Jets Tanking Narrative Is Tanking

A major media narrative throughout the spring and summer had the Jets tanking this season to secure a high draft pick in 2018 and grab a potential franchise quarterback.

Based on the Jets’ play over the first couple of months, that certainly looks to be a fallacy at this point.

A big reason this narrative spread like wildfire was the Jets released myriad veterans early last offseason, including cornerback Darrelle Revis, center Nick Mangold, offensive tackle Breno Giacomini, kicker Nick Folk and wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

And this urban legend went to the next level when the Jets released linebacker David Harris and wide receiver Eric Decker in early June.

On June 6, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah tweeted, “From an NFL executive-‘I think the Jets might have the worst roster I’ve seen in a decade.’”

On June 7, an ESPN headline proclaimed: “Now it’s clear: Jets are tanking the season, looking ahead to 2018.”

Under this headline, Rich Cimini wrote about the release of Decker and Harris, stating “In a matter of a few hours on Tuesday — Bloody Tuesday, we’ll call it — the New York Jets’ ongoing rebuilding plan took a sharp turn in another direction. Their GPS has a new destination: Tanksville.”

A June 7 New York Daily News headline proclaimed, “Tanking strategy gets the Green light as Jets dump veterans David Harris, Eric Decker with eye toward next year’s draft.”

Long-time Daily News columnist Gary Myers wrote:

“Tank you very much.

“Connect the green and white dots: Black Tuesday in Florham Park is the final piece of an unsightly 0-16 season that leads to USC quarterback Sam Darnold with the first pick in the 2018 draft.