DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 29:Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders works the sidelines against the Denver Broncos in the first quarter at Empower Field at Mile High on December 29, 2019, in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Trevor Lawrence could be the next great NFL quarterback and these five teams should strongly consider tanking the season to land him.
Tanking is often considered a dirty word in NFL circles. The Miami Dolphins were widely hammered for putting together a miserable roster with an inherent goal of tanking for Tua Tagovailoa, a strategy that worked out for them when he fell in the NFL Draft due to a hip injury.
That tactic probably won’t work with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, who has scouts drooling and may be the most hyped quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. Lawrence has been destined to go pro since leading the Tigers to a national championship as a freshman, but he has just one more year of college eligibility to play through. These five teams should strongly consider tanking for Trevor, beginning with the Las Vegas Raiders.
5. Las Vegas Raiders
Let’s say this at the top. Las Vegas won’t intentionally tank. The Raiders are in a new city trying to create buzz. However, if injuries happen and things go south, they should dream of Lawrence.
The Raiders don’t have the star quarterback to serve as a marquee attraction. Derek Carr is a fine NFL starter, but his ceiling is limited to merely a very good quarterback.
It is also no secret that Raiders’ coach Jon Gruden loves his quarterbacks and wants to land a big star. Getting Lawrence could give Gruden the big-armed passer he covets to build around in Las Vegas for the next 15 years.
The AFC West is also going to be a tough slog for the Raiders, who are worse than the Chiefs and have to fight off both the Broncos and Chargers to stay in the wild card picture. Instead of expending energy in that chase, the Raiders could take a dive to land the best quarterback prospect in years.