Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta held an end-of-season press conference on Friday. In it, he provided updates on a number of key points in the team’s upcoming offseason, including the current status of contract negotiations with quarterback Lamar Jackson. 
DeCosta made it clear that he is personally handling talks with Jackson, and has been from the beginning of the negotiation process. He added that the two of them have spoken “five or six times over the past year” (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, DeCosta added “I’m proud of the relationship that we have” (Twitter link).
Jackson certainly didn’t have the season he or the Ravens were expecting. In 12 games, he recorded 2,882 passing yards and a near-even (16:13) touchdown-to-interception ratio. While he added another 767 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, he also had six fumbles. Between those numbers, and a season-ending ankle injury, 2021 was a far cry from Jackson’s 2019 MVP campaign. If anything, that could further complicate his contract talks, which were reportedly not proceeding as hoped earlier in the season. DeCosta stated: “We’re working at Lamar’s pace… We will operate based on his urgency” (Twitter link), suggesting the team is willing to let the 25-year-old play on his fifth year option.
Here are some other important notes from the presser, along with some updates to the team’s coaching staff:
- DeCosta said he expects to pick up the fifth year option on wide receiver Marquise Brown (Twitter link via Hensley). A close friend of Jackson’s, Brown had his most productive season in 2021 (91 catches, 1,008 yards, six touchdowns), though he tailed off considerably late in the campaign.
- The offensive line will be a priority in the offseason. As Zrebiec tweets, DeCosta stated a desire to strengthen the unit overall, though he is “optimistic” left tackle Ronnie Stanley will be able to return to full health after a second major ankle surgery.
- Zreibec adds that the team is planning on getting younger along the defensive front. With that said, DeCosta has already been in communication with veteran Calais Campbell, who was thought to be contemplating retirement throughout the year.
- Hensley tweets that cornerback Marcus Peters is expected to be back. He missed the entire season and his release would create $10MM in cap space, but the former All-Pro would provide a playmaking element to the secondary if healthy.
- As for the coaching staff, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that inside linebackers coach Rob Ryan will not return. Hensley adds that outside LBs coach Drew Wilkins has also been let go, to pursue new opportunities alongside former DC Don Martindale.
- According to Zrebiec, former Raven Zach Orr is a candidate to replace Ryan. After his promising career was abruptly ended due to a rare neck ailment, he’s taken to coaching. He spent 2021 on the Jaguars’ staff.
It might be time to move on from Roman. Roman did an outstanding job breaking Jackson in to the league, but at this point, it’s time for him to progress as a passer. Jackson knows that, of course, and he still has a lot of work to do on his end in going through reads and being patient, and learning how to hit certain throws (every QB should try to learn the back shoulder fade that all elite passers can do).
That said, it’s hard to develop as a passer when the offense is still predicated around the same simplistic passing patterns that defenses have seen repeatedly. The Ravens’ wideouts look worse than they are because they don’t get utilized as much or in the same way as traditional wideouts, but they can be used in better ways. As of now, the offense simply relies too much on Jackson trying to put talent opponents and the others just doing their jobs to help (except Andrews, perhaps).
Jackson may never progress into a volume passer, but if he is ever going to get better and if the Ravens are ever going to be complete as an offense, they need to give him the chance to develop in the passing game with more complex routes and more passing calls. Roman set a good stage for using Jackson’s talents, but he needs to either change his offense more or move aside for someone who will.
Agreed. Hoping Tee Martin gets a chance to take over the reigns at some point… or at least gets to control the passing game.
Jackson is done. It only takes a couple of years and the league figures them out.
Laughable. Lamar has been supposedly “figured out” at the end of every season and then he works his butt off in the off season, comes back, and does what people said he couldn’t previously do.
He was carrying a team missing its stable of RBs, LT, #1 draft pick WR, and big blocking TE through the first half of the year. If by figured out you mean “decimate a team’s roster with injuries” though, then yes, I imagine you’ve discovered how to “figure out” most team’s QBs.
And we still were playing at a high level, so get outta here
Sort of surprising to see how slowly Jackson recovered from his injury. That should serve as the warning shot about giving him a long-term deal.
Lamar is the most overrated QB in the league.
You just recently started watching football huh?