With apologies to Tom Brady’s impending free company/retirement, Lamar Jackson’s standoff with the Baltimore Ravens lingers as probably the most intriguing storyline of the offseason.
Jackson is a perennial MVP candidate, the closest factor the league has to a one-man offense. He’s solely simply turned 26. However he additionally performs a particular, collision-based model, and his final two seasons have ended with accidents. His present model has a shelf life – and there are questions on whether or not he can evolve as he ages or how that evolution impacts his worth.
According to reports, Jackson has turned down a suggestion from the Ravens that features $130m totally assured, a determine that might put him behind Matthew Stafford, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes within the contractual pecking order. Jackson desires to be paid like the very best quarterback within the league – whether or not by the Ravens or another person.
Let’s rank the possible touchdown spots for Jackson this low season in ascending order.
6) New England Patriots
Let’s begin with an outdoor candidate. Approaching the top of his profession, New England head coach Invoice Belichick is keen to make a swing to get the Patriots again into playoff rivalry. Meaning upgrading at quarterback – even in the event you’re a Mac Jones truther.
Belichick has been insular in constructing his workers and buying gamers in recent times. It’s labored on protection. Over the past two seasons mixed, the Pats rank third in EPA per play, a championship-caliber output. However the offense has hit a wall. New England look devoid of concepts; Belichick’s plan to entrust his former defensive lieutenant Matt Patricia with the Pats’ offense in 2022 was a predictable catastrophe. Buying Jackson would power a much-needed, radical shift in philosophy.
Making a swing for Jackson would additionally match with the timeline of Belichick’s teaching profession. Who cares if the contract is ugly on the again finish if it provides the 70-year-old Belichick and 81-year-old proprietor Robert Kraft a shot at a seventh title collectively earlier than they name it a day?
Would Baltimore permit a deal to Belichick, a rival all through the Brady period? No likelihood. Is it potential if Jackson signed a non-exclusive tender? You guess.
5) Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa’s health concerns will hold over Miami’s offseason. Tagovailoa has given no indication that he plans to retire (fairly the alternative) after sustaining a number of concussions through the season, however the Dolphins comprehend it’s a chance within the medium time period. Both they’ll should chase a dependable, costly backup, or they are going to improve their beginning spot now.
Dolphins proprietor Stephen Ross is a infamous meddler. And he’s determined for even a whiff of success as he approaches his mid-80s. He spent two years tampering with Tom Brady. He spent final offseason tampering withSean Payton and Brady, costing his crew a first-round decide on this yr’s draft, one thing which can wind up pushing them out of the Jackson sweepstakes.
Ross might decide to Tagovailoa, who performed to an MVP stage when wholesome in 2022. Or he might pursue Brady once more. Or he might decide the center floor, trying to a confirmed star with fewer short-term harm considerations.
For Jackson, the Dolphins would symbolize the perfect touchdown spot. He could be surrounded by extra firepower than at any level in his profession – and he could be working with an offensive guru who’s at the cutting edge of the place the league goes.
4) New York Jets
The Jets will go whale searching at quarterback this offseason. They usually have the sort of younger, gifted core – on each side of the ball – that ought to have veteran quarterbacks falling over themselves to maneuver to New Jersey. Aaron Rodgers has already been linked. Derek Carr could be a big improve over the Zach Wilson Expertise. Even Tom Brady makes some sense, if he desires to finish his profession within the greatest media market within the nation doing the unattainable: turning the loseriest of loser franchises right into a winner.
If Jackson’s on the transfer, although, the Jets ought to barge to the entrance of the queue. Robert Saleh has the protection buzzing. The offense is brimming with expertise. As roster comparisons go, it’s in all probability a useless warmth between the Ravens and Jets, although the Jets have a transparent benefit at receiver. The Jets have poured a ton of assets into the offensive line, and in Garrett Wilson and Breece Corridor, they’ve drafted a pair of potential super-duper stars.
The query then is whether or not Jackson could be keen to commerce within the consistency and respectability of the Ravens for the volatility of the Jets.
3) Detroit Lions
The Combating Dan Campbell’s are greater than a feelgood story. Two years of rebuilding has Detroit primed to make a run. The Lions ended the season because the NFL’s hottest crew: the protection started to indicate a pulse from the mid-point of the marketing campaign onwards; the offense was explosive, environment friendly, and artistic.
The Lions are nearer to competing for all of it proper now than the consensus suggests. They completed the 2022 season with the third-youngest offense and second-youngest protection by snap-weighted age. When wholesome, the Lions’ offensive line is as gifted as any within the league. They’ve assembled a dynamic receiving group, headlined by Amon-Ra St Brown, DJ Chark and first-round decide Jameson Williams, probably the most explosive receiver in final yr’s draft. The common age of that trio: 23.
With Jared Goff at quarterback, the Lions would be the favorites to win the NFC North subsequent season. With Jackson, they’d transfer into rivalry for the NFC as an entire.
2) Atlanta Falcons
Jackson can single-handily elevate a fringe playoff crew right into a championship contender, and Atlanta seems like the perfect spot. The trail to the playoff runs by means of a awful NFC South. Now that Brady is a free agent, who’s the very best quarterback within the NFC South? Andy Dalton? Sam Darnold? Drop Jackson on the Falcons roster, with no offseason additions, and they’d stroll to the NFC South title by a snug margin.
The Falcons have already got higher weapons on the ability positions than the Ravens. Kyle Pitts and Drake London are the sort of malleable one-two punch each nice fashionable offense wants, they usually have the sort of uncommon, overlapping abilities that might be tough for Baltimore to duplicate in a single offseason.
And the Falcons are simply firstly of their course of. They’ve the No 8 decide within the draft and $80m in cap area to improve their roster. They will chase one other receiving weapon by way of the commerce market – or splurge the money on bettering a moribund protection. They usually can accomplish that with loads of cash left over handy Jackson no matter contract he likes, with out it being too punishing on the again finish if issues go sideways.
If Jackson desires to work in collaboration with a entrance workplace to construct a franchise – and crew – in his picture – one that may compete from yr one – the Falcons take advantage of sense.
1) Baltimore Ravens
Staying in Baltimore stays the almost certainly situation. There’s some logic within the Ravens not matching Jackson’s contractual calls for. The harm historical past. His taking part in model. The issue in constructing round a quarterback making $50m a yr. And but if the Ravens don’t budge on their supply, then they have to be keen to be the franchise that allow Lamar Bleeping Jackson stroll – and to step off the ledge into the quarterback void.
Good luck with that.
Jackson is aware of that. However the Ravens know this: Baltimore stays a really perfect spot to contend for championships. Jackson is balancing two priorities: first, maximizing his worth, figuring out his model has much less longevity than a few of his contemporaries; second, discovering a spot the place he can compete for a Tremendous Bowl straight away. It’s potential to realize each targets with the Ravens.
By way of 5 seasons, Jackson has been a one-man offense in Baltimore. He wants assist. The protection has held up its finish of the discount – after buying linebacker Roquan Smith in the course of the season, the protection shot up from thirty first in EPA per play to the highest spot within the league.
And so into one other offseason we go asking if the Ravens can broaden and enhance their offense. The Ravens moved on from offensive coordinator Greg Roman on the conclusion of their season, and can chase a coach whose model is extra according to league tendencies. Greater than something, although, they want expertise. If the Ravens can hold on to Jackson, they want to take action whereas nonetheless having the wriggle room to pursue a veteran receiver within the commerce market – say, DeAndre Hopkins.
