Rex Ryan and the New York Jets are not tanking for a high draft pick for a number of reasons. For starters, Rex has too much pride. Secondly, he probably won’t even be coaching the Jets next season. And thirdly, Ryan doesn’t really feel that there is anyone in the 2015 NFL Draft class that is worth tanking for.
The Jets picked up their third win of the season in a hard-fought battle against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and many have noted that the victory could cost them a shot at one of the top few draft selections. Ryan didn’t want to hear it.
“Tough you-know-what,” he said after the game, per Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “A real Jets fan wants to win. It doesn’t matter what pick you get or whatever. If it were Peyton Manning out there, I could understand it, but I don’t think Peyton Manning is out there.”
In other words, Ryan doesn’t feel that Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston or anyone else who is lighting up the college game is worth tanking for.
He could be right. The “Suck for Luck” campaign made more sense, as Andrew Luck was a can’t-miss prospect. Although, many felt the same way about Robert Griffin III, and we all know how that has turned out.
Mariota could wind up being a product of an explosive Oregon system, or he could be the next Steve Young. There’s just no way to know at this point, which is why losing games on purpose is ridiculous. Not to mention, Ryan is a lame duck. The more games he loses, the less likely he is to keep his job. He doesn’t care if the Jets have the No. 1 pick when he’s no longer around.
Management may want to quit on the team like one anonymous veteran said, but Ryan isn’t going to.
