While a good point, this is the exception to the rule. And Flacco/Foles were phenomenal in the playoffs. But the best thing to do is to build balance. Teams rarely get to the SB without a well rounded team. I was inclined last year to just want to draft all offense only to realize that that's no way to successfully build a team. Even still, if the franchise believes that Fields can be a FQB or even a very good QB in the NFL then you take them. And you don't worry about him playing or his own success next year. I also like the fact that he seems like a great kid (anti-Haskins in that regard).
I'm glad to hear that you aren't totally serious. Initially, when I saw the thread title and saw it was you, I thought you were going to bash the idea and make fun of those who thought Douglas was tanking. I was shocked to read and see that you were starting to buy into the insanity. Let it go. You guys are going to make yourselves crazy and everyone around you nuts. You also could wind up influencing the Johnsons to get rid of Douglas, and at this point, he's the only real hope we have for the future. If he proves to be yet another bad hire, we're all screwed, and this team will never get it right.
There was never an organizational push to “tank”. Douglas just did that poor a job at assembling a competitive roster, while supporting an inept coach. That roster and CS, and it’s subsequent effect on Darnold, is reason to have some semblance of doubt on his competence, not because we won a game.
Again, losing on purpose is a ridiculous idea even if it makes your job easier. If you genuinely believe that a good GM would purposely lose to give the Jets a better pick and make his life easier, you are dumb. And if this were true, I wouldn't want that ass hat running the franchise I root for. You coach to win. You play to win. You make personnel moves to win. Is Douglas' job harder now, yes, but he didn't sign up to be a GM so he could have a cake walk his entire career. Throwing blame on Douglas for winning a fuckin football game is about the dumbest thing I've read on this board, and I've read many dumb things over the years
Joe Douglas' plan is to build through the draft and then add pieces in Free Agency. Part of that plan was to build around Sam, but his regression in Year 2 and Year 3 has to have put worry in Douglas. So he would have had no problem taking Lawrence #1 overall and continuing to build around him. At #2, it is more interesting. He and the new coaching staff will have to weigh all the options.
There's also a competition committee that guards things like this very closely. There were murmurs about the Dolphins tanking for Tua last year and they immediately started winning games. Maybe a coincidence? Maybe not.
In 2018 B.G. the final 4 games of the season Sam was one of the highest rated QBs in the NFL (or close)...
When I said he was in on the tank, I meant that what he was willing to do and was actually doing is trading away decent players, like Williamson, who could help us do better now, to get some gains for future or PT for younger players. These action made us weaker THIS year. We can call it "tank", focusing on next year, or whatever we want, but that's what JD has been doing, and it perhaps helped the proverbial "tank" this year, while giving more assets/experience for young guys for next year. Beyond that though, there is nothing that he did or really could do.
Why do you believe Douglas or Gase would agree to tank? For all of his many faults, willingly setting out to lose on purpose is not one of Gase's. And there is nothing I've heard or read from or about Douglas that would indicate his willingness to lose. TANKING WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!
No, apparently he should tell his coach to lose so he can draft a 19 year old kid to save the franchise and ensure that he is able to get the best possible replacement coach. "Hey Adam, make sure you keep losing buddy, get blown out of the water and sit all your best players so we can make sure I get to draft this Lawrence kid. Oh and the good news is this will also mean I can get a top notch replacement for you. Not so good for you, obviously, but hey you're a buddy and a team player aren't you..?"
I don't think Gase would ever agree to tank, he's fighting for his future NFL employment prospects. For Douglas though it's easy - he's on a 6 year deal and a successful tank this season would have set up the perfect rebuild for the Jets. We'd have taken a franchise LT and Trevor Lawrence in back to back drafts. It would've been an absolutely ideal rebuild. GM's dream about their first two seasons with a team going that well. Honestly this all goes back to the fact that our GM's and HC's are never on the same page due to the idiot Johnson brothers. Having a lame duck coach alongside a GM just entering his rebuild was a recipe for disaster and here we are.
Yes, this continues to be overlooked by most when they try to assume they know what Douglas's plan is. Personally I favor getting an elite QB, obviously from the draft since no team ever lets one go unless they're injured or used up, and building a team around him. I love offense and you need an elite QB to have a great offense. BUT...I love winning more, and while I wouldn't be thrilled with the types of teams like the Ravens and Eagles won with, I wouldn't throw a Lombardi Trophy in the trash either. And I believe Douglas's blueprint all along has been based on the Ravens model: great "D", dependable - i.e. unstoppable run game - "O", with a QB who can make big throws when needed, but not necessarily carry the team all the time. And this is why I think if Darnold can do what he did Sunday for the next 2 games he might be kept, and also why I don't think Douglas was/is focused on Lawrence. Would he take TL if he had the #1 pick? I'm not sure, he might, but he also might well trade it for a boatload of premium picks. And for those saying "Now Douglas's job got harder" ignore the probability that he might well have NOT been planning on taking Lawrence anyway. I still think Douglas has a solid plan to build a sustainable winning franchise...nothing he's done contradicts this belief IMO.
If Jags somehow give us back the top pick and JD does not pick Lawrence, I will be calling Manish Mehta with the location of his son's baseball game.
Tanking would have ruined his reputation within the league. It's just not what you do. He did what he could in the offseason to make sure that this team was picking high in the draft by tearing down the roster, like you should do when you take on a massive rebuild like this, but once you do that, you put it in the hands of the players and the coaches and let the chips fall where they may. If Douglas was actively trying to tank during the season, then Christopher Johnson would have grounds to fire him for cause.
What we should REALLY be worried about is Gase and company beating the Browns Sunday, setting up a possible 3 game winning streak to end the season. Players finally healthy, team STILL playing hard (for Gase), and Sam pull of 3 wins in a row. We've seen how this movie ends...
For two yrs he has struck out on free agents, has not changed the culture of the Same old Jets, and has 2 draft picks in his resume. The guy accepted a GM job for a franchise where the owner has set up being a GM is one of the weakest in the NFL