Should NFL Teams Tank?

[IGSaint12]

try to tell players playing on year to year contracts to lose on purpose brehs

But has their been any type of record of a player being asked to lose on purpose? I think Tanking usually is something done on the coaches end. Maybe, holding out certain players or limiting the playbook offensively or defensively. That just makes the most sense because, I don't know how you can ask a player to not give full effort.

 

[bangbreh]

You don't need to tank. You just need to draft smart.
Look at the Seahawks. Wilson, Sherman, Kam, Wagner. All 3rd round or after.

 

[calh45]

Did someone's drunk cousin write this??!

This would be a terrible idea just from the make up of the sport itself. The impact of a single rookie is wayyyyyy lower than it would be on a basketball/baseball team and with as many picks as you get you can still make a significant impact if you're the last team picking in the draft.

 

[yseJ]

Did someone's drunk cousin write this??!

This would be a terrible idea just from the make up of the sport itself. The impact of a single rookie is wayyyyyy lower than it would be on a basketball/baseball team and with as many picks as you get you can still make a significant impact if you're the last team picking in the draft.

well the article's conclusion is its not worth it...

so at least they got that right

 

[Codeine Bryant]

You guys are delusional if you think teams aren't "tanking" in the later weeks of the season.

I'm taking teams that are in that top 5 draft range. They're trying to position themselves to do what GMs are paid to do: make the team better.

You think it's a coincidence players get sat out halves of games late in the year on losing teams? Or that competent players who have battled through injury all year long get inactivated or thrown on the IR week 16? Or that these bottom 5 teams shorten the playbook and just start running conservative offenses and never take chances to win games late in the year?

It's all just coincidence right?

Sean Lee battled through injury all year long and was BY FAR our best LB. Even when playing hurt. Dallas front office inactivated him at the end of the year. He still could have played hurt and STILL would have been our best LB. But they chose to sit him.

We all know why. Him playing hurt gave us a better chance at winning. But sitting him gave us a better chance at a top 5 pick in an already lost season.

Just cause ESPN doesn't talk about the little nuances that happen every year towards the end of the NFL regular season with regards to the bottom 5-10 teams jockeying for draft position doesn't mean it isn't going on.

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

You don't need to tank. You just need to draft smart.
Look at the Seahawks. Wilson, Sherman, Kam, Wagner. All 3rd round or after.

I'm pretty sure Wagner was a first rounder

Edit: 2nd round, 47th pick overall

 

[954UAlreadyknow]

Unless it's no a surefire franchise QB, no

 

[bangbreh]

I'm pretty sure Wagner was a first rounder

My bad, he was a 2nd.

 

[King Poetic]

Nope... I'm just glad my raiders was ass cause of Dennis Allen and we was blessed to draft khalil mack and Cleveland Dumbass pick Johnny over Carr

Then was able to get Cooper the following year

U have to draft right and make sure 3 years down the line u have the money to resigned them players

 

[FTBS]

Didn't read all that.

Answer is obviously yes. If you want to stockpile young premier talent in any sport, the easiest way is to tank.

Of course the downside of this is that you alienate your fanbase and you risk creating a "losing culture" in the locker room. You're asking your coach and perhaps even your players to purposely lose games. Not a good recipe for future success.

The only counter measure in sports for tanking is the lottery system used in NBA and NHL. But that's just a minor deterrence at best. Tanking is still worth it at the end of the day if you are bad/mediocre and really need a talent infusion.

Just look at the Spurs after DRob got hurt, OKC with Green, Durant, Westbrook, Cavs with LeBron, etc. If you can tank and hit your pick, even if it's not the 1st overall, it's worth it.

You can't compare the NBA to the NFL. One player can have way more impact in basketball. NBA is top heavy whereas you need an overall thorough squad in football due to how dependent everybody is on everybody else. Beyond that you rarely get superstar caliber players outside of the top 10 in the NBA. Meanwhile there is a laundry list of NFL superstars drafted late in the first or beyond. You can get quality, impactful talent without being shytty in the NFL.

 

[yseJ]

You guys are delusional if you think teams aren't "tanking" in the later weeks of the season.

I'm taking teams that are in that top 5 draft range. They're trying to position themselves to do what GMs are paid to do: make the team better.

You think it's a coincidence players get sat out halves of games late in the year on losing teams? Or that competent players who have battled through injury all year long get inactivated or thrown on the IR week 16? Or that these bottom 5 teams shorten the playbook and just start running conservative offenses and never take chances to win games late in the year?

It's all just coincidence right?

Sean Lee battled through injury all year long and was BY FAR our best LB. Even when playing hurt. Dallas front office inactivated him at the end of the year. He still could have played hurt and STILL would have been our best LB. But they chose to sit him.

We all know why. Him playing hurt gave us a better chance at winning. But sitting him gave us a better chance at a top 5 pick in an already lost season.

Just cause ESPN doesn't talk about the little nuances that happen every year towards the end of the NFL regular season with regards to the bottom 5-10 teams jockeying for draft position doesn't mean it isn't going on.

because a shytty team rests their players coming off injury in final games, doesnt necessarily mean theyre tanking.

if the games are meaningless, then theres no point in a star player like sean lee coming off injuries playing in them. theres always injury risk, and if you have a bad (or recurring) injury in a meaningless game, youd be stupid.

you know how teams that clinched everything rest a lot of their key players final week of the season ? they arent tanking, thats for sure.

now Im not denying theres less pressure to win if your team is shyt during those final weeks. the focus shifts to being healthy for the next year so its not as important to win in those games, if the alternative is getting injured. its not the superbowl or playoffs. of course such games will be treated more like exhibition games for the team in question, than a meaningful game. thats because it kinda is.

but I dont see coaches saying, 'breh if we win this game we finna lose a draft spot, yo QB throw a pick six right here'...nah that doesnt happen. no self-respected coach will do that type of shyt

 

[Frump]

If they're s generational qb talent available then yes

 

[STAN JONES]

Nfl teams tank all the time

Sometimes I agree somethimes i dont

My squad was definitely the 2nd half of the season and im glad they

I would rather my team be picking 6th overall vs 17th or 18th...especially in a weak draft like this one

 

[Trip]

The Jets beating the Dolphins and Titans in December to finish 4-12 and missing out on Cooper was stupid.

 

[cook]

I guess everyone forgot about the colts and "suck for luck"