Tanking, essentially losing on purpose to acquire high draft pick status and trading to receive more draft picks to "build for the future".
In Philadelphia, the 76ers called that "The Process", and while it looked like a failure for years it brought them pieces like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmonds, and Tobias Harris with some vets it has brought them a successful NBA franchise. It's a lot harder to do in the NBA now because that became so blatant they changed the rules and the way drafts worked so the first pick is determined by lottery (unfortunately for New York Knicks fans).
Right now, the NFL has no such process, if you finish with the absolute worst record in the league, you'll get the #1 overall draft pick. Then if you acquire other first round or high round draft picks, you can find and foster young talented players with the hope of building a good team for the future. Teams have obviously done it before, I don't think for instance the Arizona Cardinals did it last year to get Kyler Murray nor do I think the Cleveland Browns ever did it both of these teams tried but are just god awful, but teams in the past have done it.
And while some people say that the Miami Dolphins are doing it and others say they aren't. A lot of people, myself included, and even the current Dolphins roster thinks they are despite the coaching staff and management saying otherwise. How do we know this ?? Well we can't say for sure but lets just take a look at the Miami Dolphins 2019 draft, their offseason, then finally the first game of the season.
In Philadelphia, the 76ers called that "The Process", and while it looked like a failure for years it brought them pieces like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmonds, and Tobias Harris with some vets it has brought them a successful NBA franchise. It's a lot harder to do in the NBA now because that became so blatant they changed the rules and the way drafts worked so the first pick is determined by lottery (unfortunately for New York Knicks fans).
Right now, the NFL has no such process, if you finish with the absolute worst record in the league, you'll get the #1 overall draft pick. Then if you acquire other first round or high round draft picks, you can find and foster young talented players with the hope of building a good team for the future. Teams have obviously done it before, I don't think for instance the Arizona Cardinals did it last year to get Kyler Murray nor do I think the Cleveland Browns ever did it both of these teams tried but are just god awful, but teams in the past have done it.
And while some people say that the Miami Dolphins are doing it and others say they aren't. A lot of people, myself included, and even the current Dolphins roster thinks they are despite the coaching staff and management saying otherwise. How do we know this ?? Well we can't say for sure but lets just take a look at the Miami Dolphins 2019 draft, their offseason, then finally the first game of the season.
THE 2019 NFL DRAFT PICKS
Let's start by taking a look at this years draft class coming into the season, our current Dolphins.
The top of whom, and honestly the only one really worth mentioning, was DT from the University of Clemson, Christian Wilkins, who was taken 13th overall. At Clemson, Wilkins numbers in his senior season were: 25 solo tackles and 26 assisted tackles (14 tackles were for loss), 5.5 sacks, 2 deflected passes, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumbles recovered. So, not a bad pickup for their defensive line, someone who can hopefully assist the Dolphins down the line.
Other draft picks G Michael Deiter out of Wisconsin, Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel out of Wisconsin, Tackle Isaiah Prince out of Ohio State, Running Back Chandler Cox out of Auburn, and Running Back Myles Gaskin out of Washington all have ups and downs but to be honest are just those players you "hope pan out in the depth chart" and eventually will fit into the lineup properly. Wilkins is a 1st rounder who is already pre-selected to be on the defensive line Week One.
Christian Wilkins is a game changing defensive lineman and I hope his talents aren't wasted in Miami with the season they are about to have.
The top of whom, and honestly the only one really worth mentioning, was DT from the University of Clemson, Christian Wilkins, who was taken 13th overall. At Clemson, Wilkins numbers in his senior season were: 25 solo tackles and 26 assisted tackles (14 tackles were for loss), 5.5 sacks, 2 deflected passes, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumbles recovered. So, not a bad pickup for their defensive line, someone who can hopefully assist the Dolphins down the line.
Other draft picks G Michael Deiter out of Wisconsin, Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel out of Wisconsin, Tackle Isaiah Prince out of Ohio State, Running Back Chandler Cox out of Auburn, and Running Back Myles Gaskin out of Washington all have ups and downs but to be honest are just those players you "hope pan out in the depth chart" and eventually will fit into the lineup properly. Wilkins is a 1st rounder who is already pre-selected to be on the defensive line Week One.
Christian Wilkins is a game changing defensive lineman and I hope his talents aren't wasted in Miami with the season they are about to have.
THEIR OFFSEASON
The offseason to me for the Miami Dolphins kickstarted with their acquisition of quarterback Josh Rosen from the Arizona Cardinals, with them drafting Kyler Murray last year's 1st round quarterback of theirs was no longer needed, the Dolphins were ready to give Rosen the chance. With them we all thought Josh Rosen was prepped to be behind Ryan Tannehill for part of the season, until finally the Dolphins gave up on the Tannehill experiment shipping him off to the Tennessee Titans. For surprise draft picks. So, I was like "okay sweet well he's not on a much better team but at least Rosen will have a new chance as a starter", until they went out and signed journeyman quarterback Ryan "Fitzmagic" Fitzpatrick to start for the team this season. Okay.......that was a start to the hmmm moments for me to the tanking thing. Why acquire a 2nd year QB with potential then decide to not only trade your other QB but sign a journeyman in Fitzmagic ?? I understand he has moments but I don't see the purpose.
Then other offseason moves seemed "fishy": letting veteran receiver Danny Amendola go, sending DE Robert Quinn to the Dallas Cowboys for SURPRISE MORE DRAFT PICKS,
It was their NEXT offseason moves that brought about everyone's tanking talks. Moving top quality LT Laremy Tunsil, incredibly productive and highly useful WR Kenny Stills, and a 2020 fourth round and 2021 sixth round pick to the Houston Texans for not important pieces, CB Johnson Bademosland and T Julien Davenport, and 2021 1st and 2nd round draft picks. Destroying their offensive line with Tunsil gone, Stills was their most productive receiver, but hey MORE DRAFT PICKS RIGHT ??
Then their best linebacker, Kiko Alonso, to the New Orleans Saints, for lesser linebacker Vince Biegel.
So through trades lots of acquired draft picks, a journeyman QB, and several of their best players shipped off. But man, those draft picks right ?? But WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT TANKING, WE'RE ACQUIRING AS MANY DRAFT PICKS AS POSSIBLE BUT TOTALLY NOT TANKING !!!!
Then other offseason moves seemed "fishy": letting veteran receiver Danny Amendola go, sending DE Robert Quinn to the Dallas Cowboys for SURPRISE MORE DRAFT PICKS,
It was their NEXT offseason moves that brought about everyone's tanking talks. Moving top quality LT Laremy Tunsil, incredibly productive and highly useful WR Kenny Stills, and a 2020 fourth round and 2021 sixth round pick to the Houston Texans for not important pieces, CB Johnson Bademosland and T Julien Davenport, and 2021 1st and 2nd round draft picks. Destroying their offensive line with Tunsil gone, Stills was their most productive receiver, but hey MORE DRAFT PICKS RIGHT ??
Then their best linebacker, Kiko Alonso, to the New Orleans Saints, for lesser linebacker Vince Biegel.
So through trades lots of acquired draft picks, a journeyman QB, and several of their best players shipped off. But man, those draft picks right ?? But WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT TANKING, WE'RE ACQUIRING AS MANY DRAFT PICKS AS POSSIBLE BUT TOTALLY NOT TANKING !!!!
THEN CAME WEEK ONE........
Then came Week One of the 2019-2020 NFL Season......if it wasn't evident the Dolphins were tanking before by all the draft picks and getting rid of top talent, it was clear after this game. The final score: Baltimore Ravens - 59 and the Miami Dolphins - 10. Outscored by 49 points. FOURTY NINE POINTS !!!!
And worst was that it was a perfect passer rating game by Ravens QB Lamar Jackson who up until this game everyone said was, "just a running back disguised as a QB" or "he can't pass", well the Dolphins made the guy look like Tom Brady out there. And well Josh Rosen did get to play because he was Ryan Fitzpatrick that day and not Fitzmagic, but I don't blame him. This was a poorly coached game with a lot of their best talent now gone. The veteran leadership and production the defense had in Alonso, the veteran leadership and production from Amendola, Tunsil, and EVEN Tannehill was sorely missed. Everyone looked lost out there, except the Baltimore Ravens, it was an embarrassment of a football game.
One so bad that not only did the Dolphins coaches and management have to address the media saying, "they aren't tanking" but sports media has reported several players IMMEDIATELY contacted their agents post-game and demanded trades from the Dolphins so they weren't stuck on a losing team that is tanking for the future.
So, yes, I do think like the media and most people that the Miami Dolphins are tanking to get a QB like Tua Tagovalioa out of Alabama or Trevor Lawerence out of Clemson (if he was foolish enough to declare this year for the draft). Getting a #1 QB and also still having tons of picks in the first two rounds to bolster a team of solid rookies for the future. I feel massively sorry for those players and hope many of them find an out from the team, I feel bad for Josh Rosen a QB I think has talent but has been in nothing but bad situations since entering the league, I feel bad for Ryan Fitzpatrick because he's going to get blamed for a lot of this and I think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should've re-signed him and cut Jameis Winston, he deserves slightly better at near the end of his career. I'm glad a talented tackle like Tunsil gets to play for a good team like the Texans and help guard Deshaun Watson, that Stills joins that same team to work alongside DeAndre Hopkins, and that Kiko Alonso is a solid linebacker on a team with Super Bowl aspirations in New Orleans.
I hate tanking, it ruins the sport, it's not fun and I hope the Dolphins get right screwed in this situation. I wish the Dolphins didn't tank, I mean to be honest, their a terrible team in the first place so they had a high chance at being #1 in the first place, but they've got to actually try to be bad this year, especially with teams like Oakland, New York Giants, Arizona, and more all still really bad.
OH WOW !!!!!!!
TO MAKE THINGS EVEN MORE PRECIOUS WEEK TWO JUST FINISHED AND THEY GOT SHUT OUT 43-0 BY THE PATRIOTS.......LOOK I GET THAT IT'S THE PATRIOTS BUT AT LEAST SHOW AN ATTEMPT TO SAY...........WE AREN'T TANKING SERIOUSLY WE AREN'T !!!!!
And worst was that it was a perfect passer rating game by Ravens QB Lamar Jackson who up until this game everyone said was, "just a running back disguised as a QB" or "he can't pass", well the Dolphins made the guy look like Tom Brady out there. And well Josh Rosen did get to play because he was Ryan Fitzpatrick that day and not Fitzmagic, but I don't blame him. This was a poorly coached game with a lot of their best talent now gone. The veteran leadership and production the defense had in Alonso, the veteran leadership and production from Amendola, Tunsil, and EVEN Tannehill was sorely missed. Everyone looked lost out there, except the Baltimore Ravens, it was an embarrassment of a football game.
One so bad that not only did the Dolphins coaches and management have to address the media saying, "they aren't tanking" but sports media has reported several players IMMEDIATELY contacted their agents post-game and demanded trades from the Dolphins so they weren't stuck on a losing team that is tanking for the future.
So, yes, I do think like the media and most people that the Miami Dolphins are tanking to get a QB like Tua Tagovalioa out of Alabama or Trevor Lawerence out of Clemson (if he was foolish enough to declare this year for the draft). Getting a #1 QB and also still having tons of picks in the first two rounds to bolster a team of solid rookies for the future. I feel massively sorry for those players and hope many of them find an out from the team, I feel bad for Josh Rosen a QB I think has talent but has been in nothing but bad situations since entering the league, I feel bad for Ryan Fitzpatrick because he's going to get blamed for a lot of this and I think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should've re-signed him and cut Jameis Winston, he deserves slightly better at near the end of his career. I'm glad a talented tackle like Tunsil gets to play for a good team like the Texans and help guard Deshaun Watson, that Stills joins that same team to work alongside DeAndre Hopkins, and that Kiko Alonso is a solid linebacker on a team with Super Bowl aspirations in New Orleans.
I hate tanking, it ruins the sport, it's not fun and I hope the Dolphins get right screwed in this situation. I wish the Dolphins didn't tank, I mean to be honest, their a terrible team in the first place so they had a high chance at being #1 in the first place, but they've got to actually try to be bad this year, especially with teams like Oakland, New York Giants, Arizona, and more all still really bad.
OH WOW !!!!!!!
TO MAKE THINGS EVEN MORE PRECIOUS WEEK TWO JUST FINISHED AND THEY GOT SHUT OUT 43-0 BY THE PATRIOTS.......LOOK I GET THAT IT'S THE PATRIOTS BUT AT LEAST SHOW AN ATTEMPT TO SAY...........WE AREN'T TANKING SERIOUSLY WE AREN'T !!!!!