Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been dominating NFL trade rumor talks ever since the organization placed the franchise tag on him.
The franchise tag ensures that the Ravens won’t lose Jackson for nothing to free agency. If a team decides to submit an offer sheet to Jackson, Baltimore will have five days to match. If they don’t, the Ravens will receive draft compensation in return.
Jackson has been linked to plenty of teams in the last few days, including the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell explored clubs that made sense as a landing spot for Jackson, and he provided a potential trade offer for each.
Barnwell made a compelling case for the Chicago Bears to acquire Jackson. His proposed trade: A three-team deal involving the Indianapolis Colts. Barnwell put together a scenario in which the Bears land Jackson, Baltimore’s No. 22 selection in this year’s draft as well as Indy’s 2024 second-round 2025 third-round draft picks.
Indianapolis would receive this year’s first overall selection from Chicago plus a 2024 fourth-rounder and a 2025 fifth-rounder from Baltimore. As for the Ravens’ return? Barnwell suggested Bears’ signal-caller Justin Fields, the No. 4 selection from Indy plus the Colts’ 2024 first-rounder:
“Here’s one way every team would land what it wants. The Bears would get three first-round picks for the top selection and immediately ship two of them to the Ravens for Jackson, while also landing second- and third-round picks for Fields. The Colts would trade up from No. 4 to No. 1 and sacrifice their top two picks in 2024 (and a third-rounder in 2025) to get their pick of the quarterbacks.
The Ravens, meanwhile, would trade Jackson and their own first-round pick and land both Fields and two first-rounders from the Colts, including the No. 4 overall selection. Landing at No. 4 would give the Ravens a chance to either trade down for more selections or to go after the best defensive player available. The Bears probably prefer to stick with Fields or draft a quarterback at No. 1, but it’s a fun thought exercise.”
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This is only a hypothetical trade, but it does make sense on paper. Baltimore and Chicago would both get new franchise quarterbacks with 1,000 rushing yard seasons under their belts, and Indy would get to choose between Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud with the first overall pick.
It’s just one of countless potential blockbuster Lamar Jackson trade scenarios that was creatively put together here by Barnwell. Only time will tell us how things unfold from here.
