Why tanking does not work in the NFL and could doom the Patriots long-term

[Tunescribe]

For those rooting for the Patriots to tank, early first-round quarterback savior misfires by the Cardinals, Colts and Jete should be argument enough against it. For every C.J. Stroud lottery hit there are a dozen Sam Darnolds/Anthony Richardsons setting back team fortunes. Abandoning win-at-all-costs mentality does more harm to overall team culture and chemistry than any unproven rookie could hope to remedy. Winning is difficult in the NFL and wins are important building blocks especially for "bad" teams.

Should New England stumble its way into a top-five pick, so be it. But it guarantees nothing and indicates the team is far more than a quarterback away from contending.

"In the NFL, where one player can play at most half the snaps and even generational talents need help, team system and overall talent matter far more than having one (or a few) elite players. Throwing a rookie quarterback with franchise potential behind a bad offensive line and giving them few weapons and no defense to rely on is just throwing their potential away (and into the arms of your opponent’s d-line). Combine the lackluster talent on the field with the lack of consistency or quality in coaching or scheme that often comes with tanking teams, and you have a perfect recipe for disaster."

Forget your opinion on tanking: In the NFL, it’s just dumb

By now, you’ve heard of tanking. Simply put, a team intentionally loses in an attempt to land a high draft pick. I don’t care if you live under a rock, ESPN probably bought the moss on your rock and sold ad space on it. Professional pontificator Stephen A. Smith is likely screaming about tanking und

miscellanynews.org

Shake and Bak—No, Wait, Tank and Bank

Tanking: the only word that gets thrown around more than the football every NFL season. But what exactly is it, and why is it a horrible idea, especially for this year’s upcoming draft? Tanking is when a team plays horribly on purpose in order to get a better draft pick, and therefore get a great...

mcqshield.org

Why Tanking Does Not Work in Football

This past decade was filled with the prospect and popularity in tanking, which is when a team deliberately plays poorly in game action in order to secure a high draft pick to rebuild the team. The …

twsn.net

Why tanking in the NFL is barely existent

Every time the Knicks step onto the court these days, it’s clear — their strategy isn’t based on trying to win games this season. Their strategy is completely about the future. They won’t use…

nypost.com

 

[RIpats88]

Problem with tanking is that means your roster is so bad that the "prospect" you bring in is given garbage to work with. This isn't the NBA where 1 player makes a huge difference. Everything has to work in unison. OL, receivers, RB, tight ends, quarter back.

And we have seen how that works out with this new England team...not working out so well for the jaguars either and didn't work out for the colts with Andrew luck. By the time they built him a decent roster he retired because of all the hits and Injuries .The irony being this tanking roster basically is what Billy thought he could win with.

Then look at Purdy or Mahomes. The situations they were put in, in contrast. KC and San Fran NEVER stopped competing. They tried to put the best roster they could together. Had Jimmy G and Alex Smith.

Those guys were put into amazing situations. And benefitted greatly from it rather than being thrown in a dumpster fire.

You need to improve the talent on your team any way you can no matter the position. Even look at Tampa. Built a great roster, just were missing that quarterback. Now still winning off the backs of Godwin/Evans. They didn't say "let's put together the worst roster we can and maybe we can draft a guy that maybe will be decent"

 

[Stu Pidassle]

Problem with tanking is that means your roster is so bad that the "prospect" you bring in is given garbage to work with. This isn't the NBA where 1 player makes a huge difference. Everything has to work in unison. OL, receivers, RB, tight ends, quarter back.

And we have seen how that works out with this new England team...not working out so well for the jaguars either and didn't work out for the colts with Andrew luck. By the time they built him a decent roster he retired because of all the hits and Injuries .The irony being this tanking roster basically is what Billy thought he could win with.

Then look at Purdy or Mahomes. The situations they were put in, in contrast. KC and San Fran NEVER stopped competing. They tried to put the best roster they could together. Had Jimmy G and Alex Smith.

Those guys were put into amazing situations. And benefitted greatly from it rather than being thrown in a dumpster fire.

You need to improve the talent on your team any way you can no matter the position. Even look at Tampa. Built a great roster, just were missing that quarterback. Now still winning off the backs of Godwin/Evans. They didn't say "let's put together the worst roster we can and maybe we can draft a guy that maybe will be decent"

To your point, having a good team around him helped TB12 be successful initially and steadily improve to become the GOAT. Who knows how things would have turned out if he was thrown into the fire on this team. Everyone would have been convinced that he was just a 6th round draft pick. I want the Pats to spend the rest of the year trying to put the pieces together to build momentum for next year. At draft time they should pick the best available player.

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

Its also top picks at rounds 2-7 and top of waiver claim wire. It is not a sure thing but improves chances of a turnaround.
Tanking does NOT mean players do not try. It means putting your younger players in to get them experience.
Patriots roster will see tremendous turnover at end of season anyway. I do not buy the “winning culture argument”.
There will be a new head coach and general manager for next season anyway, they will bring an entirely new culture into the organization.
I would not call it tanking. I would call it putting yourself in the best position for a successful and rapid rebuild. It’s not just about the first round pick either.

So-called “tanking” worked pretty well for the Philadelphia Eagles. After they decided to switch to Hurts they pulled many of their starters so they could get in the best possible draft position. That netted them, Davante Smith, and many other good players, who have been the foundation of the team they are today.
Also look at the Bengals, it worked pretty well for them too. It got them, Joe Burrow, and Ja’Marr Chase, and many other good players at the top of rounds two through seven.

 

[PATS16N0]

The season is finished. There are no playoff chances. I don’t really understand why getting a better draft pick would be worse for the Patriots than getting a later one. Doesn’t really make any sense. The season is tanked.

 

[Hyped]

In the case of the Patriots, I would say it is different:

a.) We do have an elite D with Gonzalez/Judon in the fold, IMO. Even now with our D giving up uncharacteristic big plays, I see it as a result of T.O.P.

b.) We will also have a top 5 cap space the next 3 seasons.

c.) I think we are 1 OT away from being a top 7 OL (assuming we resign Onwenu, Andrews plays another year, and Strange gets better).

d.) We need game breakers on offense...and those are best found early in the draft.

 

[Hyped]

The season is finished. There are no playoff chances. I don’t really understand why getting a better draft pick would be worse for the Patriots than getting a later one. Doesn’t really make any sense. The season is tanked.

I agree with you that the season is shot, but crazier things have happened.

We have to play it out until loss #9.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

For those rooting for the Patriots to tank, early first-round quarterback savior misfires by the Cardinals, Colts and Jete should be argument enough against it. For every C.J. Stroud lottery hit there are a dozen Sam Darnolds/Anthony Richardsons setting back team fortunes. Abandoning win-at-all-costs mentality does more harm to overall team culture and chemistry than any unproven rookie could hope to remedy. Winning is difficult in the NFL and wins are important building blocks especially for "bad" teams.

Should New England stumble its way into a top-five pick, so be it. But it guarantees nothing and indicates the team is far more than a quarterback away from contending.

"In the NFL, where one player can play at most half the snaps and even generational talents need help, team system and overall talent matter far more than having one (or a few) elite players. Throwing a rookie quarterback with franchise potential behind a bad offensive line and giving them few weapons and no defense to rely on is just throwing their potential away (and into the arms of your opponent’s d-line). Combine the lackluster talent on the field with the lack of consistency or quality in coaching or scheme that often comes with tanking teams, and you have a perfect recipe for disaster."

Forget your opinion on tanking: In the NFL, it’s just dumb

By now, you’ve heard of tanking. Simply put, a team intentionally loses in an attempt to land a high draft pick. I don’t care if you live under a rock, ESPN probably bought the moss on your rock and sold ad space on it. Professional pontificator Stephen A. Smith is likely screaming about tanking und

miscellanynews.org

Shake and Bak—No, Wait, Tank and Bank

Tanking: the only word that gets thrown around more than the football every NFL season. But what exactly is it, and why is it a horrible idea, especially for this year’s upcoming draft? Tanking is when a team plays horribly on purpose in order to get a better draft pick, and therefore get a great...

mcqshield.org

Why Tanking Does Not Work in Football

This past decade was filled with the prospect and popularity in tanking, which is when a team deliberately plays poorly in game action in order to secure a high draft pick to rebuild the team. The …

twsn.net

Why tanking in the NFL is barely existent

Every time the Knicks step onto the court these days, it’s clear — their strategy isn’t based on trying to win games this season. Their strategy is completely about the future. They won’t use…

nypost.com

Say it louder please, for those in the back.
Plus, there’s the minor issue of calling yourself a fan but openly rooting for your team to lose.

 

[Tunescribe]

Its also top picks at rounds 2-7 and top of waiver claim wire. It is not a sure thing but improves chances of a turnaround.
Tanking does NOT mean players do not try. It means putting your younger players in to get them experience.
Patriots roster will see tremendous turnover at end of season anyway. I do not buy the “winning culture argument”.
There will be a new head coach and general manager for next season anyway, they will bring an entirely new culture into the organization.
I would not call it tanking. I would call it putting yourself in the best position for a successful and rapid rebuild. It’s not just about the first round pick either.

So-called “tanking” worked pretty well for the Philadelphia Eagles. After they decided to switch to Hurts they pulled many of their starters so they could get in the best possible draft position. That netted them, Davante Smith, and many other good players, who have been the foundation of the team they are today.
Also look at the Bengals, it worked pretty well for them too. It got them, Joe Burrow, and Ja’Marr Chase, and many other good players at the top of rounds two through seven.

There are more arguments against it than for it and the winning culture argument is quite real -- look at the Jete, Colts and Cardinals. At this stage of the season they know what younger players can do, simply throwing them to the wolves can hinder vs. enhance their development. Playing Malik Cunningham behind a reserve OL, for example, would make little sense.

The only way to build a team for the future is through trying to win. Draft position takes care of itself either way after the fact.

 

[stinkypete]

Tanking is different from being merely bad. As bad as this season looks, I doubt that the team is going to finish worse than Chicago, Carolina, The Giants or Arizona unless it deliberately loses out, which it won't. That puts us out of the running for a "surething" QB or elite offensive player.

The over problem is that, for all the cap space we have next offseason, the talent pool at our positions of need is very poor, unless you think Tee Higgins the missing piece from being a playoff team.

Realistically, this is a two year rebuild, maybe more.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Bill is certainly not tanking with the rumors hearting up that his job is on the line. In fact, there’s speculation he leaked his contract to the media to let Bob know that if he gets fired, he still gets paid. Also, we mostly see starters out there and they certainly aren’t going to be on board to tank with their jobs on the line.

With that said, the Pats desperately need a superstar player preferably on offense to help jumpstart the team to contend. Even if Gonzo is the next Revis, it won’t be enough as teams will find their weakness elsewhere. The Pats without any offense will just be a nuisance like the post 2000 Ravens, 2009-2010 Jets and the 2017 Jaguars.

They don’t need a top pick to get good players, they just need to do better with talent evaluations.

 

[Steve102]

@Tunescribe

This is what tanking looks like in these parts.

I don't think they are tanking on purpose, but a loss tomorrow will certainly send them into a tailspin in the locker room and you'll see guys start checking out en masse.

@TheRainMaker is right, they need to do better with talent evaluation. I think too much emphasis is placed on guys that Bill wants to coach and what they determine is coachability, while not enough is spent on raw talent.

Sometimes, the best, most talented guys are not a lot of fun to be around. (short version: douche bags play too)

 

[TheRainMaker]

So-called “tanking” worked pretty well for the Philadelphia Eagles.

After they decided to switch to Hurts they pulled many of their starters so they could get in the best possible draft position.

It didn’t work out for Doug Pederson though. It was a terrible look when he pulled Hurts for absolutely no reason with a lead on the Redskins and would’ve knocked them out if the playoffs with a win. That’s was embarrassing for the organization and they had no choice but to fire him for that.

 

[TheRainMaker]

@TheRainMaker is right, they need to do better with talent evaluation. I think too much emphasis is placed on guys that Bill wants to coach and what they determine is coachability, while not enough is spent on raw talent.

Yep, there’s too much noise that Bill passes up talented players on purpose because he doesn’t want to deal with potential personalities.

So it may not be that the “talent evaluation” is poor, but that Bill is choosing players that are easier to coach.

 

[Sam Bam Cunningham]

It didn’t work out for Doug Pederson though. It was a terrible look when he pulled Hurts for absolutely no reason with a lead on the Redskins and would’ve knocked them out if the playoffs with a win. That’s was embarrassing for the organization and they had no choice but to fire him for that.

In the eagles case, besides Davonte Smith it netted them an extra first rounder the next year because they traded back at the top of the first.
I do agree that if Bill is still GM, i would not trust him to optimize the draft capital.
So draft capital through tanking allows you to get more first and second round picks.
Bill will not take this approach because of ego and hubris.

 

[archstanton543]

To your point, having a good team around him helped TB12 be successful initially and steadily improve to become the GOAT. Who knows how things would have turned out if he was thrown into the fire on this team. Everyone would have been convinced that he was just a 6th round draft pick. I want the Pats to spend the rest of the year trying to put the pieces together to build momentum for next year. At draft time they should pick the best available player.

Problem is, the players they need for next year aren't on the team.

 

[upstater1]

I don't think they are tanking.

Most of the time, tanking is bad.

Some of the time, it's not: Colts and Andrew Luck.

 

[Tunescribe]

This is a good re

In the eagles case, besides Davonte Smith it netted them an extra first rounder the next year because they traded back at the top of the first.
I do agree that if Bill is still GM, i would not trust him to optimize the draft capital.
So draft capital through tanking allows you to get more first and second round picks.
Bill will not take this approach because of ego and hubris.

The way this season has unfolded the Pats will have favorable draft position regardless. Intentionally losing more games to move up a few slots for rookies that are a crapshoot to begin with makes no sense. What DOES make sense is making smarter picks from what's available.

An interesting resource to keep an eye on. The Bears are in an intriguing position:

Tankathon | 2024 NFL Draft Order

2024 NFL Draft order tracker updated after every game. View traded picks in all seven rounds and a live updating Mock Draft after each game.

www.tankathon.com

 

[FCB02062]

I don't know many who want to "tank". we want the team to play better than the worst team in the NFL. Given the fact that the Patriots have supposedly the best coach in history, it shouldn't be too hard. And tanking is definitely not a surefire way back to being competitive; not picking **** bags like Thornton, Strange, Harry, and not signing bums like Parker, Agholor, Jonnu Smith, etc is a better path

 

[archstanton543]

I don't know many who want to "tank". we want the team to play better than the worst team in the NFL. Given the fact that the Patriots have supposedly the best coach in history, it shouldn't be too hard. And tanking is definitely not a surefire way back to being competitive; not picking **** bags like Thornton, Strange, Harry, and not signing bums like Parker, Agholor, Jonnu Smith, etc is a better path

Makes me wonder what Phins cast-off BB will sign next year. (If he's still here)