With NFL free agency just around the corner, it is that time of year where reports of players changing teams are running rampant. This latest rumor would have two of the more young and upcoming stars at the quarterback position swapping teams in a move that would change the entire landscape of the league.
The Baltimore Ravens and their former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson tried to work out a long-term deal last off-season, but were unable to come to an agreement. Jackson, who is representing himself in negotiations, is seeking a long-term contract that is fully guaranteed, similar to what the Cleveland Browns gave to DeShaun Watson. The Ravens seem reluctant to hand out a fully guaranteed contract to a QB who has been injured the last few seasons, so it appears they will be franchise tagging Lamar this off season.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, the Bears may have finally found their quarterback of the future, after decades of searching in Justin Fields. And although Fields made some great strides this past season, Chicago still finished with the worse record in the league, which also meant they secured the #1 overall pick in this Spring’s draft.
The question now remains, should Chicago trade their #1 pick in order to help build a team around Fields or perhaps package the two and send to Baltimore in a mega, blockbuster deal to bring Lamar to the windy city. Chicago has the most available cap space in the league, so they would easily be able to give Jackson the contract he is looking for.
This trade (which was one of five Justin Fields trades proposed on Fansided) would seem to make sense for both teams, as both these quarterbacks have similar skillsets, which means both offenses would not need a drastic change. There is a lot of uncertainty at the quarterback position in the NFL right now and some of these questions will begin to get answered once the Free Agency window opens on March 15th.
