The NFL Free Agency period is alive and well, setting the stage for Madden 21.
Deals are already going through, and everything is pointing toward six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady is going to Tampa Bay. He has now officially announced that he will be leaving New England, his team for the last 20 years.
With Madden 21 being available on the next-gen consoles later in the year, it will be exciting to see how the PS5 and Xbox Series X will use their power to bring elite NFL action to the next level.
But where will the top players left on the board (at time of writing) land and be playing at in Madden 21.
Tom Brady, QB - 91OVR
One of the greatest of all time in the NFL, what no one believed could happen is happening. After years of team-friendly deals to help the Patriots win, Tom Brady will be playing for a different team in 2020.
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At 42, Brady has said he wants to play for at least three more years. Teams can't resist the chance to have a proven winner, no matter the age question. He will get a payday and it looks like the Buccaneers are the front runners, offering something in the region of $30m a year.
Chris Harris Jr, CB - 90OVR
Chris Harris is also looking for a big final payday. At 30, he is 12 years younger than Brady but positionally that is the period for the last big contract. He can play in the slot or outside and is used to staying with WR1 through a game.
Byron Jones seems to have set the market after the Dolphins made him the highest-paid CB in the league. He's three years younger so Harris Jr will struggle to command the same, which means he will be looking for around $15m a year.
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One of the front runners will be the team that lost Jones, the Cowboys. The Bills also need someone opposite Tre'Davious White and have cap space to spare on a top CB.
Jadaveon Clowney, LE - 88OVR
Clowney has been up and down since he was drafted 1st overall in 2014. After a start marred by injuries, he had a couple of great seasons at the end of his contract in Houston. A lot of his contribution goes under the radar in the form of hits and hurries rather than sacks.
Keep Clowney healthy and you could be getting a 1st overall talent, but it does come with risk. The rumors are that his one-year team the Seahawks and Giants lead the way with seducing Clowney. What may affect things is the deal that Arik Armstead did for $17m a year.
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Clowney rates himself as an elite talent and despite earning $8m a year last year with the Seahawks, he will be looking to double that as a minimum. We would expect to see Clowney wait out for around $19m a year.
Dante Fowler Jr, ROLB - 81OVR
Another pass rusher that has had a tumultuous start to their NFL career, Fowler Jr was 3rd overall in 2015. He has suffered from injuries in three of his six seasons, but when he's been healthy he made a difference. Luckily, he is coming off his statistically best year when looking for this contract.
He took will be looking at what happens to Clowney and taking cues from the Armstead deal, but perhaps slightly less leverage due to his injury history - although at 25 he is younger. There are some question marks over whether his good play was due to teams double-teaming Rams teammate, Aaron Donald.
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With the above consideration, the market for Fowler Jr looks to be around $15m a year, with the Seahawks, Cardinals and Jets looking like the most likely landing spots.
Jameis Winston, QB - 78OVR
Coming into Free Agency on an infamous season, Winston is another former 1st overall pick in this list that has a point to prove. He is only 26 and last year he threw an amazing 33 TDs, but he also threw 30 Interceptions (with another 21 on the game tape that were dropped).
Winston has a desperate market. There are only a couple of teams that can afford to court Tom Brady and anyone else that needs a QB is basically looking at Winston.
If the Chargers miss out on Brady, they could be coming to Winston next. Another option is the Dolphins, who are spending big this FA but don't have the franchise QB to lead them.
Winston is following Brady but without the ability to command the same numbers. But with a lack of competition, he will likely get paid a decent amount, with a ballpark of around $25m a year.