Best way to practice usering LBs and safeties?

Ever since I first started playing Madden, I've been usering the D-Line, either DTs or DEs. I've gotten very used to and comfortable with that, but I always see everyone saying they user their LBs or less often safeties. And it seems like this is the way to be more competitive when playing H2H/seasons. My question is, what would be the best way to practice getting used to usering LBs? The few times I tried usering them in solos the CPU would always burn me by throwing at my assigned zone cause I could never seem to get in position.

So my question to the experts is, where would be the best place to practice? I feel like playing online with other players  would be the best way, since the CPU is so easy and predictable. I'll probably be losing lots of games, but I suppose it'll be worth it in the end.

Thanks in advance as always.

I’m with you, similar situation. While frustrating, trial by fire is probably the best course of action.

Trial by fire is the best way. Play online seasons, just expect to lose a few games. Playing a friend is the way I learnt. There's no real pressure other than bragging rights. Look for specific formations and plays, try and get a feel what your opponent is doing or going to look for. A lot of people use very similar plays/schemes. A rule I stick to is if your opponent has two targets take away the most damaging. Give up the drag to cover the post etc. If you don't have friends online to play with and you're on Xbox I'll happily run games with you. The timing is pretty simple just don't get in the habit of holding 'Y' or 'Triangle' from the snap or trying to hold it for too long preemptively.

You could play a friend and have him/her run some stuff you would see playing seasons or WL and practice your user skills. Have them purposely throw toward your zone a couple times so you can get a feel for the timing to get a pick.

This is my first year user controlling LB/Safeties and I found h2h to be the best place. Practicing against the cpu could help with just getting the feel for the player but I can never get user picks in solos. h2h is all about baiting your opponent. It took me a few months but now I'm getting the hang of it, had two user picks today in WL! Keep at it though, you'll suck for a while and you may lose but you'll get the hang of it. I still get burned and miss picks too but it feels so good to get that pick.

the computer actually makes way better reads than human opponents. Its much harder to user pick the cpu because the cpu will either throw a check down or scramble with the qb or throw it out of bounds before trying to force a throw into a covered zone.

yeah, i'd say just hop in to seasons if you don't mind losing a few times. full speed game is the only way to really be ready for it. I'd say one big factor is just studying formations and keying on what plays come out of those formations. knowing where a player is going to end up is way more important than where they start, so you can figure out ways to disguise your zone and jump the route

Thanks for the advice, I will try that.

For usering safeties, get in the practice mode on D and call the hail mary play for the offense. For the linebacker get in the skills trainer in the user tutorial. Hope that helps..