There’s an old, mistaken belief that NFL teams don’t tank the season. It’s reason there isn’t a draft lottery, but just an honest order based on finishing records. It’s easy to believe. I can’t tell you how many times a team has knocked itself out of better draft position, or even the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, by playing their asses off and winning their final couple of games. It happens more often than you think. Hell, the San Francisco 49ers nearly did it to themselves last year. Which is what makes the New York Jets’ recent moves so refreshing. They aren’t taking any chances heading into the 2017. They’re tanking and we all know it.
https://twitter.com/JC1053/status/872149170962010113
Now, of course, the Jets are calling this a “rebuild,” because of course they are. New York hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010. They’ve won fewer than eight games in five of their last six seasons. There’s no reason to continue tossing trash atop a raging dumpster fire so I applaud the Jets for committing to the tank. It’s just weird to me that teams don’t do it more often.
That hasn’t stopped the Jets’ beat writers from complaining about it. I guess the prospect of covering a training camp, and 20 games (preseason and regular season) for ta team that plans on winning all of one or two games, total, is kind of daunting. Especially since you’ve deciphered their plan in June, a good, solid, three months before the first regular season kick off.
As the New York Posts’ Brian Castello puts it, “Tanks for nothing.”
Judging by the execution of previous Jets plans, their over-the-top tanking season will be the year they accidentally win a Super Bowl.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) June 6, 2017
The evidence for the tank is all too clear. First off, let’s talk about the salary purge that’s happened all offseason, culminating in Wednesday’s release of linebacker David Harris and wide receiver Eric Decker.
Decker was hurt most of last season, but had back-to-back solid campaigns, posting 74 catches, 962 yards and five touchdowns in 2014 and 80 catches with 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2015. With the earlier salary cap shed of Brandon Marshall this offseason, Decker was easily the best offensive weapon the Jets had on the team. Not anymore.
Harris has been a defensive leader for the team since they drafted him in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. He started every game he was healthy for nine seasons and never saw a drop in production, regardless of what horrible head coach and defensive staff he was stuck with. Last year he recorded 94 tackles, half a sack and two passes defended.
And, sure, you could argue that dumping a couple of older players with big salaries is something that happens in today’s NFL and you’d be right. What makes it stick out and shine so bright is the dearth of any type of player to replace these guys. The Jets’ roster is complete trash and the entire rest of the NFL knows it.
From an NFL exec- "I think the Jets might have the worst roster I've seen in a decade."
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) June 7, 2017
If you need more evidence, look no further than the Jets’ draft. Not once in nine picks did the New York Football Jets deem a quarterback worthy of a draft choice. They had a crack at every guy in the draft class after Mitchell Trubisky and passed on every single one.
Frankly, I don’t understand why the signed Kelvin Beachum to a free agent contract or Morris Claiborne, for that matter. Needless to say both those signings happened early in the process and the decision to drive the team off the cliff may have happened a little later. Maybe.
Want more evidence? Here’s the quarterback depth chart for the Jets as of today; Josh McCown, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. Now, full disclosure, I like Petty and am interested to see how he does when handed the keys full time. I also know the Jets probably won’t do that, instead switching between all three guys at different times this season in order to lose the maximum number of games (15) without becoming a complete laughingstock like the 2008 Detroit Lions. They want to suck, but not historically suck.
https://twitter.com/pelhamdillon/status/872534455675703299
Don’t be surprised to see Matt Forte cut before the regular season begins and it’s no secret that Sheldon Richardson has been weighing down the trade block since January. The only reason they haven’t just cut him is they don’t want to eat all the guaranteed money on his salary.
The only question in regards to the Jets’ tanking plans if if head coach Todd Bowles is a contributor to the plan, a victim of a plan, or simply part of the plan. If Bowles is in on it, he feels he’ll keep his job when the Jets land the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and get to build up the team with some top draft picks and plenty of salary cap room. If he’s a victim of the plan, then he’s a solid coach that’s been dealt a shitty situation and roster, and if he’s part of the plan, it’s because the team believes he’s as bad a coach as he looks like and are ready to ride him right to draft Josh Rosen, Josh Allen, Jarrett Stidmham or Sam Darnold or whatever NCAA quarterback rises to the top of the draft boards that I almost always disagree with.
This environment and focus on losing, and that’s what it is, is probably a godsend for linebacker Darron Lee. In any other year, Lee would be counted on to contribute as a legit starter after Harris was cut. The only problem with that is, Lee got into a public argument with his girlfriend at a music festival and had to be restrained by his teammate, Leonard Williams. If by “restrained,” you mean manhandled like a mouthy toddler.
And before you even ask, yes, there’s a video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geADqF96G-M
Lee may end up suspended a couple of games. Normally, a team would be really pissed off at that prospect, but if your goal is to lose, and that’s what the Jets want, losing Lee for a couple of games for non-injury reasons could only be seen as a positive.
Then, lastly, you have GM Mike Maccagnan’s remarks from Tuesday. He was asked, point blank, if the Jets were tanking the 2017-18 season. It’s an accusation that would send most general managers and coaches into a tirade about how dumb sportswriters are. Not Maccagnan.
“That’s not something we’re focused on,” he said. “We’re focused on making decisions to help this team going forward.”
Yeah. Like tanking.
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