games-pc madden nfl 2004 Guía Del Usuario

117

The Rookie Report is our first look at
the draft pool. We can designate up to
15 players for scouting. After
checking off our players, we advance
to the Scouting Combine.

In the second round, the Scouting
Combine, we review the class again,
paying special attention to the 15
players we designated for special
scouting. Each player has notes from
the scouts: some are promising,
while others suggest that we look
elsewhere.

The process continues in the Scouting
Workout, as the reports become more
detailed and more emphatic about
each player's abilities and future
potential. We start to weed out the

players who are disappointing our
scouts, and adding new players who
seem to be excelling in the workouts.

Before starting the draft, we check
the Roster Breakdown screen to see if
we have any holes on our roster. As
Super Bowl Champion, we have the
32nd pick in the first round, so our
options are limited. Amazingly, some
of our "scouted" players are still on
the board. We select cornerback
William Wyatt out of N.C. State. If he
lives up to the scouting reports, he
should be able to fill Dale Carter's
shoes and add more speed to our
defensive secondary.

We draft a defensive end and
defensive tackle with our next two
picks. Unfortunately, that's it for our
scouted players. Now, we're flying
blind. We check the basic scouting
information as the draft continues
through seven rounds.

Our first round pick, cornerback
William Wyatt, is the most difficult
draftee to sign, but we think he has
the potential to be a star in this
league. As we move down the list, the
deals get smaller and smaller as the
talent level decreases. We finish the
signing period with almost $15 million
left under the cap. We'll need every
penny to sign free agents.

This is where we fill the remaining
holes on our roster. The free agent
signing period is 30 days, and it is a
no-holds barred bidding war. There
are no allegiances here, so be
prepared to fight hard to get the
players you want. After tendering
offers, you can advance the period
one day at a time, or any number of

days up to 30. As you move
through the free agent signing
period, you receive news about
signings and/or rejections. If an
offer is refused, you find out who
else is interested in the player, and
the amount of their offer.

After signing free agents to fill our
roster, our last task before starting a
new season is to reorder our Depth
Chart. Considering our contract
demands, we make it through the off-
season in pretty good shape. Our
Super Bowl team is largely intact;
although we lost backup quarterback
Chris Redman. Our replacement,
Shaun King, is considerably less
skilled, so we need to make sure Tom
Brady stays healthy. We are excited
about our #1 pick, cornerback William
Wyatt. If he is a fast learner, our
defensive secondary should be
improved. Finally, we upgraded our
offensive linemen and linebackers,
two areas that were problematic last
season when injuries thinned the
ranks. All in all, it was a good off-
season. Now, all we have to do is win
back-to-back Super Bowls!

Note

The process of signing
draft picks has a different
atmosphere than signing
established NFL free
agents. You can afford to
start low, because you
have negotiating rights to
the players. Also, the
players usually make
reasonable demands. If
you guess right and lock
up a future star to a multi-
year deal, it's money in
the bank.