Retro Bowl Draft Guide: How to Find Stars and Avoid Busts

The draft is where Retro Bowl seasons are decided, and it is also the screen most people rush through. Every rookie comes with a position, a star rating and a hidden ceiling, and the difference between a dynasty and a firing is usually one or two of these picks. Here is how to read the board.

What the numbers mean

A rookie's star rating is his ability today. The potential marker next to it is the one that matters: a two-star player with high potential will be a four-star player after two seasons in a good training facility, while a three-star player with low potential is what he is forever. On a rebuilding team you are drafting for the second and third seasons, so take potential over polish every time you are not filling a hole that costs you games right now.

Age shows on the card too. A 21-year-old with high potential has five or six seasons of growth ahead of him. A 25-year-old rookie is a finished product wearing a rookie contract, which is still useful, just not exciting.

The order to draft in

1. Quarterback. If a QB with high potential is on the board and you do not already have one, take him. Accuracy and arm strength on the passer lift every receiver on the roster, and a good quarterback on a rookie contract is the biggest cap advantage in the game.
2. Wide receiver. Speed and catching turn short throws into long gains. Two good receivers are enough; a third is a luxury.
3. Running back. One with speed and strength wins the short-yardage downs the passing game cannot.
4. Defense. You do not control the defense, so its rating is purely the sum of its players and the coordinator. A defensive end or linebacker with high potential quietly turns 31-28 losses into 24-21 wins.
5. Offensive line and tight end. Not glamorous. Sacks come from a weak line, and a tight end who can catch is a safety valve on third down.
6. Kicker. Last, but not never. A kicker with power turns a stalled drive at the 35 into three points.

Trading picks

Draft picks are currency. A first-round pick can be traded for a veteran star during the season, and a team with cap trouble will sometimes give up a good player for a second-rounder. The reverse is also true: if you have a strong roster and a bad pick, trade the pick for a player who helps now rather than drafting a two-star backup who never plays.

Avoiding busts

• Never draft on star rating alone. A three-star, low-potential rookie is a bust waiting to happen because he will cost more on his second contract than he is worth.
• Check the roster before the draft and note who is in the last year of his deal. Drafting his replacement a season early is how you keep a good team good.
• Do not draft two players at the same position in one draft unless the roster is empty there. One will sit, and a player who sits does not grow.
• Upgrade the training facility before you worry about the draft. Potential only turns into ability when the facility is there to develop it.

After the draft

Play the rookies. Development is tied to snaps, and a high-potential receiver on the bench is a wasted pick. Give him the second receiver slot, throw to him on early downs where an incompletion costs little, and by mid-season he will have caught up to his rating. Then extend his contract a year before it runs out, while he is still cheap.