I just read in Game Informer that The Visual Concepts "2k" football series is returning this summer. The new game will not be based on the NFL (obviously), and will not feature players with attribute scales (ie: Blocking: 58). Instead, players will be separated into tiers, and will each have specific skills associated with them, such as "Mobile QB" of "soft hands."
More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Pro_Football_2K8