Last week, the Baltimore Ravens placed the franchise tag on star quarterback Lamar Jackson which prevented him from entering the free agent market.
On Wednesday, teams will be eligible to submit an offer sheet to the 2019 league MVP. The Ravens will have five days to match the offer, otherwise they will receive draft pick compensation from the club that signs him.
But according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, it’s unlikely that teams will sign Jackson to an offer sheet since they’d have to risk giving up a pair of first-round selections. Graziano explained that interested teams would likely prefer to discuss “a more traditional trade” for the 26-year-old:
“Based on the conversations I’ve had, there are teams interested in pursuing a potential Jackson trade if he decides he wants out of Baltimore, but I don’t know that you’ll see anyone submit a formal offer sheet that puts two first-round draft picks at risk if the Ravens don’t match. I think teams would rather talk to the Ravens about a more traditional trade, though of course they’d also at some point have to talk to Jackson because he’d have to sign the franchise tender before he could be traded.”
If he wasn’t assigned the franchise tag, Jackson would have been the biggest name available in free agency. But as it stands, there are four options on the table for the Ravens and Jackson: Play 2023 under the franchise tag, sign an extension, get traded or move to another team via offer sheet.
There aren’t any strong indicators that Jackson and the Ravens are anywhere close to a resolution,
either. QB-needy teams like the Las Vegas Raiders (signed Jimmy Garoppolo), New Orleans Saints (signed Derek Carr) and Carolina Panthers (traded for the first overall pick) have made big moves to address the game’s most important position. The New York Jets appear to be waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers, hoping the four-time MVP will accept a trade from the Green Bay Packers.
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It’s truly anybody’s guess how the Jackson saga will end, but it’s certainly a top storyline to follow until a resolution is reached.
