Season 34 Patch - Linebacker Rebalance
Problem: Linebacker as a position group is very imbalanced, with the Pass Rusher archetype being overtuned compared to the other options. This is something that the league playerbase has caught onto, as 52 of the 80 LBs listed in the TPE Tracker (65%) are the Pass Rusher archetype. Instead of being a specialized player type, Pass Rushers excel in multiple aspects of the game, meaning that you could view them as being the only viable option.
Solution: Rebalance Linebackers as a whole in every aspect - size, attributes, and traits. The implementation of these changes will cause there to no longer be a, “best” archetype for the position and make it more about player choice and what they want their player to excel at.
SECTION 1: ATTRIBUTES
1.a - Coverage LB
Coverage Linebackers, who were intended to be the rangy, shifty players that excelled in defending the pass, have come out to be simply outclassed by the Pass Rusher LB in every aspect. They are smaller, slower, and weaker than the Pass Rusher, and the advantages they have in specific attributes, namely Intelligence, do not make up for where they fall short. To remedy this, I decided to make Coverage LBs the fastest and tallest archetype, but also removed their access to any traits that increase their blitzing abilities, while also keeping their weight and strength lower.
These changes make the Coverage LBs excel in a few key areas stats-wise:
Here is the current attributes build for Coverage LB, with the min and max attributes as well as the TPE costs:
![[Image: unknown.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760203295070486581/920016422422331462/unknown.png)
Height: 75 (6’3)
Weight: 230
Here is the updated build for Coverage LB:
![[Image: unknown.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760203295070486581/920016696004190258/unknown.png)
Height: 75 (6’3)
Weight: 230
The archetype does not see massive changes in attributes, with only slight modifications to Speed (+5 max), Intelligence (+5 max), Tackling (-10 max), and Competitiveness (-5 max). The biggest change will be to their traits (detailed in section B). This archetype starts off with 25 more TPE baseline at creation (marginal difference), but still costs the exact same as before to max out all attributes (1050 TPE).
1.b - Versatile LB
In our current build, the Versatile LB is in an awkward spot. Meant to be the sure-tackling archetype that slows down offenses, Versatile LBs simply do not have the athleticism to keep up with the speed-heavy players in the league, as such, the aspects of their game in which they are meant to excel they are outclasses by the faster and not much smaller nor weaker Pass Rusher LB. The Versatile archetype also could be considered as being one that is decent at a lot of things but not great at any, and in our meta-heavy league, that just means they are simply worse than the alternatives.
With the following changes to the archetype we have seen these improvements:
Highest tackling numbers and best tackle success rate
Competent pass rush abilities when higher in TPE
High rate of forced fumbles
Versatile is receiving mostly buffs to make them more attractive, meaning not many decreases in stats.*
Decent in pass coverage (catches allowed, PDs, INTs) but outclassed by Coverage
Current build:
![[Image: unknown.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760203295070486581/920016923536785458/unknown.png)
Height: 74 (6’2)
Weight: 255
Updated build:
![[Image: unknown.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760203295070486581/920017152839393320/unknown.png)
Height: 74 (6’1)
Weight: 250
Looking at the starting and ending numbers, the Versatile LB could be tweaked slightly to bring their overall TPE numbers back in line (465 at creation is fairly high), but you can see the main differences in their build - higher tackling and speed, but trading off for lower agility and hands.
1.c - Pass Rusher
I will not spend too much time writing up this section, as is generally agreed upon that Pass Rusher is a little too strong in its current version. With the proposed changes I’ve come up with, the Pass Rusher LB becomes much more specialized.
Best blitzer and highest sack numbers, with gap widened once both traits obtained
Worse pass defense stats
Lower tackle success chance
Current Build:
![[Image: unknown.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760203295070486581/920017488933163048/unknown.png)
Height: 74 (6’2)
Weight: 240
Updated Build:
![[Image: unknown.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760203295070486581/920017727891070976/unknown.png)
Height: 72 6’0)
Weight: 235
SECTION 2: TRAITS
In our current build, there are five traits available to Linebackers. Four are shared and one is unique. They are:
Competitor - More likely to defend passes. Can make more tackles without slowing down
Perceptive - More likely to intercept passes. More likely to go after the ball carrier on run plays
Athlete - Much faster when blitzing
Role Model - Less likely to commit penalties
Speed Rusher - Much faster when blitzing. More likely to break through a block*
*exclusive to Pass Rusher
So, looking at the traits, there is quite an imbalance that further exacerbates Pass Rusher being stronger than the other two. All three have access to one blitzing trait, but Pass Rusher also gets an additional blitzing trait AND is the only archetype with access to a trait that gives them better block shedding abilities.
To remedy this, we will be cutting the available traits for each archetype down to three, with only one being universal - Role Model. The updated traits list is:
Pass Rusher
Coverage
Versatile
The point of these traits, when combined with the overall attribute changes, is so further specialize the archetypes. Coverage LB receives no boosts to blitzing because they have an innate speed advantage, but they have exclusive access to a trait which increases Interception success. Versatile gets one blitzing trait (at a high investment) that also gives them bonuses to block shedding. Pass Rusher is granted two blitzing traits, and one that is lower in cost and requirement since it will help distinguish Pass Rushers from Versatile LBs.
SECTION 3: FINDINGS
I will add more stats compilations to this as I do more testing, but a small sample size of seasons with an even mix of FULLY MAXED archetypes yielded these results. Now, this is not meant to be taken as gospel that this is how stats will end up, but moreso just a general guide to show how these archetypes are balanced out:
![[Image: unknown.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760203295070486581/920018165348577330/unknown.png)
The biggest takeaways from here are A) Interceptions are somewhat random and possibly dependent on where a player is lined up and B) the catch rate difference is pretty substantial.
The following section of statistics is taken from a separate test in which every Linebacker in the league was replaced with one of a maxed out build of the same archetype - i.e. every LB being a maxed out Coverage LB. These further show the areas the archetypes excel versus each other.
Average Sacks per Season:
All Coverage LB - 6.1
All Pass Rusher LB - 8.5
All Versatile - 7.4
Percent of Seasons with Varied Sack Totals
![[Image: unknown.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/760203295070486581/920018372069052426/unknown.png)
Average Tackles for Loss per Season:
All Coverage - 7.2
All Pass Rusher - 6.4
All Versatile - 6.7
One place we were really interested to see if a clear distinction could be made between the archetypes, aside from sack numbers, was their actual impact in pass defense. To do this we analyzed Tight End receiving numbers, since on most plays that is who a Linebacker would face in coverage.
Tight End Yards per Catch:
All Coverage - 7.68 YPC
All Pass Rusher - 8.5 YPC
All Versatile - 8.15 YPC
SUMMARY AND CLOSING THOUGHTS
Since the migration to DDSPF21, Linebackers have been dominated by one specific archetype. The goal for this change is not to punish the Pass Rusher Linebacker, but instead to make it more specialized, and leave room for more competition between archetypes. We believe that these changes open up more possibilities for users to build a player that they really want, and not have to worry about making a, “wrong choice.”
Problem: Linebacker as a position group is very imbalanced, with the Pass Rusher archetype being overtuned compared to the other options. This is something that the league playerbase has caught onto, as 52 of the 80 LBs listed in the TPE Tracker (65%) are the Pass Rusher archetype. Instead of being a specialized player type, Pass Rushers excel in multiple aspects of the game, meaning that you could view them as being the only viable option.
Solution: Rebalance Linebackers as a whole in every aspect - size, attributes, and traits. The implementation of these changes will cause there to no longer be a, “best” archetype for the position and make it more about player choice and what they want their player to excel at.
SECTION 1: ATTRIBUTES
1.a - Coverage LB
Coverage Linebackers, who were intended to be the rangy, shifty players that excelled in defending the pass, have come out to be simply outclassed by the Pass Rusher LB in every aspect. They are smaller, slower, and weaker than the Pass Rusher, and the advantages they have in specific attributes, namely Intelligence, do not make up for where they fall short. To remedy this, I decided to make Coverage LBs the fastest and tallest archetype, but also removed their access to any traits that increase their blitzing abilities, while also keeping their weight and strength lower.
These changes make the Coverage LBs excel in a few key areas stats-wise:
- Biggest impact on TE yards per catch
- Highest average of Tackles for Loss
- Highest potential of Interceptions (some tests had Coverage LBs netting as many as 5 interceptions in a single season)
- Lowest sack totals
- Lowest average of Forced Fumbles
Here is the current attributes build for Coverage LB, with the min and max attributes as well as the TPE costs:
Height: 75 (6’3)
Weight: 230
Here is the updated build for Coverage LB:
Height: 75 (6’3)
Weight: 230
The archetype does not see massive changes in attributes, with only slight modifications to Speed (+5 max), Intelligence (+5 max), Tackling (-10 max), and Competitiveness (-5 max). The biggest change will be to their traits (detailed in section B). This archetype starts off with 25 more TPE baseline at creation (marginal difference), but still costs the exact same as before to max out all attributes (1050 TPE).
1.b - Versatile LB
In our current build, the Versatile LB is in an awkward spot. Meant to be the sure-tackling archetype that slows down offenses, Versatile LBs simply do not have the athleticism to keep up with the speed-heavy players in the league, as such, the aspects of their game in which they are meant to excel they are outclasses by the faster and not much smaller nor weaker Pass Rusher LB. The Versatile archetype also could be considered as being one that is decent at a lot of things but not great at any, and in our meta-heavy league, that just means they are simply worse than the alternatives.
With the following changes to the archetype we have seen these improvements:
Highest tackling numbers and best tackle success rate
Competent pass rush abilities when higher in TPE
High rate of forced fumbles
Versatile is receiving mostly buffs to make them more attractive, meaning not many decreases in stats.*
Decent in pass coverage (catches allowed, PDs, INTs) but outclassed by Coverage
Current build:
Height: 74 (6’2)
Weight: 255
Updated build:
Height: 74 (6’1)
Weight: 250
Looking at the starting and ending numbers, the Versatile LB could be tweaked slightly to bring their overall TPE numbers back in line (465 at creation is fairly high), but you can see the main differences in their build - higher tackling and speed, but trading off for lower agility and hands.
1.c - Pass Rusher
I will not spend too much time writing up this section, as is generally agreed upon that Pass Rusher is a little too strong in its current version. With the proposed changes I’ve come up with, the Pass Rusher LB becomes much more specialized.
Best blitzer and highest sack numbers, with gap widened once both traits obtained
Worse pass defense stats
Lower tackle success chance
Current Build:
Height: 74 (6’2)
Weight: 240
Updated Build:
Height: 72 6’0)
Weight: 235
SECTION 2: TRAITS
In our current build, there are five traits available to Linebackers. Four are shared and one is unique. They are:
Competitor - More likely to defend passes. Can make more tackles without slowing down
Perceptive - More likely to intercept passes. More likely to go after the ball carrier on run plays
Athlete - Much faster when blitzing
Role Model - Less likely to commit penalties
Speed Rusher - Much faster when blitzing. More likely to break through a block*
*exclusive to Pass Rusher
So, looking at the traits, there is quite an imbalance that further exacerbates Pass Rusher being stronger than the other two. All three have access to one blitzing trait, but Pass Rusher also gets an additional blitzing trait AND is the only archetype with access to a trait that gives them better block shedding abilities.
To remedy this, we will be cutting the available traits for each archetype down to three, with only one being universal - Role Model. The updated traits list is:
Pass Rusher
- Speed Rusher
- Athlete*
- Role Model
Coverage
- Perceptive
- Competitor
- Role Model
Versatile
- Bull Rusher
- Competitor
- Role Model
The point of these traits, when combined with the overall attribute changes, is so further specialize the archetypes. Coverage LB receives no boosts to blitzing because they have an innate speed advantage, but they have exclusive access to a trait which increases Interception success. Versatile gets one blitzing trait (at a high investment) that also gives them bonuses to block shedding. Pass Rusher is granted two blitzing traits, and one that is lower in cost and requirement since it will help distinguish Pass Rushers from Versatile LBs.
SECTION 3: FINDINGS
I will add more stats compilations to this as I do more testing, but a small sample size of seasons with an even mix of FULLY MAXED archetypes yielded these results. Now, this is not meant to be taken as gospel that this is how stats will end up, but moreso just a general guide to show how these archetypes are balanced out:
The biggest takeaways from here are A) Interceptions are somewhat random and possibly dependent on where a player is lined up and B) the catch rate difference is pretty substantial.
The following section of statistics is taken from a separate test in which every Linebacker in the league was replaced with one of a maxed out build of the same archetype - i.e. every LB being a maxed out Coverage LB. These further show the areas the archetypes excel versus each other.
Average Sacks per Season:
All Coverage LB - 6.1
All Pass Rusher LB - 8.5
All Versatile - 7.4
Percent of Seasons with Varied Sack Totals
Average Tackles for Loss per Season:
All Coverage - 7.2
All Pass Rusher - 6.4
All Versatile - 6.7
One place we were really interested to see if a clear distinction could be made between the archetypes, aside from sack numbers, was their actual impact in pass defense. To do this we analyzed Tight End receiving numbers, since on most plays that is who a Linebacker would face in coverage.
Tight End Yards per Catch:
All Coverage - 7.68 YPC
All Pass Rusher - 8.5 YPC
All Versatile - 8.15 YPC
SUMMARY AND CLOSING THOUGHTS
Since the migration to DDSPF21, Linebackers have been dominated by one specific archetype. The goal for this change is not to punish the Pass Rusher Linebacker, but instead to make it more specialized, and leave room for more competition between archetypes. We believe that these changes open up more possibilities for users to build a player that they really want, and not have to worry about making a, “wrong choice.”
![[Image: lip-chap.jpg?width=383&height=468]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/461498035348701185/777250920941223966/lip-chap.jpg?width=383&height=468)
![[Image: k4AYgU9.gif]](https://i.imgur.com/k4AYgU9.gif)
![[Image: Untitled.png?ex=65b552d3&is=65a2ddd3&hm=...fce0de51c&]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/977977474606567495/1195804608551985236/Untitled.png?ex=65b552d3&is=65a2ddd3&hm=ca9b42227652104f6b11b956cf514030046eea6d6140d0e15b679fcfce0de51c&)
