With the Baltimore Ravens and star quarterback Lamar Jackson no closer on a new long-term contract, the team is reportedly in “contingency mode” and could use a draft pick on QB from this year’s class, including a two-time national champion.
There seems to be no clear end in sight for the ongoing saga of Lamar Jackson’s contract. The two sides have been negotiating for close to a year and have made little to no progress. All reports indicate that he is looking for the type of deal the Baltimore Ravens are not comfortable offering.
That divide between the two camps led the team to hedge their bets and place a non-exclusive franchise tag on the QB in March. Meaning he can hear contract offers from other teams but the Ravens can match or be compensated with two first-round picks.
Baltimore Ravens record (2022): 10-7, second place in AFC North
With it seeming very possible that Jackson could be on another team or just sit out next year, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler spoke about the Baltimore situation on a Friday edition of “Get Up” and players the team spoke to in free agency, or those they could target with their picks in this months NFL Draft.
“I’m hearing the Ravens are in full contingency mode at the quarterback position. Now if Lamar Jackson wants to come and sign that franchise tag tender of $32 million, they will accept him and start him at quarterback. But they don’t know if he’s going to sign it or the mood of Lamar Jackson if he shows up, because he’s clearly frustrated by some of the negotiating.
“The Ravens have been looking since March at Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett in free agency. Got fairly close with Mayfield I’m told. And I’ve talked to teams who say the Ravens are looking at all the quarterbacks in this draft and doing their homework. Maybe Hendon Hooker from Tennessee. Maybe if there’s an option available in the later rounds, Stetson Bennett the Georgia quarterback, won back-to-back championships with their new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. So that’s something to stash away too.”
– Jeremy Fowler
At this juncture, Bennett is expected to be a day three (fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds) selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. This means the Baltimore Ravens won’t have to use a high-value pick on the Georgia star, but they also have an infrastructure in place where he could be an impact player if he needs to play as a rookie.
Furthermore, Brock Purdy’s massive success in 2022 should not lessen fans’ interest in late-round QB selections after he was the final player taken in last year’s draft. Bennett has not gotten the same kind of attention as prospects like CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, or Hendon Hooker, but he is still a star in college football with an impressive resume of success.
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