The Tankathon thread,i.e., the 2026 Draft

[KillerRaider30]

https://www.tankathon.com/nfl

[rcraider]

You guys are talking about base line NIL money this year, it is guaranteed to increase next year, these guys are getting 2-4 million just from their teams, count in outside contracts that can be up to 10 mill. Now take a superstar established player - how much money do you think a team would pay them to stay another year ? Throw in the transfer portal, LaNorris Sellers was offered 8 million to transfer which he turned down to stay at SC. College teams. Texas A&M paid 7 million dollars this year to their 3 defense linemen to transfer there. The pockets are limitless in college football and it will only get more lucrative for players. You are going to see a flurry of activity in the transfer portal this year.

[16 to 88]

To further support your point...... if a guy is likely to be a first rounder and comes out of college with eligibility remaining, he foregoes a year of NIL money but gets 4 years of guaranteed NFL money. That 4 year deal sounds like more money to me. And if a guy is a success in the NFL then he can get to his second contract a year earlier because he started his NFL career a year earlier.

The bigger risk is when you look at a guy like Sanders, who thought he'd be a first rounder but ended up going in the 5th with a contract to match. I don't know if he had eligibility remaining in college and had the choice to wait but it demonstrates that the draft "buzz" doesn't always pan out.

Then there's that unfortunate college injury that could happen to them. You're now staring at being a day 3 pick.

[rich72]

Spytec’s free agency moves (or lack thereof) clearly pointed towards a rebuilding year. I don’t understand how Pete wouldn’t have known this was the team’s direction. I just think he overestimated his ability to turn things around. Like adding Smith and injecting his rah-rah was going to turn the team into the Seahawks. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pete steps down at the end of the season.

Nah Pete was supposed to come in and be in win now mode, that was the entire purpose of him being here at his age. He is too old for a rebuild. If Spytek and Carrol arent on the same page personnel wise then Spytek needs to share his vision once again, because it was win now mode before the season. At no point did anyone say it was a rebuild.

[raiders93]

You guys are talking about base line NIL money this year, it is guaranteed to increase next year, these guys are getting 2-4 million just from their teams, count in outside contracts that can be up to 10 mill. Now take a superstar established player - how much money do you think a team would pay them to stay another year ? Throw in the transfer portal, LaNorris Sellers was offered 8 million to transfer which he turned down to stay at SC. College teams. Texas A&M paid 7 million dollars this year to their 3 defense linemen to transfer there. The pockets are limitless in college football and it will only get more lucrative for players. You are going to see a flurry of activity in the transfer portal this year.

NIL wins out if you’re not projected to be a super high pick. A top 5 pick comes with 40 million (+) guaranteed in addition to endorsements and whatever else. The rookie pay scale decreases dramatically such that, if you hurt your stock by returning … from pick 5 to 13 that 40 million contract gets cut in half. If you knock yourself out of the 1st altogether it’s 10 or less.

I’d think the bigger thing with Simpson and Moore returning is that they’re 1 year starters and looking at a pretty daunting learning curve. And really.. both the rookie deal and NIL pale in comparison to the fabled 2nd contract if they pan out: quarter billion dollar plus deal with 9 figures fully guaranteed.

[mranquales]

Drake Maye is the QB I liked the most from the draft that year. Seeing him turning the corner into an elite prospect is cathartic.

Also, Taylen Green is 7th in QBR despite playing on a team that is weighing him down while also being on the worst team of the 7. A project sure, but I truly believe he will work out for a team smart enough to take a chance on him.

[CWood24]

NIL wins out if you’re not projected to be a super high pick. A top 5 pick comes with 40 million (+) guaranteed in addition to endorsements and whatever else. The rookie pay scale decreases dramatically such that, if you hurt your stock by returning … from pick 5 to 13 that 40 million contract gets cut in half. If you knock yourself out of the 1st altogether it’s 10 or less.

I’d think the bigger thing with Simpson and Moore returning is that they’re 1 year starters and looking at a pretty daunting learning curve. And really.. both the rookie deal and NIL pale in comparison to the fabled 2nd contract if they pan out: quarter billion dollar plus deal with 9 figures fully guaranteed.

I do think if Mendoza, Simpson & Moore declare they all go top 5 i’d even put Sellers in that category aswell simply because of his ceiling & teams need for QB’s

My feelings are that only Mendoza & Simpson declare & Moore/ Sellers go back for much needed development which i think Simpson could do with aswell

Carson Beck might be the wildcard in all this he started the year looking like a top guy then had some struggles but seems to have levelled out. He could be solid enough to run the offence but the issue is where is his vue at worst it’s in the 2nd but can you let him slode past you because there are teams like the Rams, Steelers, wjo might value him

[Hellbound]

maybe? It is the Saints and their ownership is too out there to predict. But TDs to INT does not really tell the story, he has been really bad, and he takes too many sacks that are on him. But you never know, they could keep rolling the dice

Reality says, Shough isn't preventing a team from drafting another qb, especially at the top of the draft

If so then whoever is calling the shots needs to be fired on the spot

[BoKnows81]

Reality says, Shough isn't preventing a team from drafting another qb, especially at the top of the draft

If so then whoever is calling the shots needs to be fired on the spot

Why? All I keep hearing is how the top 3 QBs coming out aren't elite and aren't worth top 5 picks. That team needs more help than we do so why wouldnt the Saints take the BPA approach like many here are suggesting the Raiders do? The Saints are actually more stable at QB than we are.

If the Raiders start from scratch with a new regime next year with no Geno and they don't take a QB, you calling for heads?

[GoodTimeCharlie]

Drake Maye is the QB I liked the most from the draft that year. Seeing him turning the corner into an elite prospect is cathartic.

Also, Taylen Green is 7th in QBR despite playing on a team that is weighing him down while also being on the worst team of the 7. A project sure, but I truly believe he will work out for a team smart enough to take a chance on him.

Yeah man, I can’t even imagine the relief you must feel now. What a struggle. I mean you’ve been bangin’ that drum since all the way back in…well, I’ll just hop in my trusty time machine and go ALL the way back to the first time you spoke about Drake Maye here on the forum.

Geno looks like a rookie and Drake Maye looks like the veteran.

So out of your 7,947 posts here at the forum, way Way WAY back on September 7th, 2025, you posted about Drake Maye for the very first time, and that is what you said.

Here’s your other post about him written all the way back on November 23rd…

Drake Maye had his worst game of the year against us. That's pretty much what it comes down to. We deserve to be the #2 overall pick.

And that’s it. Not another post from you exists about him.

Like I said, what a struggle. Biblical.

[Viper]

You don’t have to have a high IQ to know a team doesn’t go far without a good starting Qb. Same can be said about your O line. I don’t think any man alive could come here and turn this franchise around with the O line we currently trot on the field weekly.
Yes, we need a Qb, but you don’t put the cart in front of the horse. With a very good line you all of a sudden have a run game and we all know that is a quarterbacks best friend.

Time. Enough time to progress through at minimum your first 2 reads on any given play. Pressure from men capable of rendering you wheelchair bound would surely make even some of the greatest QBs of all time reconsider their profession - behind our current O line.
Shit, it takes brass balls to suit up on any given Sunday behind this line as it stands now.

They pay the guys in charge big money to recognize all this and it’s not like it’s surgery on a patient bleeding out on the table requiring quick, life saving decisions. These guys literally have all offseason to plan and prepare.

Sometimes the patient can’t be saved, but he stands much less of a chance with incompetent people making decisions.

Ears burning yet Davis?

[RI RAIDER]

Patriots are the blueprint for rebuilding a shit franchise. Get your QB. Give him reps. Get rid of coaches that blow. Draft to fill needs. Fill in the remaining holes with FA's while said QB is on a rookie deal. Drake Maye's contract allowed the Pats to have the best off season in the NFL this past year. ZERO to HERO.

[mranquales]

Like I said, what a struggle. Biblical.

Because the sites been refurbished, I assume. I've mentioned Drake Maye plenty of times other than the ones you low effort searched.

I also mentioned Christian Gonzales several times in that year's draft but only one search result will pop up on that.

Only 11 matches for Tyree Wilson but everyone on here knows I've mentioned him WAY more than 11 times.

[WolfRaider]

Patriots are the blueprint for rebuilding a shit franchise. Get your QB. Give him reps. Get rid of coaches that blow. Draft to fill needs. Fill in the remaining holes with FA's while said QB is on a rookie deal. Drake Maye's contract allowed the Pats to have the best off season in the NFL this past year. ZERO to HERO.

It’s the blueprint but the isn’t a franchise QB in every draft. Pats, Washington and Bears all sucked enough in the right year and had 3 incredible prospects waiting for him. The isn’t a QB in this draft that is close to any of them as prospects.

[WolfRaider]

Patriots are the blueprint for rebuilding a shit franchise. Get your QB. Give him reps. Get rid of coaches that blow. Draft to fill needs. Fill in the remaining holes with FA's while said QB is on a rookie deal. Drake Maye's contract allowed the Pats to have the best off season in the NFL this past year. ZERO to HERO.

It’s the blueprint but the isn’t a franchise QB in every draft. Pats, Washington and Bears all sucked enough in the right year and had 3 incredible prospects waiting for him. The isn’t a QB in this draft that is close to any of them as prospects.

[Attyla]

Because the sites been refurbished, I assume. I've mentioned Drake Maye plenty of times other than the ones you low effort searched.

I also mentioned Christian Gonzales several times in that year's draft but only one search result will pop up on that.

Only 11 matches for Tyree Wilson but everyone on here knows I've mentioned him WAY more than 11 times.

your assumption would be incorrect. You have mentioned Maye like twice recently, but you never touted him back when he was in the draft. Lies to make you look good. But reality is they are lies. And lies make you look really bad.