While this offseason presents the third round of Ravens-Lamar Jackson negotiations, key variables are part of the 2023 equation. Jackson is due for free agency (well, the franchise tag) in March, and the Ravens now have an offensive coordinator vacancy.
Greg Roman‘s departure will lead to Jackson, his status as a free agent-to-be notwithstanding, having input on the team’s next play-caller, GM Eric DeCosta said Thursday. Jackson endorsed a tweet indicating his Louisville years involved a pro-style offense, and while this could complicate the Ravens’ OC search — as Roman ran a run-heavy offense that capitalized on Jackson’s historic ground-game impact — the team has some major issues to sort through.
As could be expected, both Ravens power brokers expect Jackson back in 2023. DeCosta said (via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley) he does not see any reason why the former MVP would not be back, while John Harbaugh offered a stronger stance.
“I want him here; Eric DeCosta wants him here; [owner] Steve Bisciotti wants him here, and Lamar wants to be here,” Harbaugh said. “One hundred percent, you know, 200%. Lamar Jackson is our quarterback. He’s been our quarterback.”
The Ravens have long been expected to apply the franchise tag to Jackson, who has been extension-eligible since January 2021 but just played out his fifth-year option season. DeCosta has not committed to using the exclusive franchise tag or the nonexclusive tag, indicating (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio) he thinks about that decision “every day.”
An exclusive tag is expected to come in at $45MM, which would place a historic cap figure atop the Ravens’ payroll ahead of free agency. A nonexclusive tag would cost the Ravens approximately $32MM. That gap will be notable for when the Ravens plot out their free agency course, though the lower amount would allow other teams to sign Jackson to an offer sheet. The Ravens would collect two first-round picks in the event they do not match an offer sheet.
Considering recent events — Jackson’s injury, team frustration about his inability to return, Jackson’s comments on the injury and his thinly veiled Instagram shot at the team’s attitude toward him — the Ravens’ full-fledged commitment is logical. They have maintained they have wanted to extend Jackson since 2021. DeCosta and Harbaugh met with Jackson on Thursday, but progress in these negotiations still appears elusive. DeCosta said (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) he is excited to resume extension talks but noted it “takes two to tango.” The GM said this last year as well.
The Ravens are believed to have offered Jackson a six-year extension worth $133MM fully guaranteed. That figure would place Jackson in second place but second place by a gargantuan margin. Deshaun Watson‘s $230MM full guarantee is believed to be Jackson’s target, but the Ravens — and other teams — are attempting to treat the Browns quarterback’s contract as an outlier. While Jackson has outpaced Watson in accomplishments thus far and has not run into any off-field trouble like the Cleveland QB has, the latter’s contract did come via a rare trade derby that involved a four-team bidding war.
As for the speculation Jackson did not return to action this season because of his contract, DeCosta denied this (via BaltimorePositive.com’s Luke Jones). Harbaugh added the three-time Pro Bowler was close to returning to action. Jackson said last week he had a grade 2 PCL sprain that bordered on a grade 3 sprain, which is essentially a tear.
The recent Jackson developments have led some around the league to believe the Ravens will entertain trade offers — likely in a tag-and-trade scenario. DeCosta said (via Hensley) the team will not discuss anything involving a Jackson trade but believes the 25-year-old standout wants to stay in Baltimore for the duration of his career. Jackson has said the same in the past, but recent events and the team’s upcoming negotiations with the still-agent-less player may test that commitment.
Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) the team will consider internal candidates to replace Roman. The team operated this way in 2016 (Marty Mornhinweg) and 2019 (Roman). The most recent external hire for the job was Marc Trestman, who held the role from 2015-16. The Ravens will look outside the organization this time; the team must interview at least one external minority candidate to comply with the Rooney Rule.
The team’s passing-game struggles may well be attributed to Jackson, Jackson’s backups and Roman, but its issues at wide receiver have been a consistent concern. Harbaugh pointed to the team needing more receiving help this offseason, Zrebiec tweets. The team will have its top two wideouts — Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay — coming off major foot injuries, and it looks like more help will be sought. Procuring said aid on the market has not been the easiest thing for the run-heavy team to do, but receiver will be again be a focus for the Ravens this offseason.
So if he’s your QB 200% as Harbaugh said, then pay him. Stop the empty talk and pay the man. You know what he expects. 6 year $133m would equal just over $22m a year. What a slap in the face. I think what he’s asking for is nuts, but what they’ve offered is equally as offensive.
The writer was vague but what he meant was that 133 million is the guaranteed salary. I’ve read before that they offered 300 million but it wasn’t fully guaranteed. I think Jackson is a terrific threat and makes any offense dangerous but he’s not getting fully guaranteed money.
Lol, he’s not asking for $22m a year, he’s asking for like $47m a year. Do you even follow football?
I’d put the non-exclusive tag on him. If he stays, it gives you one more year at a somewhat reasonable price (by current NFL standards) to evaluate his health and his attitude. If somebody else signs him away, it’s the same thing as trading him away for two first rounders.
No QB should be able to decide who their OC is. You’re a player. Play the game and that’s it.
Yeah, how dare any quarterback want to find an OC that’s actually on the same page as them. They should be treated as little children, with any input ignored
You think Lamar, Murray, and Watson should have a say in who runs the O? They’ve proven very little as QB’s and now want to grant them coaching decisions?
“Having an input” and “making a decision” are two different animals. Also, yes, if I have a modicum of faith in the quarterback I am paying big money to, I would want to find an OC that clicks with him
That’s a losing formula. Sorry, but 3 guys who paid very little attention in school, then were drafted to high stage, and performed mediocre at best (less Lamar’s 1 MVP season), in the NFL shouldn’t have a say?
Brees, Brady, either Manning, Ben, AR may had talk behind the screen, but never interviewed potential staff candidates.
Murray is so pathetic they had to add ‘study film’ into his contract. And you want his input, Ha! Thanks for the laugh!!
Jackson has a 45-17 career won loss record. Watson has a career 104 quarterback rating. Not necessarily disagreeing with you about whether they should pick their coordinator or not but to call them mediocre at best is ridiculous unless you want to call Allen, Burrow and Herbert mediocre at best too
Sticking with my 3, Watson, Lamar, and Murray.
If you were running a $100M+ business would you ask the input of a person charged with over 20 rapes, using gold teeth to say “I NEED MONEY’, or Murray needing clauses to watch legit film, not Xbox games as a sounding board?
Allen, Burrow and Herbert don’t have an MVP and neither has a QBR over 100 for their career. Don’t let facts get in your way
When do you see them asking for input on their staff’s?
“…Telesco said Justin Herbert will have input as to who the team hires as its next play-caller” (PFR; earlier today)
Oops
Thanks for the reminder. From google on Herbert: Matching a 4.01 GPA in the classroom with his record-setting performance on the field, Justin Herbert’s exceptional accomplishments place him among the best student-athletes in the history of college football. Herbert graduated with a degree in science.
Herbert is a professional that took school serious. See the difference, probably not.
And yet Watson and Jackson have playoff victories that Herbert doesn’t have. But hey, if the Chargers ever need someone to write a thesis paper, Herbert is their man
Just say you don’t like them because they’re black. Since the only 3 you want to talk about are, and you won’t consider Allen, Burrow, and Herbert
Keep reading. I mention the professionalism of Dak & Geno Smith. But keep trying.
It seems like you’re coming to unverified conclusions here. Having input /=/ interviewing staff candidates. Nobody has substantiated this rumor.
Losing formula is thinking just picking any OC and trying to fit players into their mold. Having your QB understand the OC’s scheme going into a season plays a HUGE part. There’s a difference between making the hire, and having input… I don’t think you’re correctly separating the 2.
A) According to you, every quarterback under the sun who isn’t a surefire hall-of-famer is “mediocre”
B) Who said anything about letting quarterbacks interview potential staff candidates?? Again, there is a stark difference between a player endorsing a particular coordinator and actually making the decision
A) No. I’d pay attention to profession QB’s. Cousins, Dak, Tannehill as examples rather than gangbangers. Not single HoF’er on that list.
B)Your words “Having an input” means they have influence over the decision.
Yes, influence over the decision. Not making it. Glad we agree.
Lol to Tannehill being better than Watson and Jackson.
“Gangbangers.” Wtf? Obviously Watson is a pretty terrible person, but as far as I’m aware, Jackson and Murray haven’t engaged in criminal behavior.
This argument no longer makes any sense
@wagner – I’d like to be involved in the hiring of my manager so we’re on the same page.
The guy gets paid to perform a function. He doesn’t own the team, nor is he management. He needs to stay in his swim lane.
The Steelers are a prime example of what happens when a QB has too much input on an OC. Roethlisberger didn’t like Haley, got him fired and the team Ben’s buddy, Fichtner.
Monumental mistake that has led us to where we are now, as the Steelers moved on and hired a buddy of the head coach
And I’ll say with regards to Jackson and Watson, no, they’re not mediocre. Extremely gifted athletes. But neither will ever lead a team to a Super Bowl win
I totally agree. Once you give a player a chance to be part of that process, you are opening a can of worms that might bite you in the backside. Teams should have structure and a chain of command. do you think Nick Bosa is going to have input on who the next DC is in SF? Not a chance. GM’s hire coaches and players. coaches coach. Players play. Never let the inmates run the asylum.
I bet they keep the leadership on defense in the loop about who they’re interviewing. Why wouldn’t you get the players prospective? Players around the league talk to each other and can get information about the prospective coach that management might not be able to get.
Greatest day to be a Ravens fan except for those couple of days in 2000 and 2013 😉
Don’t forget 1996 when Ravens beat Raiders in first game at old Memorial Stadium. It brought the NFL back to Baltimore from a long hiatus after the drunk Bob Irsay moved the beloved Colts to Indy. The name and colors should have stayed in Baltimore along with the records. The NFL did that for the Browns.
I think the Ravens should trade him to the highest bidder as long as the haul isn’t below market value. There are definitely a few teams that are desperate for a QB. Too much risk to give Lamar a long term contract with a big dollar guarantee.
A lot of risk in trying to draft his replacement too.
Yeah, nobody should believes this.
Based on leadership comments here tagging him at 45 not 32 seems more probable. Which does open up trade possibilities. That said; I’d tag him at 32. Can’t see another team swooping in and forfeiting 2 ones on a run first QB with recent injury history. And with these recent injury woahs along with negative social media comments about the org, I’d stay away from a long term deal with a 10 foot pole.
Go 10M higher than Wilson and this should be a done deal.
Are they going to give him his own personal office too? SMH
I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of OCs out there who want their QB to run the football. Maybe they can hire someone from Army/Navy/Air Force…
I think you’re very wrong. The RPO is very dangerous and difficult to defend. If you don’t have a mobile quarterback, not much of a threat. Outside of Burrow, most of the recent drafts feature quarterbacks that can run. Of course you’ll run someone like Jackson and Fields more than you would run Herbert and Pickett.
Pickett should run more, his arm is atrocious. When he throws the ball, he has absolutely no clue where it’s going. He can’t throw a fade to the corner of the end zone, but that’s all probably problems of Canada and not actually the guy playing.
What? Can you say Jalen Hurts? Dude runs it the best
Steelers are fine with Pickett. If he doesn’t get knocked out and replaced by Trubisky throwing 3 picks in the red zone against Ravens in first game, Steelers make playoffs instead of Ravens.
You love to play the “what if” game, don’t you? If Jackson doesn’t get hurt, Ravens are still playing
Hey deer hunter- you are right about that. Ravens should still be playing even with Huntley, although healthy Lamar would put up a lot more points for team.
I do love playing the what if game and how a few plays here or there affects each game and playoff positions. It’s like that in all sports.