Category: front news
place front new posts here. make sure to have a pic in it.
#27 and #T25 of Way Too Early Free Agents List
Ponchy’s Way Too Early Free Agents
Ponchy’s Way Too Early Free Agents
I have asked some veterans to send me in some list of their top 25. By using a point system I ranked our most valuable free agent's coming into madden 23 way too early. I will be posting one or two of these per day until the release of Madden 23 on August 16th. Hope everyone enjoys!
Realest Top 25 Players Seasons 1-5 Updated!
These 12 players are the ones who I feel have had the best VFL career so far with these 5 seasons of Madden 22. Players ranked 8-10 was a close race for me and came down to career win % , Spots 6 and 7 came down to who has a SB and who doesn't , Guys ranked 1-3 was tough and really took some time for me to decide where I thought they should be ranked.
#12 - ( Dirty Falcons ) Dirty used to be known as a top 3 QB within this league in my eyes , and then everyone found out what man coverage was. Season 1-3 he was a machine and putting up eye popping numbers at QB. Season 2 he was a superbowl champ with the Browns and continued season 3 putting up MVP type numbers with Tannehill. Then the playoffs hit and he ran into Kuhrow and seemed a little lost in the sauce. Every since the season 3 playoffs this guy just hasn’t been the same and hasn’t adjusted very well.
#11 - ( EboK aka Post Kobe ) Ebok is one of the most talented players in this league. While he may catch backlash for being a troll that doesn’t take away from his Madden skills. Ebok like Breesus was introduced to the league by Kuhrow and instantly made a impact often and early. Ebok spent his first 2 seasons playing Running back where he exceeded expectations with James Connor and Ravens shitty group of backs. This season he has made the switch to QB and is putting up great numbers , making a switch like that and succeeding instantly is huge in my book. Most impressive thing that is eye popping though is the EboK record in his first 3 seasons , with a record of (25-6) that has to be one of the better records in a 3 season span. I truly believe if EboK had a another season under his belt this Madden he would have cracked my top 7 or 8.
#10 - ( Route Tech Tmo ) Tmo in my opinion is the most underrated player in the league. He is never heavily talked about when it comes to the leagues best. Lets not forget in seasons 1 and 2 his team made back to back superbowl trips as a owner. Tmo is one of the best when it comes to putting together a roster that can compete with the leagues best. After Tmo stepped away from ownership he joined staff to attempt to help better the league. While Tmo numbers might not be eye popping his impact on the field is felt. If I had to name the top 5 DCs in the VFL Tmo would easily be on that short list. Also in season 1 Tmo help lead the Chiefs to the VFL first SB this madden as a QB. Tmo is good at both LB and DL on the defensive side of the ball and has shown he can win at QB while also being one of the leagues better WRs. Ill be the first to admit I dont take advice from many people on Madden but Tmo showed me a defense and I was like damn this guy is smart.
#9 - ( Ty Bomaye ) Has shown the most growth at QB in my opinion. In season 2 if you asked me who Ty is I would have said ” oh some shitter “. If you asked me season 3 who was Ty I would say I really good game manager. If you asked me Seasons 4 and 5 who Ty is I would tell you he is for sure a top 5 QB in the VFL. Ty really started taking off when he got to play with Tmo and Willy in season 3 where I feel they helped start his growth as a QB. They kept the game simple for him offensively and played defense and it worked. Ty then got on a teammate with his buddy Orlando and they have been a top line ever sense. Ty has a very boring scheme because he takes the clock with him. Ty is also tough to get a read on because he doesn’t really have set plays he really just takes what the defense gives him which makes him tough to beat.
#8 - ( Child Please ) Child is one of the better players within the league and I feel like half the league doesn’t even know it. Child monster on the DL with the bull rush. He might very well be the best at the Bull Rush in the league. I think if Child really committed to the league like other players and bout a wire to improve his connection he would be even higher on my list. While Child is great in the regular season this guy can’t find a playoff win LITERALLY. Child is also a very underrated at running back , I previously made fun of Child for switching to QB and now he has won his first superbowl at QB. Up until this playoff run I believe Child was winless in playoff games. One playoff run has changed the way I view his VFL career. Also he switched from DL where is he one of the best to play linebacker to help the team , gotta love a guy who is willing to committed to doing anything that involves winning!
#7 - ( Kuhrow ) Kuhrow might be the most dominant player of this Madden within the VFL. If I had to compare him to a athlete this Madden it should be Shaq ( with no rings ). While Kuhrow has been the Shaq of the VFL where is his Kobe ( R.I.P ). I feel like Kuhrow has somewhat put himself in a bad spot playing with QBs like game green and ace boogs when he could have easily been on better teams. Some will tell you that Kuhrow plays with worse players to have a built in excuse for when he loses. While I give him credit to trying to be the driving force sometimes you gotta realize the grass is greener on the other side. Kuhrow has easily been the best DL in the VFL seasons 1-5 and its not even close in my opinion. Kuhrow was a Championship away from being in my top 5.
#6 - Gabe is in my top 3 for most TALENTED players in this league. He very versatile on both sides of the ball. On offense I would say he the 2nd most versatile offensive player in the league and I would say he the most versatile defensive player in the league as far as being able to play any role the team needs. Gabe in my eyes has been a top 2 at DL since season 3 , but he is also very capable of being elite at LB and DB as well. When watching Gabe play I think the most impressive thing about his game is his route running and thats at RB or WR. He always knows how to find the hole (pause) in the zone. Not only is he a great route runner but I would have to deem him the best at being able to high point the ball and come down with it as a WR.
#5 - Realest ) Im not going to sit here and talk about myself , Biased in me I would rank myself number 1 because I 100% feel im the best player in the league. Just dont feel like its right for me to talk about myself and my accolades within this league. I also think ranking myself ahead of any of the next 4 players would be disrespectful considering Ive never played the toughest position in this league which is QB and never won a league MVP
#4 - ( North ) North has been one of the most consistent players in the league as far as stats and wins. North has never had a season with less then 10 wins. Winning 10 out of 12 games every season is very consistent. While North is known as a winning he is also known for stuffing the stat sheet. North is dominant at both RB and DL. North has had 3 seasons with 750+ rushing yards , while also having 3 seasons of 400+ receiving yards at running back. On the defensive side of the ball North had never had a under 40 TFL and only one season under 20 sacks. North has shown he can carry a line leading while playing with Dfeet and also can be a great sidekick on a line to a great QB like IR Brady. North adding a MVP & another SB boosted him above me.
#3 - ( Beaste ) Beaste has had the best VFL career this Madden in my opinion. Season 1 Beaste went undefeated in the regular season and where he ended up losing game 3 to the SB champion Chiefs. Season 2 Beaste captured his first VFL championship while being the owner of the Cleveland Browns. Season 3 Beaste repeated with a championship with a team who went 12-0 on a crazy playoff run. Here we are season 5 and Beaste team is back in the mix again as probably the favorite heading into the playoffs. Wherever Beaste is winning is happening and he has to get credit for that. Beaste in my eyes lost his number 1 spot because he linked up with Champ this season. In the past he has had Abyss or Dirty to depend on to help win the Superbowl. Champ is a known choker when it comes to playoffs. Its alot different when all the pressure is on you to win every game in the series because your line 2 doesn't get the job done. Beaste falls from 1 to 3 because these next 2 guys have better career stats and just won a superbowl with better win percentages career wise.
#2 - Brady has been consistently one of the best QB this league has had. Season 2 was horrible for Brady dealing with a terrible situation that led to him being blacklisted for the last couple weeks of the season. But he came back season 3 motivated going 10-1 but ended up losing in the playoffs in a classic to Beaste which made his team check out for the remainder of the series. Season 4 Brady had another great season going 10-0 in the regular season and 2-0 in the playoffs but the other lines couldn’t pull off a win to force a game 7. Brady has been on the short end of the stick this Madden and I did him no justice by stepping down from ownership. However Brady was able to lead the Bengals to the superbowl and capture his first VFL superbowl this madden. This was huge for Brady I know deep down how much he wanted to win. I feel at this point in time he is currently the best QB the VFL has to offer. If I had to pick 1 QB in the VFL to win me a game 7 it would be Brady just like real life. But I can't rank him number 1.
#1 - Abyss has had a absolute stunning 5 seasons at QB. He is the only player who has won multiple MVPs this madden and one of them with Sam Darnold. Abyss is known for being very safe with the ball with a clock control offense and solid defense. Abyss I would also have to stay was the best owner seasons 1-3 as far as putting together a team , making sure there were no forfeits etc. He is one of those QBs who seeks advice from his teammates when something is going wrong. I can speak from experience seeing as Ive played with him 95% of this madden. He makes the game easy for someone like myself knowing im going to get consistent play out of a QB. Abyss finished off his Madden 22 seasons with 2 MVPs , 1 QBOTY , 1 LBOTY , 2 Superbowl Rings , Owner of a team who swept the whole playoffs going 12-0 and also a personal 10-2 playoff record. It was so close between Brady and Abyss for the number 1 spot but I went with the guy with 2 MVPs and 1 more superbowl then Brady.
Realest Top 25 List After Season 5 Updated ( 25 -13 )
My one exception for making the list is you had to complete 3 of the 5 seasons! One player who would for sure be in my top 10 to 15 will not be on the list because he joined the league in the middle of season 3 and that is Ponchy! Also so this is known this is a list based off your play season 1-5.
#25 - ( Never Practices ) This is a player who didnt make my list the first time around. This season he accomplished some things that made me feel he couldn't be left off this list. Season 3 Rivals jumped on the scene with the Cowboys and made noise instantly finishing top 3 in interceptions at DB. Season 4 he had another good season with the Bucs and was on a line that went 10-0. Season 5 Rivals brought home the LB of the year award while only playing 8 regular season games. He found his way on the Bengals and was a big help on Abyss line come playoff time and made a difference for them. He has the ability to play both RB/WR and LB/DB. Rumor has it he says hes playing DL next Madden to continue to prove he has a wide skill set.
#24 - ( GaabageAssassin ) Gaabage is top 5 at DL in this league , when he is not eating peanut butter and pickle sandwiches he is probably sacking your QB or hitting your running back in the backfield. Gaabage was so good at DL in season 3 he was awarded with Defensive player of the year. However I think he lacks alot on the offensive side on the ball. By far the best teammate ive had this madden , low ego , never complains just shows up and wrecks the game on the defensive side of the ball. He didnt play this season so I had to move him from 17 to 23.
#23 - ( OrlandoStayWoke ) Orlando is also very underrated , Season 2 Orlando was the 1st pick in the draft to play QB , I actually think Orlando is a pretty good QB just doesn’t take the time to lab to be a great one , Orlando started at WR for Abyss Season 1 and I thought he was average at best , however these last couple of seasons he has made huge improvement and became very solid , He also became good enough to become a DC in the league which I never thought he could do. Orlando is a superbowl champ season 4 with the Packers and him and Ty as a duo is one of the better ones within the league. Orlando was very inactive this season only playing 7 games due to work schedule. Had to move him from 16 to 23.
#22 - ( Warpath ) Warpath is a player who struggled early on in his VFL career. Started in season 2 where it was pretty much moved between the 2 worse teams Bucs and Chiefs. Season 3 he got his first good chance on the Cowboys and he did well for himself. The thing I like about Warpath be brought a different scheme. Most people use the same playbooks on offense and he used a different one. After a loss to him towards the end of the season I had to go rewatch my broadcast to understand what the hell he is was doing. But that comes with his biggest weakness , he only runs about 2 to 3 plays and if you catch on to them its VERY easy to stop. However his improvement from season 2 to seasons 3-5 are clear. Record in Season 2 was (2-8) and his record in seasons 3-5 is (22-12) which is a huge improvement. However I have to admit I had him ranked too high in my first list. His playoff performances are always underwhelming and leave you stunned how a guy can play so good but shrink when it matters most. I think in the last 3 seasons he was he for sure lost 4 playoff games that I can remember of the 6 he played in and that just isn't gonna get it done for a QB who is valued at round 1 talent.
#21 - ( Breesus ) Breesus took the league by storm season 3 as a rookie QB , winning rookie of the year and make a superbowl in his first season in the league. He followed up his impressive rookie season with a better 2nd season on the Cardinals almost passing for over 3,000 and 396 rushing yards. Not only was he good on the offensive side of the ball he was good on the defensive side of the ball having 14 and 16 picks in those 2 seasons. Im very confused on how Breesus had to 2 great seasons worth of stats but moved off QB to play WR? Doesn't make sense to me at all but... He moved from 15 to 21.
#20 - ( Outaker ) Outaker is obviously a good player and his career numbers this madden are great. Hes won of the better WR in the league and in 5 season I would have to say has to be a top 3 at DL. Even with the great numbers I sometimes feel lost on how to judge Outaker. Sometimes hes fully here and engaged and then sometimes hes just not. Outaker is one of the few who actually tracked his season one stats and they were good , In season 1 and 2 he put great numbers , Season he had a drop off where he only had 6 total sacks in the season , that is unacceptable for him in my eyes. Season 4 he picked it back up with another great season but here in season 5 he only has 3 games worth of stats? Outaker seems like one of those players who is very talented but will take a play off or in his case the whole season off lol.
#19 - ( Hutch ) Hutch has played in all 5 seasons of the VFL and has done very well at QB/LB , he has played with the same WR/DB all 5 seasons but no matter who the RB/DL is they do well in his offensive system and are a huge focal point of the offense. I played one game in season 1 on that line at RB/DL and felt if I played with them I would easily have a shot at 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season because how much the RB is involved. Hutch is #24 on my list!
#18 - ( Clutch King ) Clutch is easilyyyyy one of the most underrated players in the league , if I had one word to describe Clutch it would be ( Consistent ). Clutch has played with Beaste almost every season but season 4. Clutch is a 2x superbowl champ with both the Browns and Chiefs. Clutch is also a very versatile player playing both RB/WR and was successful at both. Somehow clutch is always drafted in the mid-later rounds of the draft and that shouldn’t happen. Clutch is a no brainer on this list.
#17 - ( Dfeetu44 ) Dfeet balled tf out this season plain and simple. Dfeet is now a 2x superbowl champion and has climbed the ranks in my list. Dfeet has always been a respectable game manager style of QB who looks to run the ball and play good defense. I think the thing that boost him was the fact he moved off QB and decided to play WR which I think was best for him and the Bengals team this past season. Dfeet moved off QB and joined Brady and North on a line which was a good mix. Dfeet won DB of the year this season and had the most ints in a single season this madden with 29! Not only did he have a good regular season , he also had the game winning interception returned for a touchdown in game 5 of the superbowl to help the Bengals secure a championship. Dfeet missed my list completely the first time and after this season and playoff run it was almost impossible to leave him off the list this time around!
#16 - ( Areis ) Areis is good WR/DB who thrive best in cover 3 defense I actually dont think Areis knows anything outside of cover 3 on defense. However him and Hutch have been a solid duo in this league since season 1 started. My only issue with Areis is he is known for not wanting to play the best competition in the regular season. Im not a fan of it myself but Areis claims its a strategy so who am I to knock someone gameplan. Outside of that he is one of the better players within the league and is known to win you at least 8 to 10 games a season.
#15 - ( Justt Smoove ) Smoove is in my top 4 as far as running back goes , Easily THE top pure runner the league has to offer. I would say hes an above average route runner at running back but certainly not the best. Smoove as a DB sometimes worries me a little. Sometimes in cover 3 he is on the middle third and in cover 2 ive seen him on the flat or on the deep zone , hell in man ive seen him on the outside corner. That could easily wreck someone play or it could result in a big touchdown. However he gets the job done.
#14 - ( Champ ) Now that this madden is done 14 is where I have champ ranked. Honestly he had great seasons but at the end of the day hes just a better Warpath. Champ shits sheets when it matters most , 3-6 in the playoffs is unacceptable for a guy who has been up for MVP and even been runner up a few times for the award. Not even trying to bash Champ just feel like while his regular seasons have been great his playoffs have been a huge let down.
#13 - ( NATECVSHMNEY ) Nate in his first couple of seasons played QB and he was below average. His best seasons were seasons 3-5 when he made the switch to RB. In season 3 and 4 Nate was very much the driving force of the offense on his line both seasons. When he is calling defense he is known for his very off meta play calling. You can never get a read on what he is doing , one play he could call cover 3 the next play you might see a all out blitz. This season Nate has made the transition to DL where he brought home the DL of the year award. Since moving to RB Nate has become one of the better RBs in the league except when he tries to do my spin move and looks like a bot , however lets not forget he is now a 2x SB Champ.
eboK’s 2K Team Rankings
Making this team list to help owners decide what team to pick. Was gonna add graphics to this List but this shit is ass 🙁
1.BUCKS
Giannis is THANOS with snipers & locks all around him. Giannis is arguably the best player in 2K history...combine that with amazing role players & Bucks are unstoppable. You can play 5 out with Giannis running the show, run pick & roll/pops with Giannis or just let him dead zone. Either way, you lose.
BEST LINEUP
Jrue Holiday
Grayson Allen/Pat Connaughton
Khris Middleton
Bobby Portis JR.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. LAKERS
This team is very strong since Lebron has HOF Dimer & Bullet. HOF dimer allows AD & Dwight to green every three. With that being said you put AD at the 4 & Dwight at the 5 & you'll lock up the paint + horse everyone. Westbrook still has all his badges & greens every shot + Melo is a SNIPER. Lakers have ELITE defense & offense...theres no weak points at all. Lakers are one of the few teams that can go toe to toe with the Bucks. AD on Giannis 🙂
BEST LINEUP
Russell Westbrook
Carmelo Anthony
Lebron James
Anthony Davis
Dwight Howard
3. NETS
Nets are a well rounded team with 3 ELITE ball handlers in Ben Simmons, KD & Kyrie. the tricky thing to this team is wether you wanna use Ben or Drummond at the 5 or try to play both at the same time. Ben is good at center but he can easily get horsed. Drummond on the other hand might be a top 5 center on the game. all though this team is stacked with talent you just cant draft anyone to play with this team. Someone like Kuhrow on Ben Simmons is a real sheet shitter. To use this team to its full potential you need 4 top tier players in the league on 1 line.
BEST LINEUP
Ben Simmons
Kyrie Irving
Joe Harris
Kevin Durant
Andre Drummond
NEXT BEST
Kyrie Irving
Seth Curry
Joe Harris
Kevin Durant
Andre Drummond/Ben Simmons
4. 76ers
76ers have the 3 things you want on its 2k. An ELITE ball handler, a DOMINANT lock & a big. Thankfully for the 6ers Embiid is the best center on the game, Harden is top 5 ball handlers, & thybulle is up there for one of the best locks. Then you have Tobias who will green every shot along side either Danny Green or Tyrese Maxey at the 2. 76ers are loaded & you would have to try very hard to lose with them. I could see someone messing around with a lineup of DeAndre Jordan at the 5 & Embiid at the 4...could be GLITCHY.
BEST LINEUP
James Harden
Danny Green
Matisse Thybulle
Tobias Harris
Joel Embiid
5. CLIPPERS
Clippers are very good & strong team but they can be difficult to play with. I say this because Zubac is a decent center but he has 26 speed turning him into the Croatian Zombie. So with that in mind you NEED a dominant Kawhi & Paul George. kawhi is a MEGA LOCK & will clamp anyone he guards. Paul George has good handles, can green, poster & play ELITE defense. So you would have to find the right balance of VBA players to make this team work. With the best lineup I posted you would have Paul George guard rim. He has all the defensive badges you need at center & he's big enough to where he can do it. 🙂
BEST Lineup
Norman Powell
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
Nicolas Batum/Marmus Morris SR.
Robert Covington
NEXT BEST THING
Norman Powell/Luke Kennard
Paul George
Kawhi Leonard
Robert Covington
Ivica Zubac
6. GRIZZLIES
Grizzlies & Clippers are interchangeable in my eyes. Whatever team suits your VBA playset is the one you should go with. Grizzlies have everything you need with an ELITE ball handler in Ja, 2 locks in JJJ & Brooks followed by an ELITE horse Steven Adams. bane is also a complete sniper...this team is so souped & loaded. JJJ can guard ball & the rim dude is insane.
BEST LINEUP
Ja Morant
Desmond Bane
Dillon Brooks
Jaren Jackson JR.
Steven Adams
7. WARRIORS
Warriors are a hard team to play with but they are very good in the right hands. You need someone who can 3 hunt effectively with Curry while also having great role player users. Looney is ASS & Wiseman isn't much better. Klay & Wiggins r souped but Draymond is VERY hard to constantly green with. So if you cant meet all the requirements to make this team good then you should stay away from the Warriors.
BEST LINEUP
Steph Curry
Klay Thompson
Andrew Wiggins
Draymond Green
James Wiseman/Kevon Looney
8. SUNS
The Suns are good but at the same time you need the right users for them to work. 1. CP3 is solid but is hard to use on offense since he is short, has a slow shot & doesn't have good finishing badges. 2. Ayton is solid but Mcgee is essentially the better center on 2k. Ayton can green mids & threes plays good enough D & can horse a little but Javale is just a super horse & is athletic af. 3. Mikal bridges nor Cpu is a LOCK LOCK. Bridges is fine but he isn't ELITE by any stretch. 4. Booker has shit handles so he's a spot up shooter. So what I'm saying is if you don't have ELITE users then pick an easier team to use.
BEST LINEUP
Chris Paul/Landry Shamet
Devin Booker
Mikal Bridges
Cam Johnson
Javale McGee/Deandre Ayton
9. HAWKS
Hawks have an ELITE ball handler in Tare Young & an ELITE center in Clint Capela. The thing the Hawks are lacking is a perimeter lock. De'Andre Hunter is a decent lock but you would much rather have the 2k23 Hawks roster with Dejounte Murray. Kevin Huerter is a sneaky good player & John collins is very solid at the 4. The Hawks are very good if u get an ELITE ball handler & ELITE center. This team is can be a better version of the Warriors if played correctly.
BEST LINEUP
Trae Young
Kevin Huerter
De'Andre Hunter
John Collins
Clint Capela
10. JAZZ
The Jazz are a very interesting 2k team. They have a good ball handler in Donovon Mitchell & the best rim protector Rudy Gobert. Royce O'Neale, Mike Conley & Donovon Mitchell all play solid perimeter defense. Rudy Gay has ALWAYS been GLITCHY in 2k so you start him at the 4. Even tho I have the Jazz at the 10th ranked team, I could easily see someone win the Finals with them. They're just a super braindead team that can beat almost anyone.
BEST LINEUP
Mike Conley
Donovan Mitchell
Royce O'Neale
Rudy Gay
Rudy Gobert
FRINGE TEAMS
- NUGGETS
- PELICANS
- CAVS
- HEAT
- BULLS
- MAVS