ANDERSON, Ind. — It's that time again.
With the Indianapolis Colts smack dab in the middle of their annual training camp trek at Anderson University, the regular season is right around the corner.
Also around the corner, of course, is the release of the newest game in the Madden NFL franchise.
EA Sports Madden NFL 17 is being released nationwide Aug. 23, and the game developers, like always, have taken their first crack at overall individual player ratings for the game.
Now, this being the Internet-friendly environment that we live in, the developers, fortunately, update these ratings throughout the season to be as accurate as they can be. So that being said, it's a lot easier to be forgiving about some of these initial ratings (and trust me: some of them make you shake your head).
Here are the Colts' overall player ratings in Madden NFL 17, grouped by position (note: not all players currently on the 90-man roster are featured in the ratings):Quarterbacks:
- Andrew Luck: 88 overall
- Scott Tolzien: 67 overall
- Stephen Morris: 62 overallRunning backs:
- Frank Gore: 79 overall
- Robert Turbin: 75 overall
- Jordan Todman: 70 overall
- Josh Ferguson: 63 overall
- Trey Williams: 60 overallWide receivers:
- T.Y. Hilton: 89 overall
- Donte Moncrief: 78 overall
- Jacoby Brissett: 72 overall
- Josh Boyce: 64 overall
- Quan Bray: 64 overall
- MeKale McKay: 63 overall
- Tevaun Smith: 63 overall
- Daniel Anthrop: 60 overall
- Andre Debose: 52 overall**
A few of my favorite images from Dwayne's 2015 player marketing shoot.
Tight ends:**
- Dwayne Allen: 80 overall
- Jack Doyle: 72 overall
- Chase Coffman: 68 overall
- Mo Alie-Cox: 58 overallOffensive linemen:
- Jack Mewhort: 85 overall
- Anthony Castonzo: 81 overall
- Joe Reitz: 79 overall
- Ryan Kelly: 76 overall
- Jonotthan Harrison: 73 overall
- Hugh Thornton: 72 overall
- Le'Raven Clark: 69 overall
- Denzelle Good: 69 overall
- Joe Haeg: 69 overall
- Mitchell Van Dyk: 65 overall
- Kevin Graf: 64 overall
- Austin Blythe: 63 overall
- Jeremy Vujnovich: 63 overallDefensive linemen:
- Kendall Langford: 80 overall
- Henry Anderson: 76 overall
- Zach Kerr: 73 overall
- Arthur Jones: 71 overall
- David Parry: 68 overall
- Hassan Ridgeway: 68 overall
- Ricky Lumpkin: 66 overall
- T.Y. McGill: 61 overall
- Sterling Bailey: 59 overall
- Kelcy Quarles: 59 overall
- Earl Okine (listed in game as DE; has been converted to OLB): 56 overallOutside linebackers:
- Robert Mathis: 83 overall
- Trent Cole: 82 overall
- Erik Walden: 78 overall
- Josh McNary: 71 overall
- Trevor Bates: 61 overall
- Ron Thompson: 58 overallMiddle linebackers:
- D'Qwell Jackson: 79 overall
- Nate Irving: 76 overall
- Sio Moore: 72 overall
- Antonio Morrison: 65 overall
- Amarlo Herrera: 59 overall
- Curt Maggitt: 57 overallCornerbacks:
- Vontae Davis: 91 overall
- Patrick Robinson: 78 overall
- Darius Butler: 72 overall
- D'Joun Smith: 69 overall
- Jalil Brown: 67 overall
- Tay Glover-Wright: 67 overall
- Tevin Mitchel: 64 overall
- Darius White: 59 overallSafeties:
- Mike Adams: 78 overall
- T.J. Green: 71 overall
- Clayton Geathers: 70 overall
- Winston Guy: 69 overall
- Dezmen Southward: 66 overall
- Stefan McClure: 60 overallPunter:
- Pat McAfee: 86 overallKicker:
- Adam Vinatieri: 84 overallLong Snapper:
- Matt Overton (listed as a tight end in the game): 43 overall
——————————Who has the right to really gripe about their initial rating: Frank Gore, Donte Moncrief, Quan Bray, Andre Debose, Anthony Castonzo, Ryan Kelly, Denzelle Good, David Parry, T.Y. McGill, Robert Mathis, D'Qwell Jackson, Patrick Robinson, Mike Adams, Matt Overton.
- Most of the rest of the low ratings you can blame on the game producers simply needing to see these guys in game action to get a more accurate read on their skills.
- Also, another mind-blowing fact: how does the premiere NFL video game not just have a long snapper position? Why does Overton have to be grouped in with the tight ends? Long snapper might not be on most fans' radars as a key position to watch, but ask any NFL head coach, and they'll say a consistent long snapper takes a ton of unneeded potential worry off their plates. Overton has been a model of consistency at the position for the Colts.Where do they stack up?
Here's where some of the more notable Colts players stack up at their position across the league in the initial Madden NFL 17 ratings:
- Luck is ranked as the eighth-best quarterback, behind Aaron Rodgers (96), Tom Brady (94), Cam Newton (94), Ben Roethlisberger (93), Russell Wilson (91), Drew Brees (90) and Carson Palmer (89).
- Hilton is ranked as the 11th-best wide receiver, behind Antonio Brown (97), Julio Jones (96), Odell Beckham Jr. (93), A.J. Green (93), DeAndre Hopkins (93), Larry Fitzgerald (91), Alshon Jeffery (91), Dez Bryant (90), Doug Baldwin (89) and Julian Edelman (89).
- Mewhort is the fourth-best left guard, behind Josh Sitton (91), Richie Incognito (90) and Mike Iupati (86).
- Davis is rated as the fourth-best cornerback, behind Josh Norman (94), Chris Harris Jr. (93) and Richard Sherman (92).
- McAfee is rated as the top punter in the league.
- Vinatieri is tied with Steven Hauschka as the fourth-best kicker, behind Dan Bailey (85), Graham Gano (85) and Stephen Gostkowski (85).
- Dorsett's 96 speed rating is tied for the best in the game with Brandin Cooks, Jakeem Grant, Corey Grant and J.J. Nelson.
- Hilton's 95 elusiveness rating is tied for fourth-best in the league with Le'Veon Bell, Andrew Hawkins, Cordarrelle Patterson and Golden Tate III.
- Hilton's 95 route-running rating is tied for fifth-best in the league with several players.
- Luck's throw power rating of 95 is tied for eighth best in the league with Derek Carr, Christian Hackenberg, Ben Roethlisberger and Jameis Winston.
- Mewhort's run block rating of 93 is tied for 10th-best in the league with Terron Armstead, Mike Iupati and Joe Thomas.
- Davis' man coverage rating of 89 is tied for 10th-best in the league with Adam Jones and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
- Davis' press coverage rating of 95 is tied for fifth-best in the league with Joe Haden and Jimmy Smith.
- Davis' play recognition rating of 92 is tied for 11th-best in the league with Elvis Dumervil, Adam Jones, Sean Lee and Von Miller.
- McAfee's kick power rating of 97 is tied for second-best in the league with Graham Gano, Johnny Hekker, Sebastian Janikowski, Brandon McManus and Tress Way.
- McAfee leads all NFL players with a 98 kick accuracy rating, while Vinatieri's 93 kick accuracy rating is tied for seventh-best with Josh Brown, Graham Gano and Steven Hauschka.
