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

[KillerRaider30]

https://www.tankathon.com/nfl

[Opoponax50]

Tanking doesn't happen. Every player and coach is trying to win in order to preserve their job and/or looking ahead to what might come after being released or fired. This is especially true of young players on their first contract. They're out there doing their absolute best because if they get shitcanned they know or should know that everything they've worked for is gone forever.

Anyway, it's coaching and the front office that causes chronic losing.

The vast majority of players are average. No team is packed with stars. Thus, when it comes to having a team made up mostly of f[raiders_icon]ckups, it's because the coaching staff isn't getting the most out of them. They fail to adapt schemes, the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing, and they're generally incompetent.

The FO takes predictably subpar players in the draft, which we have a well documented history of doing and then puts them in a position under shitty coaching. There's no need to try and tank because poor decisions will take care of it without any further effort.

[Attyla]

Tanking doesn't happen. Every player and coach is trying to win in order to preserve their job and/or looking ahead to what might come after being released or fired. This is especially true of young players on their first contract. They're out there doing their absolute best because if they get shitcanned they know or should know that everything they've worked for is gone forever.

Anyway, it's coaching and the front office that causes chronic losing.

The vast majority of players are average. No team is packed with stars. Thus, when it comes to having a team made up mostly of fckups, it's because the coaching staff isn't getting the most out of them. They fail to adapt schemes, the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing, and they're generally incompetent.

The FO takes predictably subpar players in the draft, which we have a well documented history of doing and then puts them in a position under shitty coaching. There's no need to try and tank because poor decisions will take care of it without any further effort.

Agreed, the "tank" is actually just suck

[Cruisin with Tooz]

Poor Brian Flores. He was hip deep in it. And he lost his chance for ever getting a top coaching position. He would never even be able to get a job as a ball boy.

[Cruisin with Tooz]

Tanking doesn't happen. Every player and coach is trying to win in order to preserve their job and/or looking ahead to what might come after being released or fired. This is especially true of young players on their first contract. They're out there doing their absolute best because if they get shitcanned they know or should know that everything they've worked for is gone forever.

You could use this post verbatim to justify the statement that players and coaches don't place bets on their sport.

[Attyla]

You could use this post verbatim to justify the statement that players and coaches don't place bets on their sport.

OK, so betting on their sport. Obviously it does happen and with online betting it happens more, but that does not justify the act. Tanking requires, yes, requires, a conspiracy and again, the most famous "tank" did not happen. Everyone got fired. EVERYONE

For there to be a tank, the one's who are in the know have to be protected and it is quite obvious that the Colts did not intentionally tank, they just actually sucked ass. Has it happened? I will say yes, does it happen in the NFL? No, teams and players do not lose intentionally and GMs cannot change up the roster to tank without the risk of losing their jobs and no GM will do that. So again, if it happens a conspiracy would have to be in play.

[chucker]

As with most things, it's not a binary thing. There aren't teams doing everything in their power to lose games. Teams are sometimes not doing everything they can to win games though. That may mean playing young guys to get them experience to benefit the team in the future, even if it might hurt the performance of the team in the present. It may mean giving some players extra time to recover from injuries or putting them on IR - when you'd have them on the field if the team were making a playoff run.

I want to see the Raiders decline to pull out all the stops to win games. IMO that message needs to come from the GM, assuming that his job is safe. That's what I want to happen, I'm not sure it's what will actually happen. And if it happened, I don't think Carroll would be very cooperative - in which case I'd say you fire him and promote Deuce to the HC job to appease all the people who want Gruden as HC again. We've had shit for coaches before, so he'd fit right in.

[Xramfan]

Never been a tank fan until now. If the Raiders somehow pull out a win or 2 and lose Mendoza, I'll be upset.

The only thing that will remotely feel better is if they use their first pick on a stud cant miss O or D lineman.

If you cant get your QB, get a stud or two on the lines.


Of course we need a HC that will hire a top tier staff and they all have a shared vision and plan.

Mendoza is my plan A

Time to rest Bowers and Jeanty and Max lol

[Cruisin with Tooz]

3. A conspiracy, by definition, is a covert plan by a group to do something illegal or harmful. That, according to your scenario, is the very definition of conspiracy. If the GM directs the HC to throw games, that is a conspiracy. It literally takes as few as two. If you are suggesting that the GM is telling the head coach who to play as an intention to "tank" that is not really how that works. A GM would need to justify his decision. And most the time, the GM shops for the groceries. It is the head coaches job to put his lineup together and determine who plays and who does not. No, your scenario has way too many holes in it. The year the Colts earned the first overall pick, the entire staff was fired. That included the GM. You are suggesting that our GM would risk his job to get a pick. It does not happen, the stakes are too risky. To pull off a tank, there must be a conspiracy with at least the owner and GM involved (assurance your job is safe) and more than likely the HC as well.

In my scenario, there isnt a conspiracy because only 1 person knows. The GM. And I didnt write throw games on purpose. I dont advocate telling players to deliberately fumble; throw interceptions; miss FGs; blow tackles; etc. And its not fraudulent to not play your best players at the end of the season when you are not in the playoff hunt. That is accepted practice.

You bring up harmful. What's harmful? Its not harmful to evaluate your roster and make your young players more experienced. That's beneficial. What's harmful is not as cut and dried as you say. Any action that has beneficial effects can also have harmful effects, eg chemotherapy. Because some action can be beneficial in one way and harmful in another, does that mean you cant do it? No, it doesnt mean that. Legally, the value of the beneficial effect, doesnt even have to outweigh the harmful effect. If youre lying injured on the roadside and Im passing by, I have no obligation to stop and help even though it doesnt harm me to do so and it helps you if I do. It is the moral thing to do, but what's not moral, is not necessarily illegal. Thats where the disconnect is between you and me. I surmise that you believe the world runs on idealpolitik. I know it runs on realpolitik.

Barring a Perry Mason moment with the GM breaking down and confessing on the witness stand at his trial, the GM is bulletproof in my scenario, because the need to evaluate your existing roster ahead of FA and the draft and allowing seldom used players to gain game experience are legitimate reasons to justify what was done and provides plausible deniability against allegations of throwing games. This would be an affirmative defense to any such attempt to legally hold the GM responsible. Since a corroborating witness doesnt even exist, a prosecutor couldnt even make his prima facie case. Is a prosecutor going to waste his time and their limited budget money on a case they cant prove? If the DA were foolish enough to even attempt a prosecution, it probably wouldnt even survive a pretrial dismissal motion. Do you think any judge is going to waste the court's time hearing a case that cant be proved? And if it did make it to trial, how could it survive a motion of dismissal at the conclusion of the prosecution's case when they dont put on any witness with first hand knowledge and an ambiguous set of circumstances?

Look at what happen with Miami. Brian Flores had first hand knowledge and made damning public statements. In Brian Flores, a prosecutor would have had the metaphorical equivalent of Sammy The Bull Gravano to testify against John Gotti and his bad deeds. Where was that prosecution of Miami's owner and GM?

[Attyla]

In your scenario, if 1 guy is pulling out the stops, they are running the very serious risk of being fired. NO GM is going to do that. Period.

For the cheap seats, it requires a conspiracy. It requires that your job will not be at risk. You cannot do that unless it is true. To know your job is not at risk means your boss allows this to happen. That is a conspiracy. If You know losing will not cost you your job and you force a team to lose KNOWING you will not lose your job, that means your boss is on board. That is a conspiracy.

Live in the real world for just one moment. A GM tells his coach they have to play inferior players. The coach tells the GM if they do that, the owner is going to fire him. So that means he refuses. And Carroll is that coach. He is not going to give up the fight. And Carroll gets to decide. Period. There is NO tank without a conspiracy. Period. A first year GM is not telling a veteran coach who to play and who not to play.

Jesus, it is like debating the wall.

[Oaktownonly]

Tanking or not tanking? Doesn't really matter. The Raiders suck and their season is shot. Winning just one more game this year is bad for this franchise.

[Raider_Len]

Now I’m curious as to what Andy Reid might decide to do if KC is eliminated by the time they play us. Supposing the Giants beat us. If Andy doesn’t play Mahomes, and throws Uncle Rico out there, what will Pete do? Play all rookies and second string guys? I wonder how obvious it would start to look. I’m thinking Any wouldn’t stoop to that level but I dunno.

[Attyla]

Now I’m curious as to what Andy Reid might decide to do if KC is eliminated by the time they play us. Supposing the Giants beat us. If Andy doesn’t play Mahomes, and throws Uncle Rico out there, what will Pete do? Play all rookies and second string guys? I wonder how obvious it would start to look. I’m thinking Any wouldn’t stoop to that level but I dunno.

Andy likes beating us too much to allow any chance.

[Reno Hightower]

Now I’m curious as to what Andy Reid might decide to do if KC is eliminated by the time they play us. Supposing the Giants beat us. If Andy doesn’t play Mahomes, and throws Uncle Rico out there, what will Pete do? Play all rookies and second string guys? I wonder how obvious it would start to look. I’m thinking Any wouldn’t stoop to that level but I dunno.

Reid trots Minshew out there and he taps into his inner Andy Dalton and lights us up. Kansas City parlays that performance in to finding some team to give up something of value for him.

You can count on it.

Not sure if the Chiefs control Minshew's rights next season?...

[Raider_Len]

Andy likes beating us too much to allow any chance.

Well if that situation comes about, I hope you’re right. I can’t believe I’m saying that. I’m probably the longest hold out, in never wanting to see the Raiders lose. I’m finally broken. I take back all the many times I’ve chastised people for doing that, for draft consideration. Never been that guy. A little embarrassed that I am now.
I really hate this feeling. But I also would really like to see another Super Bowl win in my lifetime, and I’m not getting any younger.

[chucker]

I think there's a solid chance that the final game of the season would be Travis Swift's last NFL game, and I don't think Reid or Mahomes would want to send him home with a loss. They'll do what they can to get him in the EZ and get a win.