Quote:
Originally Posted by Greensleeves
We should know better than anyone that high draft picks don't always pan out. Marino went 18th I believe, Montana was a third rounder and Brady was a sixth rounder. Picking in the middle of the first round can be better. Less pressure on the player and less money involved.
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Marino didn't go until 27th I believe, but that's a good point and one that's being made in other threads today. It just doesn't make any sense to tank a season with this many games left, as if a top-5 pick makes the draft any less of a crapshoot.
In the same draft, Alex Smith went #1 overall and Aaron Rodgers was in the 20s. The best defensive player selected in the past 6 years was taken in the teens.
The exception to this rule (in my eyes) is when you're in Week 17, and a meaningless game could mean the difference between 2 or 3 draft spots. I do believe the Jets should have tanked the KC game a few years ago when they were 3-12 and a loss would have guaranteed them a shot at Matt Ryan or Darren McFadden. But to tank a season before you're mathematically eliminated is a punk move, and I for one couldn't respect a coaching staff that allowed that to happen.