Quote:There is a direct reward for staving off short term NFL success.

 

Direct. A team's draft position is inversely situated to the win/loss success they experience.


 

I won't bemoan the team putting out its fullest effort to win, that's the prerogative of the current players, and unfortunately it would take active decisions by the team's decision makers to stop it if the team wanted to tank, which I wouldn't expect. Teams just don't usually do what the Colts did. I just think as a fan it should be obvious that a team is much better off seriously hitting rock bottom like the Colts did than winning just enough to ruin draft position for years the way the Jaguars have constantly done.

 

That's incomplete and you know it. Draft position alone does not guarantee success and to think that it does is bordering on ridiculous. Other teams can trade up past you, the player can be injured, the player may not work out, the evaluation may be incomplete, etc etc etc. The only thing that is affected is the draft position, but draft position alone does not guarantee success. In some cases, it can be argued that it is almost meaningless. Check the recent draft positions of the past five Title winners; Baltimore, New York Giants, Green Bay, New Orleans, Pittsburgh.

 

Baltimore hasn't had a top ten overall pick since 2003.

 

New York last had a top ten pick when it traded up for Eli, and then it had the Fourth overall spot. Their average first pick position over the last nine seasons? 27th.

 

Out of the last nine drafts, Green Bay has picked 16 or higher three times. And none of them were on a Quarterback.

 

New Orleans had the Second overall pick in 2006 and he isn't even on their roster any more.

 

Pittsburgh hasn't had a selection in the top ten since Plaxico Burress was still in college, 2000.

 

Any way that you slice it, draft position doesn't guarantee success. Sorry, but I'll choose to have patience.

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