Your team will most likely look different when Madden 18 comes out in August. Big name trades and free agent signings tend to have significant impacts in Madden. One team loses a special player while another team gains a potential difference maker. It can all be hard to keep up with. No worries, we’ve done our homework here at Madden School. We put together a list of defensive impact players who changed teams in Madden 18.
AJ Bouye CB: From Houston Texans to Jacksonville Jaguars
Bouye might not be as well known as some corners, but he can play and his overall rating to finish the Madden 17 was a solid 88. True, the Jaguars might not be your first choice when picking your Madden team, but they are getting better, especially on defense. Coupled with rookie standout Jalen Ramsey, who ended the year rated an 85 overall, Bouye should help bring the Jacksonville secondary up a notch in the ratings.
As for Bouye’s ratings, his man coverage is a 90, and his zone coverage is an 87. He also sports a decent 86 awareness and an 89 speed rating. These should all carry over with nice consistency into Madden 18. The Jacksonville defense gains a great corner while the Texans defense is left with a huge hole to fill. This move certainly means that Jacksonville’s D has some formidable players.
Calais Campbell DE/DT: From Arizona Cardinals to Jacksonville Jaguars
Calais Campbell is another big name free agent signing by the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he will have a huge impact in Madden 18. Campbell is one of the best pass rushers in Madden, and has been for a few years now. He’ll boost the Jaguars D-Line while certainly weakening the Arizona Cardinals once deadly front seven.
Campbell finished the year rated a 90 overall, which is one of the top ratings in the game. Without a doubt, Campbell makes a great 3-4 DE and a nice 4-3 DT, but we’ll have to see how Jacksonville lists him on the depth chart. Regardless, Calais Campbell has strong ratings in a wide range of categories, which makes him a very versatile player.
He has every big trait you could ask for in Madden 17. Campbell has swim move, spin move, bull rush move, and high motor traits. That’s incredible all in itself.
Campbell finished Madden 17 with a 90 awareness, 92 tackle, and 89 finesse move. Campbell and AJ Bouye will both help to raise the Jacksonville Jaguars overall rating. They should also help propel Jacksonville into somewhat of a sleeper team in Madden 18.
Stephon Gilmore CB: From Buffalo Bills to New England Patriots
Stephon Gilmore was one of the first big signings for the New England Patriots to go along with the Brandin Cooks deal on the offensive side of the ball. Both moves will definitely have pretty big impacts in Madden 18.
Gilmore leaves the Buffalo Bill’s secondary weaker while reinforcing the New England cornerback position. Given the pass centric style of most Madden players, you must have decent rated corners and that’s what Gilmore gives the Patriots.
Gilmore finished the year rated an 83 overall, but given Belichick’s record of pumping out highly rated defensive backs, Gilmore’s rating promises to go up. He also has a solid 87 press coverage and an 80 zone coverage to go with a decent 84 awareness and 92 speed.
The Patriots lost Logan Ryan, a big loss to the secondary, but they might also lose Malcolm Butler in a potential trade with the Saints. That’s only rumor, but if it’s true, then that makes the Gilmore signing all the more important for the Patriots.
Logan Ryan CB: From New England Patriots to Tennessee Titans
Logan Ryan to the Tennessee Titans was huge for the Titans and their Madden 18 rating. Ryan’s 85 overall to end the year might be sort of a snub given he has an 83 or better in nearly every major category for corners. He’s rated 87 in zone coverage, 84 man coverage, 86 awareness, and 84 press coverage.
Ryan makes a great addition to the Titans who were desperately in need of a decent corner. The Tennessee defense has highly rated players at nearly every position on their front seven, but not many in their secondary. Logan Ryan’s signing definitely changes that and will have a big impact for those of you who like Tennessee as a sleeper in Madden 18.
Jabaal Sheard DE: From New England Patriots to Indianapolis Colts
The signing of Jabaal Sheard had to be music to your ears if you like playing with the Indianapolis Colts in Madden. Jabaal Sheard leaves the New England Patriots for the Colts having a big impact in Madden 18. The Patriots D-Line is slightly weakened by this move while the Colts D-Line gets a much needed boost. Clearly the move will have a much bigger impact on the Colts that the Patriots.
Sheard ended the year rated only 81 overall, but his pass rushing ability in the game is the valuable to the Colts. He has a swim move and spin move trait to go along with his 82 finesse move and 88 tackle ratings.
Sheard is instantly the highest rated player along the Indy D-Line, and will have a great impact in Madden 18 as he should lift the Indy defense in the ratings, even if it’s slightly. Sheard adds a formidable player at a position that many Madden players like to take control of when playing defense.
That does it for our list of defensive impact players who changed teams in Madden 18. Certainly those aren’t the only signings with the biggest impact in Madden 18.
Who are yours? Are there any players you feel should have made the list? As always, feel free to comment below.
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