‘Take your job’ – NFL stars playing for futures as draft order takes spotlight

There’s always something on the line, even when there looks to be nothing.

Week 18 of the NFL season carries little weight this year when it comes to postseason implications.

Myles Garrett is not focused on individual achievements in Week 18, he isn’t worried about losing to secure a higher draft pick
Getty

Of the possible 14 playoff teams, 12 are already decided, and much of the seeding has already been set.

This year, Week 18 brings excitement to the teams who are at the bottom, as they look to position themselves at the top of the draft.

Heading into the weekend there are four teams with three losses, and five teams with four losses.

To put it plainly, there have been an unusual amount of really bad teams this year, and with one game to go, the top ten of this year’s draft is anything but set in stone.

Right now, the New England Patriots currently have the no.1 pick in the draft, but a win against the Buffalo Bills‘ backups, and the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns or New York Giants could all jolt to the top of the board with a loss.

The Giants had the no.1 pick heading into last weekend, before upsetting the Indianapolis Colts, and now they are currently picking fourth.

The draft order has never been so volatile at the top.

Which begs the question, what do the players and coaches of these teams want to do?

While the front offices probably prefer to lose and secure a higher pick, there is no tanking in the NFL.

Not when these coaches and players are fighting for their livelihoods.

Getty

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is looking to win their last game of the season[/caption]

Not in a game as brutal and physical as football.

Former NFL player turned analyst, Jason Bell, said that players are playing for their jobs regardless of how the win or loss impacts the future of the team.

“As a player, your only resume is what you put on film,” Bell told talkSPORT in an exclusive interview.

“What’s on the tape, what teams are watching, and how you’re evaluated, especially at the end of the season is are you fighting? 

“You want to be the kind of player that it doesn’t matter what’s happening, you’re gonna go out there and you’re gonna fight, you’re gonna try to win because this is what they think about when they’re building a team. 

“You have about ten stars on your team, those are your guys. 

“The rest of the team, the foundation is built up of people with character, right? 

“You gotta be good, you gotta play well, but it’s who you are day in and day out.

“That is evaluated when the wins and losses necessarily don’t matter, you know, who are you, how do you prepare and how do you step up and play in the game?”

When asked about the Las Vegas Raiders, who have gone from holding the first pick to the eighth in a span of three weeks, Bell, who is close with head coach Antonio Pierce, said that his team is still fighting to win, and that’s important for the culture.

“Think about the head coach who is my friend,” Bell said.

“He’s playing to win and the players respond to him and are playing for him because they respect him.”


“How your team goes out there and plays is a direct reflection of your head coach because they’re playing for him and you see that with teams, they don’t care about draft picks.”

“You know what a draft pick means to me? Somebody’s gonna take my position. 

“You’re gonna draft the guy high. 

 “If he plays my position, I don’t have a job. So of course you’re trying to stop that. 

“There is a conflict of interest when you think of it that way, but we’re the players on the field and the coaches are coaching for their jobs and their legacy. 

“We’re out there to try to win.”

This isn’t the NBA, there is no tanking here, there is only playing for your job and next contract.

Draft order be damned.

talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel.

talkSPORT will bring you live coverage across Week 18 with a double header featuring the Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions

https://talksport.com/nfl/2438848/nfl-draft-tanking-patriots-first-pick-giants/

#fantasyfootball #Sports #Betting #sportsbetting #sportsbettingadvice #freepick #freepicks #sportsbettingtips #handicapping #predictions #sportspredictions #NFL #esports #espn #NBA #NHL #sportsprediction #ncaa #mlb #WNBA #prediction #nhl #nhlplayoffs #nhlpicks #nbapicks #NBAPlayoffs #NFLPlayoffs #espnsports #bettingsports #bettingtips #bettingonline #bettingexpert #basketball #football #soccer #hockey #sportspicks #ncaabasketball #foxsports #cbssports #soccerpredictions #sportingbet