OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Regardless of Lamar Jackson rocking the NFL world on March 27 by tweeting he had asked for a trade from the Baltimore Ravens, coach John Harbaugh expressed confidence Jackson would stay his quarterback.
Maybe Harbaugh based mostly his optimism on the actual fact groups have been publicly stating they wouldn’t pursue Jackson, who was given the nonexclusive franchise tag, that means he might negotiate with different groups.
Regardless of the cause, Harbaugh’s instincts proved correct because the Ravens and Jackson agreed in precept to a five-year, $260 million extension on Thursday, simply hours earlier than the NFL draft (8 p.m. ET, ESPN, ABC and ESPN+) started.
Jackson, who doesn’t have an agent and represented himself, grew to become eligible for an extension over two years in the past, however negotiations by no means appeared to achieve momentum. Jackson reportedly was in search of a deal alongside the traces of what Deshaun Watson acquired from the Cleveland Browns, who signed him to a totally assured $230 million contract in March 2022, however the Ravens balked at a totally assured deal.
The contract Jackson agreed to contains $185 million in assured cash, in accordance with a supply, and is price $52 million per 12 months, which is the very best within the league. The Philadelphia Eagles‘ Jalen Hurts will make $51 million after signing his extension on April 17.
Now the Ravens can concentrate on soccer, having signed their QB and improved their broad receiver corps by signing Odell Beckham Jr. on April 13.
ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley examines the timing of the deal, the connection between Jackson and the Ravens and the way this impacts Baltimore going ahead.
Why did the deal get accomplished hours earlier than the draft?
Jackson in all probability did not wish to be the odd man out within the quarterback musical chairs. There is a good likelihood the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts are going to draft quarterbacks early within the first spherical. There was additionally the chance that the Ravens might take Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, who made a pre-draft go to to Baltimore, if he slid within the first spherical. Jackson did not wish to danger that taking place, which might have hampered any leverage he had remaining.
The Ravens performed it deftly, providing Jackson slightly greater than what Hurts obtained 10 days in the past and slightly greater than their final proposal to him in September (5 years for $250 million with $175 million assured).
Did Jackson get what he wished?
Sure and no. Jackson can boast bragging rights that he grew to become the NFL’s highest-paid participant regardless of not having an agent. He’ll make $52 million per season, which is a large increase from his $32 million franchise tag tender. However he did not come near getting the identical assured cash as Watson.
The Ravens insisted Watson’s deal was an outlier, and so they’ve been confirmed proper. The three important quarterback offers signed after Watson – Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson and Hurts – have been every for lower than $190 million assured. Maybe the Hurts deal was a wake-up name for Jackson that his assured cash would not method Watson’s.
Will the deal mend the connection, regardless of Jackson asking for a commerce earlier this 12 months?
The Ravens will contend there may be nothing about their relationship with Jackson to restore. Even when Harbaugh was caught abruptly by Jackson’s announcement that he requested a commerce final month, Harbaugh did not take it personally and stated it was the method of doing enterprise in skilled sports activities. “It is a financial factor,” he stated. “That may be labored out.” And Harbaugh was proper.
Nonetheless, Baltimore’s offseason was constructed round serving to Jackson. The Ravens employed new offensive coordinator Todd Monken to modernize the scheme, moved receivers coach Tee Martin to quarterback coach and upgraded the broad receiver group. Baltimore’s two greatest free-agent signings have been broad receivers – Beckham and Nelson Agholor. It felt just like the addition of Beckham, who acquired $15 million for one season, was a really costly peace providing to Jackson.
Why have been the Ravens so assured Jackson would return, even with the commerce request?
The Ravens sized up the marketplace for Jackson higher than anybody. It appeared like an enormous danger to position the nonexclusive franchise tag on the 26-year-old Jackson. He grew to become the primary NFL MVP quarterback below the age of 30 to be allowed to barter with different groups.
However a number of quarterback-needy groups are choosing within the high half of the primary spherical, the place they’ll get franchise quarterbacks on five-year rookie offers. And different groups just like the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions publicly stated they have been proud of their present quarterback state of affairs.
It was shrewd of Baltimore to make use of the nonexclusive tag, which is $13 million lower than the unique one. By going with the cheaper tag, the Ravens might conceivably have positioned the tag on Jackson for the subsequent two offseasons. If Baltimore performed hardball like that, Jackson would not have reached free company till 2026.
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Do the Ravens take into account Jackson to be totally wholesome?
Harbaugh was requested final month about Jackson’s injured left knee, which brought on him to overlook the final six video games final season, together with the wild-card loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. “I imagine so,” Harbaugh replied when requested if Jackson is wholesome.
The larger query is whether or not Jackson will stay wholesome. Jackson’s sturdiness has come below scrutiny as a result of he hasn’t completed the final two seasons due to an ankle damage in 2021 and a sprained knee in 2022. He has missed 10 of Baltimore’s final 22 video games. It needs to be famous that Jackson was injured eluding the cross rush and never on designed runs. However Jackson does take extra contact than different quarterbacks due to his dual-threat model. Since getting into the league in 2018, Jackson has been hit 877 instances, which is 27 greater than anybody else.
How does Jackson’s deal have an effect on the Ravens going ahead?
The speedy profit is Jackson will attend the obligatory minicamp within the spring and report back to coaching camp on time in the summertime. That is enormous for the Ravens, contemplating Jackson must study a brand new system with Monken and get a rapport with a revamped broad receiver group.
With out this new deal, it was unknown whether or not Jackson would miss most of coaching camp and even sit out the season like operating again Le’Veon Bell did in 2018 after the Pittsburgh Steelers positioned the franchise tag on him.
The opposite side is the wage cap reduction. Jackson’s $32 million tender accounted for 14.4% of Baltimore’s cap. His new deal might unencumber round $10 million in cap area. The Ravens might use that to strengthen Jackson’s supporting solid in addition to his possibilities of successful a Tremendous Bowl.