Quote:Those are all very valid points. I don't disagree that I'd like to Caldwell to be able to get his guy instead of having him off the board by the time the Jags get on the clock.


The issue is, I don't know if I can give you a 100% tangible gain. I'd like to say that by not tanking, and instead trying to win, and then actually winning, you're installing the right kind of mentality and culture in the team. We saw it in, I believe it was 2008, when the team was kind of falling apart and Del Rio didn't really know what to do, so he flipped the switch and became an authoritarian like coach who was banning walkmen and ipods and stuff in the clubhouse. We saw it in Gene's first off-season when he dropped Porter and Florence almost immediately and basically said it was because they were more concerned about their money than the team and winning. It was something I was worried about after the '10 season where the team failed, for the 2nd year in a row, to make the playoffs when they were in control of their own destiny. I started getting worried that the mentality of the guys who were supposed to be the core nucleus for years wouldn't be strong enough to will the team to victory when things got tough in the future. I'm worried that telling a group of young guys to lie down and not care will set the wrong tone for the culture of this team. But, I'll admit, I can't tell you with 100% certainty that that will happen. I can't promise you that continuing to try hard, and win, will boost this team's competitive drive and/or confidence. I'd like to believe it does, but its tough to say because we don't really know what those guys are thinking. But, I will say, I'd rather err on the side of their confidence being boosted and their competitive nature being nurtured, than on the side of them getting complacent and accepting losses.

Just real quick, good on you for making your point without being insulting.


To clarify, I would never advise the team to tell the coaches or players to intentionally lay down. You don't want them doing that, and I don't think they would even if you did.


If you're going to do it, you simply make a change or two to younger guys to "give them a look" in what is already a lost season. It's not like our QB play has warranted any loyalty to them, we could easily play somebody like Scott without it being 100% transparent that we were throwing a game.

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