Twitter: Albert Breer on tanking

[G2]

Who was the last Trevor Lawrence?

Goff?

 

[America's Cowboy]

Yep, but if you’re stealing those players from other teams who are actually worse than yours by losing games on purpose, that’s cheating. There’s no way around it. It’s no different from cheating by breaking free agency rules to get access to players that you don’t deserve.

In a perfect world, everyone would respect and follow the rules while being courteous to the other teams and their management. But if you believe teams don't cheat in any way possible to get the upper edge on their opponents, take a good look at some of the latest Super Bowl winners. Are you going to tell me they don't cheat in some fashion or form?

 

[Idgit]

In a perfect world, everyone would respect and follow the rules while being courteous to the other teams and their management. But if you believe teams don't cheat in any way possible to get the upper edge on their opponents, take a good look at some of the latest Super Bowl winners. Are you going to tell me they don't cheat in some fashion or form?

No. Of course teams cheat. That’s not an argument that cheating is ok.

 

[kskboys]

I agree 100%......can't imagine ANY player caring about draft rankings enough to risk his own value, especially when they have no idea who's being drafted/targeted. In other words, IMO tanking for the part is a fan/media thing. Hell, look at the Jets Sunday. My understanding, their fans are livid but players and coaches don't care. They are paid to win 16 games a season.

Yeah, but you keep missing the point. Absolutely no one has said that tanking is on the players. And the article even points out that it's strictly on the front office. It's like you're arguing against nobody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tanking is strictly a front office thing. It's not even close to just a fan/media thing. Jets are tanking, and MIA tanked all the way to a playoff team. I think you're simply misdefining tanking.

 

[kskboys]

Keep in mind, most vets don't trust rookies anyway......so again, why tank for one (lol).

Chase Young.

 

[kskboys]

Do you really think Lawrence is that much better than Darnold ? They just drafted him for goodness sake.

By miles upon miles.

Lawrence's downside is Matt Ryan. His upside is a more accurate John Elway w/ better touch.

Darnold's downside is Ryan Leaf. Upside? Hard to say, maybe he could become Drew Bledsoe or Testaverde?

 

[Rockport]

I agree 100%......can't imagine ANY player caring about draft rankings enough to risk his own value, especially when they have no idea who's being drafted/targeted. In other words, IMO tanking for the part is a fan/media thing. Hell, look at the Jets Sunday. My understanding, their fans are livid but players and coaches don't care. They are paid to win 16 games a season.

What I’ve been saying all along.

 

[kskboys]

You do not know this, Trevor still could be a bust.

Anyone can bust, but prospects are rated as prospects. You must look at bust possibilities to rate accurately. Trevor's bust potential is so low it's not even worth talking about.

 

[kskboys]

I think you’re looking at this from a very narrow perspective. It’s way more selfish to order a team to lose. The jets have around 30 players set for free agency next year, they are likely to fire their entire coaching staff, and you have a ton of bottom of the roster players who need quality game film to earn a spot on 2021. These are peoples careers. Often very short careers that beyond popular belief does not set up a player or coach financially for life after a couple seasons.

Any player/coach/front office that tanks will not be respected around the league.

Tanking is not about ordering a team to lose.

 

[CouchCoach]

It's all about focus dependent on your job. Coaches are 90% on the present and 10% on the future. Management should be 90% on the future and 10% on the present.

That's the problem with this management, they wait until the present is over to think about the future.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Tanking is not about ordering a team to lose.

??? What is tanking then? Isnt it all about losing to increase draft position?

 

[America's Cowboy]

No. Of course teams cheat. That’s not an argument that cheating is ok.

How is tanking "cheating" for this Cowboys team that has struggled to even gain 5 wins in a 16 game season? Please explain. This team fits the definition of needing to draft in the Top 5 of every round, since it needs that much new talent infusion. To think this team will be ok with drafting in the mid-to-late teens can be argued as being a maliciously disloyal fan with an agenda.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Fields does not look like an NFL quarterback to me. Just a typical decent quarterback on a stacked college team.

He looked terrible against Northwestern, and that wasn't the first time.

I think Fields is better than Hurts was with Alabama and Oklahoma. Hurts seems to be doing pretty well so far in 2 games.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Tanking goes straight to the integrity of the entire league. Everything is built on 32 teams doing whatever they can to win games. Teams that tank should be penalized as they would be for any other kind of cheating. It’s cheating to steal a draft position you haven’t earned.

Fans who root for their team to tank either don’t recognize what it is or don’t care. Either way, they’re wrong.

Tanking is not cheating. A playoff-bound team with nothing to play in the last week or two will not even play to win and will rest starters. Should they be punished? They are intentionally not playing to win by resting their top players and not risking injury to key players. That also messes with draft picks as some team will get a meaningless and unwarranted victory which actually hurts them more since they will be drafting later. If playoff-bound teams can tank a game or two at the end of the year can do that, why can't a team with nothing to play for maximize their chance at getting the best player in the draft by tanking a game or two or three … or eight ?

Once the team has lost the war, why can't they lose a few more meaningless battles if it helps them win the war next year?

 

[conner01]

I agree 100%......can't imagine ANY player caring about draft rankings enough to risk his own value, especially when they have no idea who's being drafted/targeted. In other words, IMO tanking for the part is a fan/media thing. Hell, look at the Jets Sunday. My understanding, their fans are livid but players and coaches don't care. They are paid to win 16 games a season.

Players don’t care for sure
That draft pick may be taking their job lol
And most players have some sort of incentives so they want to hit those
As an owner I would care if players quit and I’d care about winning meaningless games when I can get a better prospect if they lose those meaningless games

 

[thunderpimp91]

You believe a team with no wins, or even one win, deserves sympathy and long term security?

No, I believe that each individual on that roster deserves the ability to play/coach to the best of their ability to earn a living. Any internal attempt to intentionally lose games should be discouraged, and probably punished.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

No, I believe that each individual on that roster deserves the ability to play/coach to the best of their ability to earn a living. Any internal attempt to intentionally lose games should be discouraged, and probably punished.

Agree 100% but check this out.......how much you wanna bet Jax's owner called HC to his office with a direct order DO NOT WIN ANOTHER GAME.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...s-jets-win-likely-arrival-of-trevor-lawrence/

Mayor of Jacksonville celebrates Jets’ win, likely arrival of Trevor Lawrence
Posted by Michael David Smith on December 21, 2020, 3:57 PM EST

 

[Idgit]

How is tanking "cheating" for this Cowboys team that has struggled to even gain 5 wins in a 16 game season? Please explain. This team fits the definition of needing to draft in the Top 5 of every round, since it needs that much new talent infusion. To think this team will be ok with drafting in the mid-to-late teens can be argued as being a maliciously disloyal fan with an agenda.

It’s self-evident, but I’ll explain again. Trying to lose a game you’d otherwise win in order to steal draft position from a team that is legitimately worse than you is cheating. There’s no pride to be had in advantages we’d get from cheating. Cheating cheapens accomplishments and tarnishes organizations.

 

[Ranching]

Who was the last Trevor Lawrence?

Demarcus Russell?

 

[Idgit]

Tanking is not cheating. A playoff-bound team with nothing to play in the last week or two will not even play to win and will rest starters. Should they be punished? They are intentionally not playing to win by resting their top players and not risking injury to key players. That also messes with draft picks as some team will get a meaningless and unwarranted victory which actually hurts them more since they will be drafting later. If playoff-bound teams can tank a game or two at the end of the year can do that, why can't a team with nothing to play for maximize their chance at getting the best player in the draft by tanking a game or two or three … or eight ?

Once the team has lost the war, why can't they lose a few more meaningless battles if it helps them win the war next year?

Tanking is absolutely cheating. Tanking and resting players or getting your backups experience aren’t the same thing. You rest starters or build depth to make the team better for the active season, and you’re still coaching to win the games if you possibly can. That’s not losing on purpose. Tanking is losing on purpose in one season because you believe it will benefit another team the next year. Blown coverages to give up last minute scores, for example. It’s ripping off the fans who bought tickets to see you play with the reasonable expectation you were competing to win. Not all fans care, but many do, and they get screwed when teams try to lose on purpose. It’s like taking a dive in boxing except the payoff isn’t the winnings from a bet but instead it’s better draft position at another team’s expense.

I agree, it’s a fine line when you raise the personnel issue. Because you can play a QB you know is a scrub and who you’re not trying to develop at all. But the assumption has to be that everyone is competing on a best-efforts basis.