This was a thread that I was planning on posting yesterday, but I was sidetracked because my apartment was doing trick or treating. So, I had to scramble to get candy and suit up.
So, here is my tanking and rebuilding plan. I've said part of this in previous threads, so if you want to see the breakdown in Dak's contract, please refer to those threads as there is a way out of it that is beneficial. What I will say is we should in no way be restructuring his deal after this season. We are not going to be very successful next year either way, so just take the cap hit this offseason. Given the situation we are in, we are not going anywhere this season. So, we may as well begin tanking. Here's my best plan for this.
Firstly, we have a lot of injuries, so that will hamper the trade value for players like Parsons midseason, but he probably will be a good offseason trade. So, I'm probably going to move my trade ideas to the offseason part of this thread. However, if we do make a trade, I think we could trade Martin. He's been a legend for us, and I'd trade him to a team who is a contender like the Ravens or the Bills. Firstly, he'd have a chance at a Lombardi, and, secondly, I think we could get a conditional 3 that's a 4 but can be moved to a 3 if certain conditions are met. So, hypothetically, let's suppose he meets those conditions. We would have an extra 3rd in the 2025 draft.
Secondly, I'd bench Dak. He is not entirely the reason for this season being a bust, but he's played poorly. Additionally, since this season is a bust, we may as well preserve him for next year. I'd put in Trey Lance to start and rotate him with Rush. They are in the last year of their deals, and we could try to increase their compensatory pick values. If they play reasonably well, then there's a chance that a team after the season might give them a better contract than they would now. This means we could get a better comp pick for him. We dealt a 4th for Lance, so, hypothetically, let's say we get a 5th round comp pick for him in 2026. I think we would likely finish with a 5-12 pick regardless of which QB starts. Additionally, Cooper Rush's contract is up after this season, so we could probably get a 5th for him too depending on the contract he signs. I think we probably extend Rush though so that we have a backup QB next year. So, for this part of the plan, we probably have an extra 5th in 2026. Additionally, DLaw is a FA after this season. I think he will get a solid contract. So, let's say we get a 4th round comp pick for him for the purpose of this plan. Then, we probably get a 6 and a 7 for two other departures.
So, now we come to the end of the season. The new coach should be Ben Johnson or Mike Vrabel. I know a lot want Bill, but I'd like to try something newer. Maybe we even get both Ben Johnson as HC and Vrabel as DC. Then, I'd start trading away pieces. I'd start with Parsons. As much as I like him, I'm not sure we can keep him. I think after this season, we should trade him. Let's say we get 2 first round picks (one in 2025 and one in 2026) from a team like the Ravens who will probably want to shore up their pass rush. I would then try to shop Bland. Let's say we get a 3rd for him in 2025 and a 6 in 2026 from the Chargers. Now, we would have 2, firsts in 2025, a second, and at least 2 3s a long with whatever comp picks we get in 2025. For 2026, we'd have two 1s, a 2, at least 2 3s, and lots of comp picks. That's now a lot of ammunition to work with.
I think, with a 5-12 record, we probably finish with the 8th pick. If first trade back to about the 12th pick, which would probably give us another 3 and a 6th. Then, I take Jeanty. I'd then use our other first and package a few of our spare 3s to move up earlier from the pick we get from the Ravens to get Walker (NT Kentucky) both in the first. Then, I'd use the second round pick on an olineman (probably a guard to replace Martin) and the 3rd we still have on a linebacker.
This improves our ability to run the ball and stop it. I think next year, since we'd be playing the AFC West, NFC North, and a 3rd place schedule, we finish with a record of about 8-9. But, we have 2 firsts. It's the 2026 draft, and we have the extra picks from earlier. I'd use those two firsts and some of our spare picks to move up and get Manning. I'd then use the other pieces to fix our other issues that we can.
For 2026, I'd have Manning sit behind Dak for a portion of the year like the Chiefs did with Mahomes behind Alex Smith. After the season, I would make Dak a 1 June cut, which gives us $45 mil in cap space just from that move with only $16 mil in dead money. Plus, we'd have a QB on a rookie deal. So, we could use that new found cap space on FAs that can fix any remaining issues prior to Manning making his first full season start in 2027. I think we would become a contender if this plan is followed by 2027. I think, if we can do this, then come 2028, we could be hoisting our 6th Lombardi.
I think this is the best way to both mitigate Dak's current deal and position ourselves to become legitimate contenders by 2027.
