Getty Lamar Jackson isn't going to recruit for the Ravens in free agency.
Lamar Jackson is having fun with NFL free agency. The Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback is staying away from trying to recruit other players via social media.
Jackson joked with a former teammate about his poor track record in this area. Instead, No. 8 is happy to let general manager Eric DeCosta continue to take to the lead.
DeCosta knows Jackson’s next contract is still on the agenda for the Ravens, who were silent on the first day of so-called “legal tampering.” Others around the league are also only too aware of Jackson’s contract situation, with one All-Pro defensive end joking he’s ready to welcome him to a new team.
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Jackson Has Some Advice for Former Raven
Monday, March 14 was naturally a busy day with teams allowed to offer and agree terms with free agents. It was also a day for players comfortably ensconced with their teams to test their own recruiting skills. All in good fun, of course.
Jackson wasn’t willing to partake, telling a former Ravens star why via Twitter:
Jackson’s choice to retweet a message from New England Patriots’ edge-rusher Matthew Judon was fitting. Judon left the Ravens for the Pats in 2021, and it wasn’t clear if Jackson was referring to Judon’s decision to defect when he referenced his attempts to reach out. He doesn’t play in the AFC North any more, but Judon is still in the same conference as the Ravens and qualifies as a direct competitor.
It’s also fair to say Judon has been far from shy in his own attempts to recruit players for the Patriots. In fact, to say he’d been active in this area would be an understatement.
Judon had a message for another former Ravens teammate, nose tackle Michael Pierce:
The two played together for four seasons in Baltimore. Pierce has been released by the Minnesota Vikings after refusing to take a pay cut, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Judon wasn’t done there. He next set his sights on safety Tyrann Mathieu:
Mathieu, a Super Bowl-winning star for the Kansas City Chiefs, has been a popular pick for the Ravens in the build-up to free agency. The idea has been endorsed by many, including Ravens Wire writer Kevin Oestreicher.
There’s a better chance of it happening now the Chiefs won’t offer Mathieu a new deal after agreeing a deal with Justin Reid, per Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams.
Judon isn’t keeping quiet, and neither are a few of Jackson’s current fellow Ravens. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey has been among the most boisterous.
Humphrey wants the team to sign ex-Seattle Seahawks’ middle linebacker Bobby Wagner:
Bobby Wagner with PQ Wowwww
Ravens’ inside ‘backer Patrick Queen doesn’t hate the idea:
Sheeshh
Meanwhile, safety Tony Jefferson is determined to convince 35-year-old defensive lineman Calais Campbell to return for another season at M&T Bank Stadium:
There’s a lot of noise coming out of the Ravens’ camp. Jackson isn’t taking part in it, but he can’t tune out the noise emanating from outside.
Jackson Welcomed to New Orleans
DeCosta still hasn’t agreed a new contract with the Ravens’ franchise quarterback. It leaves Jackson set to play on the fifth-year option of his original rookie deal in 2022.
The Ravens can still extend or even use the franchise tag. Yet, the longer the sort-of-saga drags out, the more uncertainty there is regarding Jackson’s long-term status in Baltimore.
Uncertainty breeds opportunity for others, and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan isn’t sleeping on that opportunity. He sent Jackson a clear message on Twitter:
It’s likely all in jest, but even the remotest suggestion Jackson could move on will make many Ravens fans nervous. The Saints need a new quarterback and few would be a better fit than the 2019 NFL MVP.
For now, Jackson is staying put and it’s a safer bet to assume the Ravens get a deal done with the dual-threat ace, even if DeCosta and Co. might need to accelerate their own recruitment drive.