On the Clock: Is "Sudfeld-ing" Worth It?

On the Clock: Is "Sudfeld-ing" Worth It?

Will the payoff of a sixth overall pick be worth the tanking of the season finale?

     Taking a dive. Sandbagging it. Tanking. There are a lot of names for intentionally losing (despite the head coach's adamant denial of doing so), but I think there should be a new name for throwing in the towel and looking forward to next season. Sudfeld-ing. Public reception to Doug Pederson's benching of Jalen Hurts for third-string clipboard warrior, Nate Sudfeld, has been overwhelmingly negative with stories emerging throughout the week that players had to be restrained from Pederson on the sideline after his controversial switch at quarterback. There has even been a call for the NFL to intervene and launch an investigation into the Eagles front office for their blatant affront to the game on national television. New York Giants coach, Joe Judge, was practically foaming at the mouth in his most recent press conference, declaring that his football team would "never disrespect the game" in the manner that Doug Pederson did on Sunday night. Needless to say, the optics are not positive for Gang Green.

    Make no mistake, much of this self-righteous indignation is simply preposterous and, in many ways, hypocritical. The Giants are calling out the Eagles for benching Jalen Hurts and costing them a potential spot in the postseason (as if they, at 6-10 really deserved a postseason spot...come on, man!), but didn't they bench Eli Manning for Geno Smith just a few short years ago on their way to a 3-13 record and a second overall pick? The Jets call a Cover-0 blitz on 3-and-10 with 0:19 left on the clock and we giggle rather than condemn at their prolonged ineptitude. Last year, the Bengals benched Andy Dalton for Ryan Finley in 2019 and nobody called them out for their intentional submarining of their season. In the NFL, this is a basic formula: you take your punches, you fire the coach, and the owner declares a fresh start with the team's flashy new high draft pick. A new face of the franchise. Years of hindsight have proven that this formula works. The Colts go from 2-14 in 2011 to 11-5 in 2012 with Andrew Luck at the helm. The Texans soar from a 2-14 record in 2013 to 9-7 in 2014 with Jadaveon Clowney coming off the edge. From a business standpoint, there really is no impetus for teams lobbying for better draft position to win games once they've been eliminated from postseason contention. You lose and you look to the future.

Was it worth it, New York? Was it worth it?!?

    Listed in the chart below is my comparison of the sixth overall pick vs. the ninth overall pick in the last eleven NFL drafts:

    To be fair, many of those ninth overall picks boomed just as loud as some of their sixth overall counterparts. Luke Kuechly was one of the best linebackers in the NFL before injuries forced him out of the league. Tyron Smith has been a perennial Pro-Bowler for years. Ditto with Anthony Barr. mike McGlinchey is a fantastic offensive lineman for the 49ers. But, oh man, just look at some of these sixth overall selections. Justin Herbert, though the sample size is just under one full season, looks like a legitimate franchise quarterback. Quenton Nelson is one of the best, if not the best, interior offensive linemen in the league. Jamal Adams is one of the premier safeties in the league. Julio Jones is a future Hall of Famer. Russell Okung has had a successful run at left tackle throughout his career. Are there misses? Sure, there are misses. Daniel Jones hasn't really impressed in his two year stint as the Giant's QB1. Morris Claiborne never developed into the type of player we thought he'd be. Nearly the whole 2013 first round draft class was nauseating. But misses happen at every draft position (cough, cough, Ryan Leaf, cough, cough) and there's a difference between sixth and ninth. It hurts to lose, but you're doing yourself more harm than good if you win a meaningless game late in the season. Pride be damned; would you really prefer John Ross over Jamal Adams?

A player of Jamal Adams' pedigree can drastically change your defensive outlook.

    The NFL draft is inherently flawed in that it actively rewards losing. The system encourages it. Remember "Suck for Luck"? "Tank for Tua"? Why should you try to win meaningless games when doing so impinges on your ability to build up your franchise? What's the payoff? I mean, just take up a look up I-95 to New York; how has winning two games worked out for the New York Jets? What is one or two meaningless wins really going to do for you in the long run? Good job, Jets. You beat the Browns and you beat the Rams. Great! You cost yourself TREVOR FRICKIN' LAWRENCE! Rich Eisen worded this dichotomy succinctly on his daily talk show by averring would you rather be reflecting back on that one win five years from now ("Ha! Take that, Washington! We knocked you out of the playoffs!") or would you rather be reaping the benefits of drafting one of the premier talents coming out of college? Oh, but what about the fans, you might say. How could you do this to the fans? How could you lose intentionally when the fans practically live and die with the team, when people call in to sports radio at 6:00 AM, sobbing and decrying the Eagles' organization for wronging them? Well, here's the deal: statistically, looking back at the last ten years, the difference between that sixth overall pick and the ninth overall pick (where the Eagles would be drafting should they have pulled out the victory) should not be overlooked. As much as it hurt watching the Eagles go out with nary a whimper on a national broadcast, let's be honest, when Roger Goodell walks up to the podium in Cleveland, Ohio, do you really expect Eagles fans to boo when we take Patrick Surtain II, Micah Parsons, or whoever it may be at the sixth overall position? In two words: HELL NO!

Images courtesy of Sports Illustrated (si.com).