We play the Bills in week 17. Let's say if they lose they get the #1 pick for sure... if they win there's a possibility another team does (Browns for example). Also we have already secured #1 place and playoff bye. Let's also say the "Jets college intelligence" tells them Luck is going to declare. Do you try to win the game and have an elite QB prospect in your division for years to come (as if Brady wasn't enough) or do you pull a Colts/Bengals and rest your starters so the Bills can win and not get the #1 draft pick? In all honesty I think I'd pull the starters... we already have to face Brady, Dolphins are a solid team... all we need is Luck in our division... PS Sadly atm I see the Bills and the Patriots (Raiders pick) at #1 and #2 this year... PPS BETTER SUITED FOR THE DRAFT SECTION MAYBE...
Chances are we would still win, but yea I would play it exactly like this. You dont pull all the cards to win the game, but you aren't exactly playing to lose. It's the cautious approach...
The future is unpredictable as is. I could understand the scenarios you're putting out there but there's been more hyped up prospects over the years in the NFL that haven't panned out than the other major sports combined. Luck could be the next Ryan Leaf or Heath Shuler, you just never know how these guys translate to the next level. And yes, you never lose a game on purpose. Just look at the Colts at the end of of last season as a prime example of the bad karma in doing that.
I don't see any problem with it from a strategic perspective. If the Jets feel the #1 pick is going to be a great QB and they can prevent a division opponent from having that pick without hurting themselves, why not?
If we did sit our starters it wouldn't have anything to do with screwing the Bills over. In fact if the Bills were running 1/2 with the Pats (from Raiders) it would probably be a horrible idea. They'd take Luck and either groom him as the heir-apparent or trade him for a king's ransom in draft picks. Rex would never do that because if Brady doesn't scare him he's sure as hell not gonna get scared by a rookie, even if Kiper calls him the second coming of Montana. If our injury report looks like it does right now come week 17 (as in almost empty), Rex will play almost everyone. If we secured a bye I think Rex would play almost everyone as well, because I don't think he wants us sitting around for two weeks and pulling a San Diego. This whole scenario rests on a really shaky assumption...that the Bills can beat our backups.
Yea as a fan I would not mind it but I cant see Rex ever doing something like this. Hes the kind of person who plays to win every game and would push to go 16-0 or I guess for us now 15-1.
On a side note, until the new CBA is passed, signing the #1 overall pick is going to cost you boatloads of money.
I just had a vision of us trying to intentionally lose the Bills game as well as the Bills trying to lose the game so they can get that number 1 pick.
This is why the NFL needs the Loser Bowl! Two worst teams in the league play each other the week before the Super Bowl. The winner gets the #1 pick, loser gets #2. Would be a better game than the Pro-Bowl, and probably half of the Super Bowls.
A bit early for such speculation. Alot of games to play. That being said, if the number one seed was wrapped up and homefield secured. I would rest starters without question.
Ryan Leaf was supposed to be great, where is he? The year before Leinart came out he was supposed to be great as well. Losing on purpose is dumb. If the Bills couldn't beat our backups they don't deserve to win. And a #1 pick isn't going to change that.
The current deal is over at the end of this season. So, in that regard, I don't even know if anyone can even be signed until the new deal is struck.
