Getty The Ravens should draft a possible alternative to Lamar Jackson, according to a former NFL GM.
Lamar Jackson’s ongoing will he or won’t he contract situation with the Baltimore Ravens isn’t quite a full-blown saga, but it’s close. The franchise owner sounds confused, the general manager’s making all the right noises, but there’s a hint of desperation. And all the while Jackson is content to let things play out as quietly as possible.
Heavy’s front office insider Randy Mueller weighed in on the apparent standoff this week. Mueller’s column contained several interesting takes, but one stood out above the rest.
The former general manager of the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins thinks the Ravens should select a quarterback early in the 2022 NFL draft. It’s the best way for the franchise to give itself options and avoid overpaying for Jackson down the line.
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Mueller’s bold move is also notable because the signal-caller he’s chosen for the Ravens is not one of the names commonly mentioned among the apparent top prospects in this class.
Ravens Need Insurance Against a Kirk Cousins-Like Scenario
The basic premise behind the argument for the Ravens drafting a quarterback is to help avoid a scenario where the team is forced to pay Jackson whatever he demands. It’s something Mueller thinks is possible, especially if Jackson were to pursue the model favored by Minnesota Vikings’ starter Kirk Cousins.
It was Cousins who twice played under the franchise tag while he was still in Washington. By shunning a long-term contract extension, like the kind the Ravens want Jackson to sign, Cousins bet on himself.
The gamble paid off when Cousins played his way into a contract worth a fully guaranteed $84 million with the Vikings in 2018. If Jackson, who is about to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, goes the same route, Mueller believes the Ravens would have to pay him “the average salary of the five highest-paid players at a position in a given year. That number will in all likelihood be north of $43 million annually in 2022.”
It wouldn’t be the most palatable reality for GM Eric DeCosta, nor owner Steve Bisciotti. That’s why Mueller think the Ravens need a potential alternative, and he’s chosen Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe.
Zappe’s isn’t a name near the top of many draft boards, but Mueller thinks “if he was two inches taller he might be vying for the first QB being considered in this draft. He is accurate, he is comfortable in the pocket, he has plenty of arm strength to go with anticipation and for my money can make all the NFL throws needed to be successful.”
While he isn’t usually mentioned alongside Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis or Sam Howell, Zappe proved last season he could keep pace with the more marquee names at his position, per PFF Draft:
Kenny Pickett & Bailey Zappe were LIGHTS OUT this season ⚡️
The Ravens wouldn’t need to have any worries about the 6’1″, 220-pounder’s arm strength. Zappe made the deep ball his forte in 2021, as these highlights from the CBS Sports Network and relayed by PFF Draft show:
Bailey Zappe’s 46 Big Time Throws in 2021 were the most by ANY QB since 2014 🎯
There was further evidence of Zappe’s ability to launch vertical strikes when he “hit 55-of-56, including 13 deep balls, in freezing conditions that included 20+ mph winds,” per Reese’s Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy. Zappe is also seen “as a dependable backup” by many teams, according to Nagy.
The Ravens would need a viable, good-to-go potential starter behind Jackson, who has never completed a full season during four years in the pros. Yet, this isn’t about merely providing cover against Jackson getting injured.
Drafting a QB would also be aimed at testing Jackson’s desire to stay in Baltimore for the long haul.
Uncertainty Reigns Over Jackson’s Next Contract
Nobody has answers about what Jackson will do next. Least of all the Ravens. You only have to look at Bisciotti’s recent comments from the NFL’s annual owners meeting to know confusion is reigning supreme.
Bisciotti called the situation where the Ravens are waiting on Jackson to enter negotiations “unique as hell,” according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley:
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti on Lamar Jackson’s lack of urgency to negotiate an extension: “It’s unique
as hell … The kid is so obsessed with winning a Super Bowl, that I think deep down, he doesn’t think he’s worthy. I think he wants that to say, ‘Now, I deserve to be on top'”
The owner was also quoted by Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic downplaying the chances of Jackson extending his contract before the start of the season:
Asked about the possibility of Lamar Jackson not signing an ext. this year, Bisciotti said: “Unless he has a change of heart and calls Eric and says I’m ready. But it’s like, Eric can’t keep calling him and say, ‘Hey Lamar, you really need to get in here and get this thing done.”
DeCosta’s been put in a tricky position. He’s likely eager to get a deal done quickly to secure the future of a legitimate franchise quarterback. Any GM in a similar situation would be seized with that sense of urgency.
Yet, DeCosta is being forced to work as Jackson’s pace, or “under Lamar’s urgency” as he put it in early March, per Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus. If DeCosta wants to nudge things along, he might be wise to consider taking a quarterback early on this year as a not-so subtle way of letting Jackson know the Ravens have a backup plan.
It needn’t be a risk to show Jackson there’s somebody in the building who could take his job. The 25-year-old remains committed to the Ravens, something he reiterated via Twitter on Wednesday, March 30:
I love my Ravens I don’t know who the hell putting that false narrative out that I’m having thoughts about leaving stop tryna read my mind🙄
As Mueller pointed out, “the authenticity of Jackson’s motives are only known by him and I would take him at full face value.” Jackson hasn’t done anything to suggest he’s ready to move on from the Ravens ahead of schedule.
With that in mind, drafting a potential successor shouldn’t needle Jackson. It would be one way for the Ravens to confirm their quarterback is committed to the cause.