Getty A former Baltimore Ravens' starter has advice for Lamar Jackson after the quarterback revealed he's requested a trade.
Lamar Jackson’s asked for a trade because the Baltimore Ravens won’t pay him what he wants. There’s only one way out of this standoff now, according to former Ravens’ safety Tony Jefferson II.
He played for the Ravens from 2017 to ’21, and Jefferson believes he knows what’s in the “best interest” for both his former team and the “best talent I’ve seen or been around.”
It’s hard to fault Jefferson’s logic while Jackson and general manager Eric DeCosta remain at loggerheads over a new contract. The situation took a new, all-too public turn on Monday, March 27, when Jackson took to Twitter to reveal he’s already asked for a trade.
Baltimore’s QB1 made the request on March 2, prompted by frustrations over the Ravens having “not been interested in meeting my value.”
in regards to my future plans. As of March 2nd I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value, any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team
The timing of Jackson’s revelation was far from subtle. Just moments prior to Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh speaking at the annual NFL owners meeting.
While Harbaugh remained diplomatic when asked about Jackson’s tweets, he did make it clear the Ravens are planning for every eventuality involving the future of their franchise quarterback.
Split Beginning to Look Inevitable for Lamar Jackson, Ravens
The writing is starting to appear visible on the wall for Jackson’s future with the Ravens. It’s come to this largely because Jackson has wanted all or at least a good portion of the cash and years in his next contract fully guaranteed.
The Ravens have been reluctant to accede to these demands entirely, although ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on his podcast (h/t Ravens Vault co-host Sarah Ellison) the team did offer Jackson a deal including $133 million “fully guaranteed at signing.”
If Jackson is trying to force the issue, he couldn’t have timed the tweets about his trade request any better. It’s a move NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport described as “probably the most calculated, savvy move that has made through this entire saga.”
From NFL Now: Reacting to and explaining the trade request from #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson…
Jackson doesn’t have an agent, so he’s essentially having to plan and execute his own strategy. This move forced the Ravens to publicly discuss their quarterback wanting out, leaving Harbaugh to have to address the team’s alternatives to Jackson.
For his part, Harbaugh poured cold water on there being any grand design behind the timing of Jackson’s latest social media activity, saying “I don’t read too much into it,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley:
John Harbaugh was asked about the timing of Lamar Jackson’s tweet about a trade request just before he spoke at the owners meetings.
“I’m not sure,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t read too much into it.”
Harbaugh’s words appear fanciful now a solution to suit both parties doesn’t seem likely without Jackson leaving and the Ravens getting top-tier compensation in return. What top-tier recompense will look like is the two first-round picks DeCosta positioned the Ravens to get by applying the non-exclusive franchise tag to Jackson. It means Jackson can listen to offers and any offer the Ravens decline to match nets the team a pair of premium draft choices.
Having those extra picks would give DeCosta and Harbaugh greater means to find Jackson’s successor. Replacing No. 8 is a possibility, with Harbaugh admitting “he has to plan for all the contingency plans,” per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic:
Harbaugh said he still anticipates Lamar Jackson being the team’s QB but said he has to plan for all the contingency plans.
There are no shortage of potential destinations for Jackson if the Ravens decide to go the trade route, including the team holding the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Ravens Could Fetch Top-4 Pick for Jackson
The Carolina Panthers own the top pick in this year’s draft after trading with the Chicago Bears. That pick puts the Panthers in the prime position to select one of the marquee quarterbacks in this class, Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.
Nonetheless, Zrebiec believes Panthers’ “owner David Tepper has been aggressive in acquiring average quarterbacks. What might he do to land Jackson?” Naturally, the No. 1 pick “would seem to be a tempting treat for the Ravens if they are going to lose Jackson.”
Zrebiec also mentioned the Indianapolis Colts, owners of the fourth-overall pick, as a potential trade suitor. The Colts are a popular choice, with Heavy’s Senior NFL Reporter Matt Lombardo also naming Indy as a landing spot thanks to an intriguing scheme fit: “pairing new head coach Shane Steichen with Jackson, following Steichen’s influence over the past two seasons helping develop Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts into an MVP front-runner in 2022 could vault the Colts into the forefront of the conversation in the AFC.”
Getting a top-five pick for Jackson, along with more first-round value next year, seems like the ideal way to make the best of a bad situation. Jackson is getting more bullish in his desire to leave and promote a market for his talents, while the Ravens’ apparent passive stance is making the franchise appear at the mercy of one player.
As Jefferson put it, neither side is being best served by things as they stand.