Madden sucks because its the same as last year, which also sucked in comparison to ESPN.
Why you wouldn't want a football game that feels like a football game, I don't know. Madden's only difference, from my terrible experiences of having to play it, are the soundtrack(saving grace of the game thanks to Green Day) the hit stick(Maxium Tackling is better) and that annoying storyline central which gets repetitive after a few weeks of your season.
Like strategy? Weekly Preparation is ESPN's way of helping, or hurting based on the set of activities you have them do for practice during the week. This includes meetings, rehabbing injuries, lots of different kinds of work outs, team drills, position drills, scrimmage and full practice with different options for pads.
Neglect wide out at practice? They get worse because of it.
Trying to keep your whole team happy and productive > trying to keep a single player happy.
ESPN's offseason mode is the best in any football game, ever. Contract neogotiations are just as difficult as they are in real life, with the option of removing the salary cap if thats too hard for some. Free Agency, quick and easy like last year and this time Sportscenter recaps retirements, offseason trades and free agency signings.
The real highlight? The draft. Mel Kiper Jr. gives his draft analysis, tells you about first rounders, mid rounders and sleepers. Combine works just as good as ever and oh yeah, the rookies HAVE FACES and 90% of their names are called, unlike last year where only about 30% were.
Factor in improved gameplay(too easy? Up the difficulty!), especially the running game with the wonderful thumbstick moves, better graphics(especially on XBox) and you have a better game than the same crap Madden trots out each year.