What should the NFL do about tanking?

There are so many things they could do... but they never will.

For example if two teams tie for 1st overall pick... with say a 0 and 16 record... the team that scored more points during the season should get that #1 pick... and the other team would get #2...

That would make it MUCH harder to lose on purpose.

While I still would think it is definitely unfair for a team down on their luck to also not get a good draft spot (if they really just weren't that good and perhaps, say, had bad coaching) it would be unfair to assume they tanked but - again - this is subjective stuff so - points should be the basis along with the teams win-lose ratio.

If a team ends up 0 and 16 and another team ends up 1 and 16, but the 0 and 16 team scored more points in the season they would (under this approach of mine) still get the #1. 

There are ways (IMO) to detect when a team is tanking - without wiretapping the GM, coach or owner's phones (which would obviously be illegal). 

In the end, teams tank to benefit themselves, not other teams. If the Eagles win on Sunday, what do they get? A worse draft pick. If they lose it benefits them by getting a better pick and putting other players on the field. If they would've won only New York would've benefited. If someone is a fan of the Giants and upset Filthy (Philly) tanked, I'm sorry, but if you're gonna try and be a playoff team, your team has to be better. I'm a Cowboy fan and happy we lost because we wouldn't have done anything in the playoffs. If we would've won, and Philly lost on purpose I wouldn't be upset with Philly, I would've been upset with the Cowboys for being bad, which I am by the way. But yea, teams are gonna do things to benefit themselves, they couldn't give an s about the other team, they're gonna do their own job and get a better draft pick... unless you're the Jets

NOTHING !  SITTING PLAYERS IS ANOTHER FORM OF TANKING .

Losing a game and going from 8th pick to 6th is a world away from tanking.

NHL style lottery among all non-playoff teams; giving heavier weighting to teams that have finished last.  I'd also add the kicker of giving teams with the best record over the last month of the season additional weighting (chances of drafting 1st overall/moving up) as a means of discouraging tanking.  I'd also add that no team can draft in the top 3 (with their own picks; they can trade up/in if they choose) two years running.  Have the lottery before the first wild card playoff game.

They may not want to do anything about it.  

The only people who think will benefit from their team tanking are casual (in other words not very knowledgeable) fans.

When the Colts “sucked for Luck”, they cut half of the players, fired head coach Bill Caldwell with other members of the coaching staff, and even GM Bill Polian.

We saw how it went for the Dolphins, and I don’t blame Doug Peterson for pulling out a QB with 7 out of 20 completions, 0 TD, 1 interception, and 25.4 rating.

For players, it means the team will find their replacements. And for the head coach, even if he manages to stay, a 1-15 or 2-14 season will greatly hurt his W/L record.

How do you prove it?  How do you set a threshold for what is or isn't tanking a game?  An argument could be made that the Steelers tanked this weekend - look at the difference between their team with Big Ben and without.

The Eagles were in a meaningless game, there's no incentive to keep their starter in the full time, especially considering he wasn't playing very well.  It's a simple game of statistics - the longer you're on the field, the greater the chance of something bad randomly happening.  If anything, they should have pulled Tua SOONER.

They should look in to it and launch an investigation.

How did that work out for Indy and Miami? 

I view getting a top pick as more of a punishment than a benefit. Yeah, you might luck into a Peyton Manning once every couple decades but most of the time you end up with something closer to Ryan Leaf. On top of that, the amount of guaranteed money you have to pay them will hold your team back for years. 

The Patriots won 6 sbs and only have 2 top 10 picks since 96 (#6 and #10). Since 2012 they've only had 5 first round picks with the highest being #23. 

Compare that to the Browns who've had 13 top ten picks, (including four #1 overall) since 1999. Out of that they've gotten two playoff appearances and 0 wins.