For the second straight offseason, the Lamar Jackson contract situation will overshadow everything in Baltimore and according to one report, the door has never been more wider for a potential trade.
According to Jamison Hensley of ESPN, if the Ravens and Lamar Jackson can’t find common ground and compromise on a new contract, then the possibility of Lamar being traded out of Baltimore has “never been more likely.”
According to Hensley, Lamar Jackson is seeking a fully guaranteed contract that exceeds what the Browns gave Deshuan Watson. A “source with knowledge of the situation” told Hensley that all of Jackson’s counteroffers to the Ravens during negotiations last year were for fully guaranteed contracts that were more than what Watson received.
“Just because the Browns were desperate doesn’t mean that the Ravens are,” one high-ranking NFL executive said. “They are a stable franchise. They aren’t about to jump at something just because Cleveland did it.”
The next step in the contract negotiations will be about the franchise tag. On a non-exclusive franchise tag, other teams can sign Jackson but would have to give the Ravens two first-round picks. The exclusive tag, set at $45 million, lets the Ravens control the race terms. It Baltimore wants more than two first-rounders for Jackson, the exclusive tag is the way to go.
At the season-ending press conference, both GM Eric DeCosta and HC John Harbaugh said they were 100% fully committed to having Lamar Jackson as their staring quarterback going forward.
Whether that holds up is will be determined over the course of the next couple of months..
