NFL - Are You Ready For Some Football?! - The Offseason

[Lord Avalon]

Maybe the Chargers could play an early afternoon game in Bermuda.

[Zopperoni]

Does anyone think that if it were NE that was 8-8, that they would bother changing the draft order? Beuller? Beuller? Anybody?

Stop being such a bloody f*cktard. It's not like they're changing this year's draft order. Plus, NE would jump only 3 spots in the draft, just like IND. Here's what the differences would be if the rule was applied this year:

TEN +2
NYG +2
(CAR) +2
IND +3
BAL -4
MIA +2
ATL +2
NE +3
MIN +1
PHI -8
SD -9

Would SD be the biggest loser if the rule was applied now? Yes, but it's only slightly worse than what PHI's loss would be. And do consider that if ARI hadn't made it to the Super Bowl, they would have picked 11 to 14 spots higher under the current rule.

[Grandpa Troll]

Stop being such a bloody f*cktard.

Can I use this as Sig material?

[Ben Kenobi]

Stop being such a bloody f*cktard. It's not like they're changing this year's draft order.

Point stands. Roles reversed, we'd not hear a peep about changing the draft order.

I think you should reward upsets, not punish them. This will decrease rather then add to parity.

Plus, NE would jump only 3 spots in the draft, just like IND. Here's what the differences would be if the rule was applied this year:

9 spots is huge! I don't care, you shouldn't punish the cinderellas by cheating them out of their spots. I'm saying this even as a Charger team that went 14-2 defeated by NE, that NE deserved the better spot in 2004.

Did we hear any whines from the East Coast folks in 2004 about NE getting a better draft spot then the Chargers? No, I don't think so.

And do consider that if ARI hadn't made it to the Super Bowl, they would have picked 11 to 14 spots higher under the current rule.

They should. They really played well and deserve to be rewarded. I have no problem with the Cards, the perennial doormats getting a better pick.

[Ben Kenobi]

Maybe the Chargers could play an early afternoon game in Bermuda.

Better then London.

[snoopy369]

Ben, why would NE care? It doesn't help them, and in the future more likely hurts them than helps them.

It's a silly rule, and they're the only major league that I know of that uses regular season performance nearly entirely to determine draft order, instead of playoffs/nonplayoffs. In the NBA, every non-playoff team picks before every playoff team; that's how it should be. The fact that it took this long is the only questionable bit.

[-Jrabbit]

Frankly, I'm surprised at Ben. I would think the Chargers, which Ben described as the 2nd best team in the AFC (and therefore in football), would be embarrassed to be picking so low and would see the justice in playoff performance determining draft order for the top 12 teams.

The new rule rights a wrong, plain and simple.

[Ben Kenobi]

Frankly, I'm surprised at Ben. I would think the Chargers, which Ben described as the 2nd best team in the AFC (and therefore in football), would be embarrassed to be picking so low and would see the justice in playoff performance determining draft order for the top 12 teams.

There's no way they should have been 8-8, but it's poetic justice that they pick high to make up for the season.

Of course, if the league were willing to change their record to 9-7, I'd have no issue with that either.

The new rule rights a wrong, plain and simple.

I don't see why teams who make a good run ought to be punished for overcoming substantial odds.

[Imran Siddiqui]

In the NBA, every non-playoff team picks before every playoff team; that's how it should be.

QFT.

The draft is supposed to allocate the best new players based on need. So, the worst teams pick first and then the better teams pick after them. Why should teams that made it to the playoffs get an advantage in drafting?

[Ben Kenobi]

Ben, why would NE care? It doesn't help them, and in the future more likely hurts them than helps them.

Why would you say that? They are the primary beneficiaries.

It's a silly rule, and they're the only major league that I know of that uses regular season performance nearly entirely to determine draft order, instead of playoffs/nonplayoffs.

NHL does it the same way. Playoff performance is irrelevant to how you pick. This way teams that show up in the playoffs are rewarded, rather then punished.

In the NBA, every non-playoff team picks before every playoff team; that's how it should be. The fact that it took this long is the only questionable bit.

I don't have a disagreement with the distinction that playoff teams should always come after those that fail to make the playoffs, but wrt to those teams that do make the playoffs, it should be the same as those who don't make the playoffs, overall rank in the NFL.

[Ben Kenobi]

The draft is supposed to allocate the best new players based on need. So, the worst teams pick first and then the better teams pick after them. Why should teams that made it to the playoffs get an advantage in drafting?

What do you do when a team that has 11 wins fails to make the playoffs and a team with 8 wins does? Do you screw the 8 win team twice?

Are you saying that the Chargers were a superior team to the Patriots last season?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Chargers made it to the playoffs. They are in a better position, with the relative weakness of their opponents in division and all, to make it again.

[snoopy369]

How does New England benefit from this rule? You did follow that they aren't changing the draft for this year, right? A team next year that misses the playoffs but gets 10-6 will benefit, sure, but NE isn't (necessarily) that team.

If Denver is 13-3, KC is 12-4, and SD is 10-6 next year, and (say) BAL is 11-5 under PIT's 12-4, you'll be the first beneficiary

[snoopy369]

How is it screwing the 8 win team twice, exactly? I'd say the 10-6 team was the one screwed - screwed by being in the tough division, while the 8-8 team was lucky to be in the division with the ****ty teams that allowed an 8-8 team to make the playoffs.

I'd say if you are going to have a venomous rage, it should be that the 8-8 Chargers made the playoffs (or 9-7 or whatever fantasy you want to have) and the 10-6 Patriots did not...

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'd say if you are going to have a venomous rage, it should be that the 8-8 Chargers made the playoffs (or 9-7 or whatever fantasy you want to have) and the 10-6 Patriots did not...

But then he'd have to be mad at the Chargers .