Should NFL do something about teams tanking?

[EPL0c0]

Talking all year about how some teams pack it up and tank for higher draft picks.

AND how some quality players end up on bad teams with bad organizations where they never really develop (look at Baker Mayfield)

I think the NFL should open up the Top 10 Draft picks to ALL teams via random draw.

Basically all 32 teams in a hat, a random draw to find the order of the top 10. They can make a huge show of it ahead of draft weekend. Start from 10 to 1.

Then order the remaining teams by order of record

 

[Hardline]

Isn't that how the NBA does it?

 

[tm1119]

I can understand it in the NBA and MLB (2024 is 1st year of their draft lottery), but I don’t think it makes sense in the NFL. The other leagues are much longer and a tanking process can stretch on for months and make a bad product for everyone. The NFL version of “tanking” is 1, maybe, 2 weeks where a team is trying to protect their draft pick. I don’t think there’s really been any drastic examples of tanking in the NFL to warrant changes.

Obviously impossible to be 100% accurate and things can happen…but maybe the schedule makers could do a better job? Don’t put likely playoff contenders (cowboys) vs likely non-playoff contenders (Washington) against each other in the final week of the season.

 

[Eddie]

Lottery for the lowest 10 teams.

 

[Blackspider214]

Isn't that how the NBA does it?

Yep. Although the lowest teams get the best chance to get the higher picks. This sort of curbs it somewhat, as purposely getting the worst record doesn't guarantee anything.

The thing is, how would they prove you are tanking? NFL isn't really like NBA, where load management is a thing and you can rest players quite often to not field the best roster.

 

[JD_KaPow]

Talking all year about how some teams pack it up and tank for higher draft picks.

AND how some quality players end up on bad teams with bad organizations where they never really develop (look at Baker Mayfield)

I think the NFL should open up the Top 10 Draft picks to ALL teams via random draw.

Basically all 32 teams in a hat, a random draw to find the order of the top 10. They can make a huge show of it ahead of draft weekend. Start from 10 to 1.

Then order the remaining teams by order of record

Who do you think tanked this year? Maybe the Commanders? Who else? Not sure there's a problem that needs solving here.

 

[jsb357]

don't like the lottery options...

and if you look at it, teams are not tanking, they are just that bad.

and if you are talking about starting a 3rd string QB when 1 and 2 are not injured?

Maybe they are trying to luck into a "Purdy"

 

[mmohican29]

Talking all year about how some teams pack it up and tank for higher draft picks.

AND how some quality players end up on bad teams with bad organizations where they never really develop (look at Baker Mayfield)

I think the NFL should open up the Top 10 Draft picks to ALL teams via random draw.

Basically all 32 teams in a hat, a random draw to find the order of the top 10. They can make a huge show of it ahead of draft weekend. Start from 10 to 1.

Then order the remaining teams by order of record

I've said for years it's time for a reverse lottery system. Teams should be compelled to win every game possible. Consider:

Bottom 10 teams:

Team 10)- 10 lottery entries for #1
Team 9)- 9 lottery entries for #1

And so on.

No more b2b2b top 5 picks. No more tanking. It rewards teams playing to win all games.

The worst team in the league better figure out how to take games and draft better. Period.

 

[Sully]

Talking all year about how some teams pack it up and tank for higher draft picks.

AND how some quality players end up on bad teams with bad organizations where they never really develop (look at Baker Mayfield)

I think the NFL should open up the Top 10 Draft picks to ALL teams via random draw.

Basically all 32 teams in a hat, a random draw to find the order of the top 10. They can make a huge show of it ahead of draft weekend. Start from 10 to 1.

Then order the remaining teams by order of record

The team with the BEST record that did NOT make the playoffs gets the 1st pick and the 2nd best ( non-playoff ) record gets the 2nd pick and so on. After all that then the playoff teams.Will get the teams to play all the way to the end.

This country continues to reward bad behavior/choices/laziness/etccccccc

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Who do you think tanked this year? Maybe the Commanders? Who else? Not sure there's a problem that needs solving here.

Yeah I’d consider myself a tanking denier.

Indy shut down their QB, but almost made the playoffs anyway. Arizona was winning games at the end of the year, as was New England. Denver didn’t bench Russ to get worse, they were about the same

 

[exciter]

Talking all year about how some teams pack it up and tank for higher draft picks.

AND how some quality players end up on bad teams with bad organizations where they never really develop (look at Baker Mayfield)

I think the NFL should open up the Top 10 Draft picks to ALL teams via random draw.

Basically all 32 teams in a hat, a random draw to find the order of the top 10. They can make a huge show of it ahead of draft weekend. Start from 10 to 1.

Then order the remaining teams by order of record

Tanking is a delusion that only exist in the heads of fans!

 

[nhcowboysfan]

I don't like this lottery scenario for several reasons. First, why should the SB winner have an opportunity to win the 1st pick - that would almost guarantee them that they would be the front runner for repeating as champions. Second, what if a team decides to trade a couple of key players because they are mired in mediocrity and they believe the extra picks will help them improve. So they trade a star player to a team that finishes with the 3rd worst record. The team trading the player finishes 8th. Under a lottery system, it's possible the team trading for a better draft pick gets a worse pick than the team who also gets a good player. Third, you are also penalizing teams whose record is based more on injuries than any actual performance or attempt to lose. Consider a team like the NY Jets. With Rodgers this is likely a playoff team with a legitimate chance at the SB. Under your lottery system whereby ALL teams are included, you think the Jet's fanbase would be happy if they drew a late round pick in the 1st round.