Warrior General Games

My current Defensive roster looks like this... Am I too heavy on LB and CB? Opinions appreciated.....

3 DT
3 DE
5 LB
5 CB
2 FS
2 SS

This is a pretty default non-S* setup.

5 LB and 5 CB is common. At least one of those 5 LB should be fast enough to get after the QB, and at least one of those 5 LB should be able to not suck in pass coverage. Of those 5 CB, they could all be built the same way, but I prefer a mix of balanced run/pass defense and then pure pass coverage.

The 2 SS have to be able to defend against the run and the pass. You could try and have a pure pass coverage guy, but the other SS has to be balanced. Free Safety gives you more options depending on defensive scheme.

You might want to do only 3 safeties total, and have the lone backup, backup both spots. If you're worried about their max conditioning, then keep all 4 safeties.

My Seasoned team, HAHA, has only 2 safeties total. 1 FS and 1 SS. The SS is a S*, so it's easier to have enough conditioning to get away with it.

Awesome stuff thanks!

One thing to consider is having 3 Pure pass focused CB's and 3 Pure Run stopping CB's. Then through proper depth chart setup you can make it so you are more capable of defending the run when you need to, an more capable of defending the pass when you need to, then let them have minimum crossover skills, like the pass guys have 30 or so BRB, and the run guys have 50/50 deflecting and coverage tech, and manipulate the depth chart so they end up where you want against balanced teams.

CB1 and CB4 run focused, CB2 and CB3 pass focused, etc.

ALL of your LB's should be fast, If you want to shut down the run you should have them all hit 80 minimum speed, and then one ROLB with 95+ speed and heavy conditioning, and snap reaction.

In fact, everyone should have 60-70 conditioning on defense except for the D-line which can get away with 50-60 so long as they have 40-60 toughness. Also consider having a S*SS and just using one, or possibly having a S* FS as well, although thats less necessary than an SS because the playbook allows you to do more thigns with the SS position, than the FS position unless you are running an exclusively zone defense.

Other then that, your roster count is fine, unless you start adding S*'s

Thanks milehigh... I am trying to figure out for the rookie reset so I will be adding S*, so your advice is appreciated..

The one defensive position that would most benefit from being S* is the SS. You can do cool things with other positions, but building a regular SS is really damned hard. Making him Superstar makes it so much easier.

If you do go S* SS, then he should be the only SS on the roster.

Originally posted by Absolut Zero
The one defensive position that would most benefit from being S* is the SS. You can do cool things with other positions, but building a regular SS is really damned hard. Making him Superstar makes it so much easier.

If you do go S* SS, then he should be the only SS on the roster.

For sure even though i think my deal roster would be

S*dt
Dt
Dt
S* De
De
De
S* Lb
Lb
Lb
Lb
S* cb
S* cb
Cb
Cb
Fs
Fs
S* ss

It would probably look something like that

Zone or man?

Originally posted by Galactic Empire
Zone or man?

man

You have too many DTs imo. And you could easily find 4 DEs useful if you can find the cap space.

I disagree. I have 3 DTs including a S*. DTs are cheap and can get very high caps on important skills.

You could be right.. especially once you start running nickels you could rotate the 2 DT in and out and the 4-3 and 4-4 have them both out there. I am going to mess with some numbers..

Good advice in here.

As for safeties I've done a pure run ss and Cov ss and then have 2 balanced fs's and then you have a ss geared to stop any team and a fs who can be the backup to both safety spots.

Originally posted by Cuivienen
You have too many DTs imo. And you could easily find 4 DEs useful if you can find the cap space.

Good advice.

Originally posted by Galactic Empire
I disagree. I have 3 DTs including a S*. DTs are cheap and can get very high caps on important skills.

Bad advice.

Why?

There is something called Opportunity Cost and in a closed system - which is what a Roster limit/Salary Cap limit game is - you have to understand the relationship of value vs. cost compared to other values and costs.

Is having a 3rd DT valuable? Yes.
Is it more valuable relative to it's cost than a 4th DE in terms of value to his cost? No.

If you have 3 DTs, including a S* DT, you've basically already lost. That's 4.5 DT salaries on your roster. The incremental value of that much DT salary (above 3.5) is horrendous. GA did it best with an entire 5-2 Defense and they couldn't stop Vet Screens for shit.

If you don't have any S* DE, than you really need 4 DE in my view. A Run Stuffer, two Combos and a Pure Rusher. So normally, you'd allocate 4 DE salaries to a team and normally 3 DT salaries (Run, Combo, Pass).

Once you look at the question this way:

Which gives me more options - 4.5 DT Salaries or 5.5 DE Salaries?

The answer should be clear. There are many more opportunities to use an extra 1.5 DEs than 1.5 DTs even relative to the higher base cost. There just aren't enough (any?) good uses for the last 1.5 DT salary. So it's cost without much value. The extra 1.5 DE salary has cost but also a lot of value. The cost-value relationship is clearly in favor of an extra 1.5 in DE salary versus an extra 1.5 in DT salary.

This is why Cuivienen has a shitload better Ladder record than GE.

(And someone up voted GE but not Cuivienen, until I did.)

I agree with Xars and to elaborate further you should look at the impact that a DT has in a game compared to the impact you get from other positions defensively. I see no reason for having 3 DTs on a roster personally. On top of the limited impact that a DT already has if you have three of them how many snaps are you going to get out of then in each game? Somebody is going to be limited. Bottom line is that you are getting a greater impact elsewhere with the salary that a 3rd DT is occupying like Xars stated. Get another DE, CB, LB or Safety. If none of that is affordable based on your structure then look at the offense. Maybe add a S* OLineman or maximize some traits to get a little extra out of end builds across multiple positions.