrificexx
primeliving
clutchking
CRAZY EFFECT
MR OHIO

Team Overview:

The Bills are a team who came into the player bidding after having winning bids on two teams the Vikings and the Bills and chose the Bills of course, for 6.5 million (Last seasons Super Bowl losing team). They had a solid bidding picking up veterans like MR Ohio, Areis and Rivals. Building a solid team all around. They’re capable of having a solid season if the quarterback play and the defensive line play can show out. With Tre’Davious White coming off injury, this team is going to wreck in Madden. The main focus is going to be, will the user play from this team be able to perform with the talent presented with the Bills Madden roster. 

Highest paid: 

NEVER PRACTICES | 9.5 million (Underpaid)

With Never Practices at 9.5 million, a price some may say that’s a high for a wide receiver. But keep in mind this player had the best wide receiver stats in the entire league last season. Bringing in over 120 receptions and racking up over 1,200 yards couple those with his 26 touchdowns and over 600 RAC yards. This player deserves to be paid in the upper echelon of WR’s. Anything less would be an absolute steal. It is hard for me to say that being that he is a WR but he is well worth the price if he can produce anything in the same area code from last season.

Best Value: 

Areis | 1 million (Underpaid)

Areis is a toxic player to keep around and could be hard to work with. That being said the guy is a complete package being able to produce on both sides of the ball. A solid defensive back who will force turnovers for your defense. He has an issue with committing to the season for its entirety. After forcing his team to take forfeits last season, it’s going to be something to watch if they start struggling, will he disappear? If he commits to the season though, for one million this player could end up being a steal.

Bidding Grade: B

Team Mangement:

Owner: JohnnyWheels | General Manager: Blunkey

Roster

EAGLES
shady on xbox
ugonegetthiswork
TheGreatLynx
Hutch x81
zabrielz
NATECASHMONEY
abloodypstain

Team Overview:

With JohnnyWheels being a general manager last season for the worst team in the league record wise. This season is a shot at redemption for him and he has put together a fire roster. With Blunky as his GM, these two went into bidding without any expectations and came out with a solid roster. From players like Pstain who was on the Super Bowl winning Buccaneers last season to, last seasons MVP GETTHISWORK. This could end up being the best roster from in the league. Great veteran players like Shady who is switching to quarterback this season and Hutch who despite quitting on the Chargers last season had a great season. The Great Lynx who has been on my team many times before, is a well diversified defensive play caller and just an all around good player. The sky is the limit for this squad as long as it is managed correctly.

Highest paid:

NateCashMoney | RB/DL | 18 million (Overpaid)

Now I’m not saying he is overpaid because he is bad. Not by any means and honestly if this is who these guys wanted then it is worth the price. But just as a league precedent spending this much on a RB/DL, who is not a MVP is a bit much. Nate is a very good player and can be a cornerstone for an offense and defense. He is very versatile and a veteran in the league. So he can be a KEY piece to any scheme. I think 15 million would have been fair but 18 is a bit high. These things do tend to happen when you get into a bid war for a great versatile player.

Best Value:

UGONEGETTHISWORK | RB/DL | 4 million (THE STEAL OF THE BIDDING)

THIS IS THE MVP S6 DARE I SAY MORE. Not needed but I’m going to anyway. Willy aka getthiswork is by far the steal of the draft. Hands down not even close. He was crushing records last season with the bills on both sides of the ball. Getting to the quarterback 45.5 times, and rushing for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. But to put his sack numbers in perspective the next closest person was almost 20 sacks behind him. That is a crazy amount and is looking to only improve on that this season.

Bidding Grade: A

Team Management:

Owner: Lucky | General Manager: King Logic

Roster

PACKERS
The Brisket49
WB OmnixGod
Ibprofam
xX713JaccXx
Justt Smoove
R3dHour
C4AUSE

Team Overview:

This team had acquired the Packers and is probably the steal of the team bidding. Only had to spend one million on them and that left them with ton of money to spend during player bidding. They didn’t go on a spending spree but were able to hit on all the right pieces. Gathering Just Smoove and Omni God for low prices. So coming through with solid quality players at good price points. They picked up C4AUSE for 500k, who I do not know much about. I hear he is a MUT guy. Historically MUT guys don’t always perform well here. Mostly due the rules and regulations, not saying it’s impossible just stating it hasn’t worked out that often. For 500k he could be a steal, if he can come out the season with a winning record.

Highest paid:

Just smoove | 7.5 million (Solid Price)

Solid price for a solid player. Paying a little extra for a player to play on Arron Jones is worth it. With solid DB play he can definitely make up the value he has been paid. It’s not a stretch to say he could be a bit underpaid. But none the less I feel like he sits comfortable at a 7.5 price. He could benefit the Packers greatly.

Best Value:

OMNIxGOD | QB/LB 6 million (Underpriced)

With Omni being a plug in piece for the Buccaneers Super Bowl run last year, he is a steal at 6 million. He was able to come into that situation, winning some games and play a pivotal part of their playoff run. Being able to compete against top competition on a dime is a rare feature and should be valued more than 6 million. 

BIDDING GRADE: C+

Team Management:

Owner: EBOK | General Manager: Hucci

Roster

CHIEFS
Breesus
PHILaBUSTER56
BLKSUP3RSA1YAN
Gabe ily
critical telos
therealest
T1 anime

Team Overview:

The Chiefs went into bidding with already one of the better quarterbacks last season in Ebok. So they were had a good building block for their roster. Then they picked up the Chiefs in team bidding for a good price. Going into the player bidding they had plenty of money to spend and they definitely spent it. But most of that money went to the running back position. Placing over 28 million on players to play with a mediocre RB in Madden. But those players who play RB also are some top tier defensive players in the league with Realest and Gabe. Both whom are both extremely experienced in the league and are known for great defensive play. Which will be needed with the Chiefs, due to their defense lacking talent across the board. So if these guys can make up for that we already know the Madden Chiefs have 0 issue putting points up on the board. They may have the best RB group out of all teams in the league also grabbing up the rookie of the year last season Critical telos. So that will give defenses a headache having to lookout for more than just Patrick Mahomes.

Highest paid: 

The Reales | RB/DB | 23.5 Million (Overpaid)

With Realest being the highest paid player in the league, he will bring a lot to the table. Being a top tier defensive play caller and a solid choice at RB, he will definitely bring value to the team. Why he went for 23 million is beyond me. He is for sure worth a good chunk of money but I’m not sure if any player is worth 23 million. But being that there was only 8 teams and not as much fighting over teams in the team bidding, that left a lot of money on the table in the player bidding. So this is the result of owners having more money to spend. 

Best Value: 

Critical Telos | RB/DB | 2.5 Million

Critical Telos only went for 2.5 million after winning rookie of the year last season. Arguably the best running back last season. All that and he still went under 5 million. This is a steal for the Chiefs. Being able to produce at the price he was grabbed is going to be essential for the team. This RB squad the Chiefs have gathered from bidding is going to be A PROBLEM for the league.

BIDDING GRADE: B+

Team Management

Owner: TXJamesSmithTX | General Manager: Champ

Roster

 

CHARGERS
DaHuskyNuts
Appledanish
DaAccountant
Dirtyfalcons98
RogueApollo
Scaly manfish58
Farah En Fuego

Team Overview:

The Chargers (my team) is going to be dominant this season just like previous seasons, the roster looks similar but with some key changes. With the additions of Champ, Farah, Accountant we are looking to get over that hump. We have a solid foundation with three strong lines and can easily compete with any other roster out there. The Madden team is suitable for what we want. Making playoffs is no question, Super Bowl or BUST.

Highest Paid:

Farah En Fuego | WR/LB | 15 Million (Overpaid)

Farah is a strong player who is very consistent throughout the years and is a solid guy to have on your team for morale as well as bringing talent. He is a veteran whom can help bring in wins when other cannot but that being said 15 million is a steep price for a wide receiver. But nonetheless he was who we wanted the most so that is why we paid the price we did.

Best Value:

Da Accountant | RB/DL | 500k (Steal)

An active player who is always getting in games and is one of the better defensive linemen in the league. Who’s numbers were a bit low last season playing with the Ravens, finished 6th in TFL and had some issues rushing the passer. But is a good option at RB and is always improving and looking for ways to help the team. At 500k, Da Accountant is going to produce way beyond that value.

Bidding Grade: B

Team Management:

Owner: TPBRAVES | General Manager: Midnight York

Roster

 

BENGALS
FIG
xbehe
Woohdy V2
Sir bottimis
FYC ISmittyIOLF
Kwam3 4 MVP
BEACHMODE

Team Overview:

Okay, I’m going to be honest this is probably the worst team from bidding. Now that doesn’t mean they are bad. Just the bottom comparatively. This team has solid players on it like Fig, Beachmode Woohdy and behe new at QB. So there is some bright spots but there is nothing that is ground breaking. It is a bunch of guys who good but not outstanding, a few that can and are capable of being standouts in their own right. Woohdy v2 being one of those. But the biggest issue I see here is that there is not a HARD NUMBER ONE LINE. A line who can carry the team when things get rough. Like I said most these players are good but in a group I’m not sure how they will be able to make it through a tough stretch of games.

Highest Paid:

Behe | QB/LB | 1 million (Great Value)

This is a player that you are going to get extremely good value out of at 1 million. He is a staff member and a reliable player. He is switching to quarterback for the first time in a while so there might be a bit of a learning curve. But down the road he will be an exceptional part of the team. 

Best Value:

Woohdy v2 | RB/DL | 500k (steal)

This guy can do anything you ask of him. Has a big personality that can be hard to be around sometimes but if you can get along with him and get into a rhythm he can produce and produce big. Just be sure to feed him the ball so the chains keep moving.

Bidding Grade: C-

Team Management:

Owner: Abyss | General Manager: Koolaidz

Roster

BUCS
Swift AP
Vermont AP
highwalker
Utah AP
UngluedTiger360
II REDWATER II
XXTMO706xx

Team Overview:

This team was built with IRON from the ground up. There is not a bad spot on this team, they have veterans and they have a lot of skill. They have good value and solid players across the board from the AP bois to the commissioner himself. They knew who they wanted and were not afraid to spend to make it happen, hats off to the Buccaneers for probably having the best team on paper going into week one.

Highest Paid:

TMO | WR/LB | 18 million (Overpaid)

I hate seeing a wide receiver paid so much. Granted that is not why you pay for TMO, he is one of the best defensive play callers in the league and has been so for a while now. So when you decide to drop money on him, you are not doing so for his WR skills, although they’re not bad, it’s just the game of Madden we play today is more reliant on the QB passing to himself. So when you see a WR going for this much it has to be something special. Tmo has been around the league for a very long time and has continued to be successful. So the 18 million is not mind blowing but he is still a WR and is still a bit of an overpay. 

Best Value:

THE AP BOIS | 1.5 million (STEAL)

In order for Abyss to be able to spend money on players like Tmo you have to dig into the draft and get steals. The AP bois are a perfect pair. Although they did not get a crazy amount of wins last season, they were playing top tier lines every game and taking every one of those games to the wire. The fact that all these bois went for 500k a piece is mind blowing and we as owners should be ashamed to let this happen. Congrats to them to getting on a solid roster this season and to the Bucs for recognizing talent and grabbing them for cheap.

by Primetime Admin

Bhedden’s Team Bidding Prediction

With team bidding commencing tonight, I asked a few owners what their thoughts were on teams that’d be bid on. For the most part, all of our ideas were very similar and compiled below.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers & Buffalo Bills

I see both of these teams going for 10 million or more. The fact that they were both the Super Bowl teams last season and nothing has changed. High point passes from Tom Brady to Mike Evans will be as hard as ever to stop and there’s no containing Von Miller from rushing through the offensive line.

Green Bay Packers 

Personally one of my favorite teams to play with. Aaron Rogers release is so fast it’s extremely hard to sack him. Christian Watson is one of the fastest receivers in the game and then there’s Aaron Jones in the backfield. Pair all of that with a decent defense and with any halfway decent Madden players, that’s a super bowl team.

Los Angeles Chargers

The fact that the Chargers as a team, weren’t very successful last season, probably won’t affect their value that much this season. They’re another great overall team, and having Justin Herbert gives them an added threat of being able to run read options and quarterback runs.

Philadelphia Eagles

With the Eagles success in the NFL, they’re likely on a couple owners radar now. Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown are a great quarterback/wide receiver combo, Miles Sanders is always a threat to break a big run due to his speed, and their defense is actually one of the best in the league overall.

Kansas City Chiefs

High point balls from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce is as cheesy as Tom Brady to Mike Evans. I do think the Chiefs will get bid on, but in my opinion they’re not that great of an all around team. If you shut down Kelce, the rest of the team is sub par.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals offense is explosive, Ja’Marr Chase is almost impossible to stop one on one and Joe Mixon will stiff arm an entire defense into the dirt. They may not go for as much as the Buccaneers or Bills but the Bengals will definitely be one of the higher priced teams.

Potential Sleepers

There are a few teams I could see getting a bid on as a “just in case” scenario. Teams that are decent but not an owners first choice if it can be avoided.

Minnesota Vikings – Mostly solid team. Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson are beasts but Kirk Cousins at quarterback might deter a lot of bidders.

Arizona Cardinals – With DeAndre Hopkins back the Cardinals could definitely get a bid or two. One good receiver may not be enough to for them to be really sought after though.

Cleveland Browns – A team that would be great for a run heavy offense. Not many passing weapons probably makes them more of a last resort for most owners.

 

What Actually Happened

Since I couldn’t get the prediction article out in time, we will just combine that with the actual results into one big article. Here’s how the actual team building broke down:

 

DRock – Cleveland Browns (1.5 Million)

Aceboogs – Buffalo Bills (8 Million)

TPBraves – Cincinnati Bengals (3 Million)

eboK – Kansas City Chiefs (3.5 Million)

JohnnyWheels – Philadelphia Eagles (1 Million)

Abyss – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6.5 Million)

TexasJames – Los Angeles Chargers (8.5 Million)

Lucky – Green Bay Packers (1 Million)

 

Turns out that most of these predictions were fairly accurate. The fact that there are only 8 teams kept the bids relatively low compared to last season. I was slightly surprised to see that the Chargers went for more than both Buccaneers and the Bills. Each owner was asked a couple questions about their bidding strategies and how they felt it went. These were their responses.

Lucky – I went into bidding wanting Chargers and I had them at 8 million for the longest time, but when I started adding up (how much he spent) and realized I might have made a mistake. So when James placed his bid on them, I was happy with getting the packers for only a million.

DRock – Browns for cheap was the plan going in, unfortunately we spent 500k more than expected. We went after Chiefs up to 3 million and the Bengals was going to go up 1 or 2 million more but we decided that we would take Browns with that run game, DeShaun Watson and defensive line.

Tpbraves – I was pretty sure which 4-6 teams were going before bidding, was also really surprised the Bills went for so much but they were in the Super Bowl last season. We all knew Bucs would be up there with the aggressive catch cheese.

JohnnyWheels – Bidding was good, I personally think we have too much money and too many teams to bid on. We had a pretty decent list, we went by as the bidding happened. We knew the Bucs, Bills and Chargers would go for a lot.

eboK – Bidding went better than expected but it almost went horribly wrong . I initially put 6 mil on the Bucs to get their price up but no one wanted to bid on them. I would’ve ran it back with big Tom & DOMINATED everyone but it would’ve been a boring ass season.

Abyss – I just wanted a team that could score points. That was the only thing I cared about.

TexasJames – Yes, we knew who we wanted going into the season. There was no amount of money going to stop us from getting them. We wanted to get ourselves one of the top teams. That being Chargers or Bills and maybe Buccs or Bengals. But we got the team we wanted (Chargers) and are very happy with the price.

All of the owners that I talked to were in agreement that the shortened team bidding was much better than last season’s. It will be interesting to see if the low cost of the teams will drive up the cost of some of the players.

by Hiighwalkr

V3 OWNER/GM/TEAM RANKINGS FOR SEASON 7

Team bidding ended last night and as the dust finally settled, we look into our latest rankings as our 8 teams start to take on their season 7 identities a bit more. Next up is player bidding 🙂 

#8 JOHNNY WHEELS x BLUNKEY (LAST WEEK #7) 

Our initial #8 ranked team is back to their original ranking after spending the minimum 1MIL required on the Eagles. I don’t mind this bid, you take over the NFL’s #1 ranked team by wins/losses, figuring players like Hurts and AJ Brown have a strong chance to receive badges in the following weeks ahead. My only true concern with this bid is simple, currently Hurts isn’t a top 8 Madden QB and Sanders/Gainwell are nowhere near top 8 in RBs. Can a brand-new owner and a brand-new GM thrive using star level players at the games most important positions?? And most importantly, will top level talent be happy using this team for season 7, knowing they are also paired with Ownership “Green Pea’s” of the VFL. 

#7 TPBRAVES x MIDNIGHT (LAST WEEK #8)

Jumping back to their original #7 ranking, we see Braves and company land the Bengals for 3 MIL. This is definitely a high value selection, Burrow has fearless, Mixon is a RB cheat code and the entire field is filled with offensive weapons (Chase, Higgins, Boyd, Hurst). With an improved offensive line and defense, the Bengals are a team that can compete with anyone in the league, IF you pair the team with the appropriate users. Where this team will potentially have issues is on the defensive end of the ball as they lack playmakers, especially within the secondary. 

#6 ACEBOOGS x BWALL (LAST WEEK #6) 

VFL “Bad Boys” aka the MONEY TEAM, stay put at #6 with their low-risk selection of the Bills. In my opinion this was the correct move by ownership, neither the Owner or GM are QBs, so having Josh Allen should attract many available QBS to their team, now we simply wait for bidding. 

#5 TX JAMES x CHAMP (LAST WEEK #4) 

Down one spot from last week, is TXJames and Champ. This is a tougher team to grade/rank due to the massive injuries of their top OL, WR, top CB and of course Joey Bosa. Where many were to believe he would return Week 10/11, news actually came out last night that Bosa reaggravated his injury and his timetable for return could soon change. Coach Brandon Staley said this when asked about Bosa’s return, “It’s going to be some time”- Source

#4 DROCK x BRADY (LAST WEEK #5) 

Coming in at #4 with possibly the sneakiest bid of Season 7, Drock and Brady put all their eggs into the run game and Deshaun Watson (If he gets his abilities back). I personally enjoyed this bid, especially when you consider it only cost ownership 1.5 MIL. Like stated above, the biggest question mark is Deshaun Watson and the potential of him returning to the game, but with no abilities. EA dev team sadly holds this VFL team’s future in their hands. 

#3 LUCKY x NEDLEY (LAST WEEK #2) 

Coming in at the #3 spot- down one spot from a week ago, Star QBs/Ownership Lucky and Nedley put all faith in the 38-year-old, ayahuasca sipping HOF Aaron Rodgers. From the standpoint of their team so far, the pick makes perfect sense. You have two great QBs selecting possibly the most OP QB in the game of Madden. My only concern is their lack of WRs and edge rushers, which could pose an annoying element for other users that are bided to this team. Either way, Lucky certainly has a clear-cut vison and he’s sticking to it. 

#2 EBOK x HUCCI (LAST WEEK #3)

The returning champ made another solid value bid by selecting the Chiefs for only 3.5 MIL. Ebok himself though is currently in a very conflicting state this afternoon. Early this morning his original GM of choice Beaste announced he will in fact play in Season 7 and his teams speedy WR Mecole Hardmon was put on 4 game IR. Two tough breaks for the defending champion. 

#1 ABYSS x KOOLAIDZ (LAST WEEK #1) 

Ending our V3 rankings here, we see a very familiar face staying put at the #1 spot. Abyss lands himself the hands down most annoying team to play against in M23. You can except a constant barrage on high point bullet passes from Brady to Evans all season long. 

by Hiighwalkr

Another Way Too Early Owner/GM Rankings (Updated)

Late last night Season 7 GMs were announced and now the clock begins on Team Bidding. This is our first look at the decision-making ability of our newly appointed Owners. Below are my updated Owner rankings based on their GM additions. Once again, congratulations to everyone involved this season! 

#8 TPBRAVES x MIDNIGHT YORK (#6 LAST WEEK)

Down two spots from last week, Braves heads into Season7 face first! Being a new Owner will always present early issues and needed adjustments, but what hurts this particular owner the most is his questionable hiring of Midnight. The hiring itself can be looked at in many ways, but Braves posting in discord chat just hours before GMS were announced, looking for his Season 7 apprentice is a questionable start to the upcoming season. How prepared or not prepared was he when this crucial decision was made??

#7 JOHNNY WHEELS x BLUNKEY (LAST WEEK #8)

Do you believe in miracles!!?? Some were shocked when Mr. Wheels himself was given the opportunity to be a Season 7 Owner and now his first decision made was adding VFL’s Bad Boy QB Blunkey, to be his #2 this season. In my opinion, I love the move and because of this move Wheels has been bumped up one spot in my rankings. This duo will have major eyes on them all season, let’s see what they decide next, once Team Bidding is announced. 

#6 ACEBOOGS x BWALL (LAST WEEK #5) 

A small drop from my initial rankings last week, Ace starts his comeback tour aka revenge season by adding the likes of BWALL to his arsenal. Here’s what you have with this duo, two VFL veterans that know how to win and most importantly what it takes to build a championship caliber line. My question here is simple, they both carry giant personalities that sometimes rub people the wrong way, as the #1 and #2 of a team, how can that potentially effect team building moving forward?

#5 DROCK x BRADY (LAST WEEK #6) 

Don’t call it a comeback! Jumping up one spot from my initial rankings, Drock made a very strong and bold move by aligning himself with one of the leagues most touted and feared QBs IR Brady. Here’s the dilemma though, Brady is signed up as an RB for Season 7!  

#4 TXJAMES x CHAMP (LAST WEEK #4) 

Staying put at my initial #4 ranking, TX James adds a stellar GM by the name of Champ to his potential championship roster. I personally love the move and will be very interested in seeing who these two select during team bidding. 

#3 EBOK x HUCCI (LAST WEEK #1) 

Trending way down from last week’s initial rankings, Ebok starts his possible repeat season by adding a position player from Season 6 that put together only 600 yards, 3 TDS and a 3-2 record. Now at first glance I’m sure many will question this move, but the champ does what the champ wants and only time will tell if this decision adds to the $$$ bag or quite possibly fumbles the bag. 

#2 LUCKY x NEDLEY (LAST WEEK #3) 

Lucky makes a giant swing for the fences with the addition of Nedley as his Season 7 GM. These two QBs could both end the season top 5 in all QB statistics. When it comes to the VFL, that’s a potential recipe for a title.

#1 ABYSS x KOOLAIDZ (LAST WEEK #2) 

Back like he never left, Abyss finds himself in the beginning stages of what looks like a MONSTARS like potential squad! With a combined record of 17-5 from Season 6, these two will hit the ground running and immediately demand respect as we head into Team Bidding. 

by Primetime Admin

Way to Early Owner Rankings, Predictions & Comparisons

Congratulations to the selected Owners for this upcoming season. This is a pivotal time for our league and possibly a new beginning toward something great, moving forward. Personally, my goal is to see everyone flourish and for us to band together and make this community stronger than ever. Cheers to everyone involved, below I’m ranking each owner 1-8 and doing an NFL coaching comparison.

#8 Johnny Wheels – Coaching Comp = Jeff Saturday

To start things off, we begin with the VFL underdog himself, Johnny H. Wheels III. A true underdog story, Johnny was once looked at as a very late round draft pick/ 3rd line player, but through major trial and error- he’s managed to become a well-respected/dedicated user in this league. Much like recently appointed HC Jeff Saturday, Wheels starts his Owner journey with a small sample size of experience but has phenomenal promise and opportunity to succeed.

#7 DROCK- Coaching Comp = Matt Rhule

DROCK aka Mr Tuxedo is back as owner for what is being called a “Make or Break Season”. Now on paper, he most certainly has the ability to lead his team to the promise land. DROCK is very active with In-Houses, he knows the game well and is more than familiar with the IN’s and OUT’s of being an Owner. The major question mark here is, can he put all his past experience to good use and prove all his doubters wrong? Similar to Rhule heading into the 22 NFL season, he will either sink or swim.

#6 TpBraves57- Coaching Comp = Kevin O’Connell

Braves heads into this season after coming inches away from a VFL title back in Season 6. I remember at the start of Season 6, Braves was an undrafted QB fighting for a roster spot on whatever team would have him. Fast forward to playoffs, Braves converts to WR and puts together a quite impressive 7-2 record. Similar to O’Connell, Braves has MASSIVE upside, but will be faced with the typical question mark for any newly appointed owner- Does he have what it takes to create and lead a team??

#5 AceBoogs – Coaching Comp = Doug Pederson

Ace has been here before, similar to my coaching comparison Doug Pederson. A true veteran of the VFL and back-to-back Superbowl finalist- Like him or hate him, results matter more than opinions. The true test will be forming a team that not only is cohesive enough to win but will get along for an entire season. Ace has the tools and the experience- the question is, what will he do with it this season?

#4 TxJamesSmithTX- Coaching Comp = Sean McDermott 

Let the TxJamesSmith Hype Train commence! Smith is an owner that could easily be #3 on my rankings, but I decided to hold him back due to his commitment of playing with his friends over possible better VFL talent. Now it’s commendable that he showcases that type of loyalty, but will that loyalty cost him a chance at a title?

#3 Lucky- Coaching Comp = Kliff Kingsbury

At #3 this is a bold prediction for an owner that two seasons ago, almost pulled off the Ultimate Cinderella Story. Coming into last season, Lucky had an opportunity to solidify himself as a top-level owner. He aligned himself with one of the top RB/DC users “IBPROFAM” as his GM and secured at that time-quite possibly the most talented top level QB available for bidding “Shig”. Unfortunately, his team’s season fell apart due to his questionable bid selections and lack of chemistry between lines.. then his star player quit on his team 2 weeks before playoffs. Much like his coaching comp Kliff Kingsbury, this is a make-or-break season that will either end in glory or in flames. There is a rumor circulating between inner circles that pegs another highly touted QB stepping into Lucky’s GM role, we shall see.

#2 Abyss- Coaching Comp = Andy Reid 

What more needs to be said about this next owner? From the time I joined this league in Season 3 to current day, Abyss time and time again has been an elite level QB and someone who is purposely avoided in line matchups every season. Last season his “downfall” was simple, instead of taking on the responsibilities of Owner, he decided to play second fiddle and GM for Groff. Is Season 7 his Revenge Tour???

#1 Ebok – Coaching Comp = Sean McVay

It pains me to publicly admit this, but last season Ebok and company put together a sensational championship run! Their season did get off to a rocky start and many doubters including myself, definitely let him hear about it in General Chat. Though, just like Sean McVay and the Rams in the 2021 NFL season, it’s not how you start- it’s how you finish. Coming into Season 7 now, Ebok and his future teammates will have a major target on their backs- heavy lies the crown and when you’re hands down the league’s biggest troll… major criticism comes with the territory.

by Primetime Admin

VFL Season 7 Owners REVEALED

As many of you know this has been a difficult past month for the league. From the sale of the league happening midseason to finishing out what was a very poorly ran league to the finish line with a sloppy ending. But the new staff is promising a new direction with a much better foundation that will lead to a better overall experience. That change starts today with us staff selecting the owners that we believe, will do the best job developing competitive rosters and being role models in this community. So without further to do, I’d like for you to checkout our season 7 owners!

Abyss – Abyss has been a staple within the league. No matter what position he is in, he has always been considered a top player. Choosing to return as an owner this season, he will undoubtedly be the early favorite. Rumors have surfaced of Koolaidz or IAMBeaste will be looking to join him. When asked for a comment on his return to ownership Abyss chose not to respond.

Aceboogs – Aceboogs returns as an owner after falling just short of a championship. He is so close to achieving greatness he can almost taste that Super Bowl trophy. The rumor mill has not shed much light on his potential general manager choice this season, but a little birdy has whispered that Kuhrow could be making a return. When I asked about the upcoming season Aceboogs said:

“Another owner I wanna call out lucky  ebok and drock All of y’all are my sons and aren’t man enough for ownership and you’ll see in due time that any of y’all cant knock me off my grind my shine cause I’M BACK and I’m in my prime f*ck a ebok drock Sheetrock shmeock RAVENS IN 4 JUST WIN BABY”

EboKstOp – Ebok has just finished winning his first Super Bowl championship and many would argue, the best season of his career. Being known as a bit of a troll, he has struggled appealing to many players on prior teams, pushing some into retirement. Hopefully ebok can find a better balance this season, focus on being an owner and not just a good player. When asked about other owners hating on him, ebok said:

“I have nothing to say to these owners they should be more concerned with keeping up with the Super Bowl champ than reading my comments”

 TxJamesSmithTX – TexasJames and his Chiefs were a favorite last season to make a Super Bowl run early on. Unfortunately, QB troubles and man coverage hurt on their way in the playoffs. Looking to get that first Super Bowl ring TexasJames is returning with a vengeance. He will most likely have Rogue Apollo as his general manager but the question has to be asked, is it time for him to cut the dead weight his friends carry and go for the title? When asked about this upcoming season JamesSmith said:

“I’m gunna take this time to call out Drock personally I don’t see how he is owner again between Drock Realest, and Areis they show the poorest and most pathetic display of ownership I have ever seen Its a shame to have them come back again I hope to see them on the field so they can show everyone the quitters they are”

 Lucky Dabs – Lucky Dabs was the cinderella story of season 6. Many teams considered him to be a bit of a goof and many still do even after his Super Bowl run. Returning once again as an owner, hopefully he can create a good environment for his star quarterback. After Shig and Ponchy both had issues, Lucky’s management techniques have come under much scrutiny. When asked about his ownership position, Lucky was quoted as saying:

“All the owners are ok I guess all i know whoever draft Rusty(ibprofam) better be ready Im matching up with him every week. Im sure hell hide behind his quarterback being bad instead of the fact he spends all day on the game and is trash”

 Tpbraves57 – Tpbraves is new as a new owner and it will be interesting to see how he convinces his star players to come to his new organization. Falling just short of a Super Bowl, Tp wants this upcoming season in his hands instead of others. The media team caught up with him to get his comments on being a first time owner, Tp braves said:

“when I first join the league Lucky told me I wasn’t good enough to play. My first goal this season is to win a super bowl. Goal 2 is to expose Lucky for how garbage he is. By the end of this season hell want to quit just like last season”

 Drock – Drock might be the most controversial returning owner this season. With his poor management and people skills, he is often referred to him as the Dan Snyder of the VFL. Rumors say he had a good enough interview to retain his ownership for this season. The media team did not get a chance to catch up with Drock for any comments.

JohnnyWheels – Johnny wheels has been a long time player in the VFL. He has shown desire of becoming an owner since season 4 and after being general manager for multiple seasons, he finally gets his opportunity. Many will be counting Johnny out before the season even begins, but his team could be a dark horse candidate if he does well in the VFL bidding. The media team could not catch up with Johnny for any comments on his new ownership.