Former NFL executive Bill Polian is convinced the Cleveland Browns lost games intentionally last season so they could earn a high draft pick, and he is concerned that the trend could become more common in the league going forward.
In an appearance on “Mike & Mike” Wednesday, Polian said it is troubling that the Browns were able to tank in 2016 without most people even taking note of it.
“The thing that worries me is that the Browns essentially tanked the season last year and no one said — except a few of us — said anything about it,” Polian said, as transcribed by Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “And it may well be that this is something that can spread around the league, and I don’t think that’s good for the sport in the long run. Because in the end it robs the customers of the chance to see a competitive team.”
While he stopped short of saying Browns players weren’t giving a full effort, Polian said Cleveland’s decision to sign a placekicker with no experience when their kicker got hurt in September was suspect. He also would not say that he believes the New York Jets are setting up to tank in 2017, but that’s how the conversation started.
You can call it tanking or “rebuilding,” but the Jets seem to be releasing every player who is 30 or older. With the 2018 quarterback class expected to be very strong, it would not be unreasonable to think New York is already looking ahead to that draft. And if you believe what one NFL executive said about the Jets this week, they should have as good a chance as any team at landing the No. 1 overall pick.
