Today the Baltimore Ravens placed the Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag on Lamar Jackson.
Below is some reaction to this news from myself, and BSL Ravens Analyst Jamie Sieck.
Chris Stoner:
Others may disagree, but to me I don’t think anything happened in the ’22 season that says the Ravens needed to increase the offer Jackson turned down last August / September.
Someone will sign him, the Ravens will take the picks and move on.
Jackson’s not moving off his demands.
Whatever they are, the Ravens arent prepared to match what he wants.
They didn’t want to give the Exclusive and have to further rework their cap.
They didn’t want to give the Exclusive, and spend months in limbo.. is he signing it? Will he be there for camp? Will he show up Week 10?
They clearly don’t think the compensation coming back on the Exclusive would be significantly higher.
They’ll get the compensation, they’ll invest into the rest of the roster without Jackson’s contract hanging over them, and they’ll find a QB in the draft, or trade.
Thanks Lamar, truly love ya. Great guy, great talent. No problem with him seeking every dollar he wants.
Do think Lamar has multiple All-Pros left in him.
But I’m 100% good with moving on, and absolutely think the Ravens can build a winning team without him.
Jamie Sieck:
The Ravens surprised many fans and media by using the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson. This means that another franchise can offer Jackson a contract and the Ravens have the chance to match the offer. If they Ravens pass, they would receive 2 first round draft picks as compensation.
The surprise for some is tied to the belief that Lamar Jackson is worth significantly more than 2 first rounders. This may be true, particularly in light of the recent trades of Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson.
In a vacuum, I would agree that a 26 year old former MVP with electric playmaking ability is worth more than 2 first round draft picks. However, the Baltimore Ravens are not operating in a vacuum and they’re in a precarious position with the Lamar situation.
The salary cap concerns with utilization of either tag are very real but the exclusive tag makes things even more dire. As it stands now, with the non-exclusive tag on Jackson, the Ravens are a little bit more than $9 million over the salary cap. Had they used the exclusive tag, that number would go up to roughly $22 million over the cap. Needless to say, they’re going to have to do some work to get cap compliant prior to the start of the league year. It’s likely that several veterans will be cut and the ability to add to the roster will be severely limited at best.
I can’t imagine the Ravens arrived at this decision lightly. I would hazard a guess to say that EDC and company did their due diligence in regards to assessing Lamar’s value in league circles. I believe the Ravens’ front office has concluded that the risk of being saddled with Lamar Jackson on the exclusive tag number for 2023 wasn’t worth the potential trade return.
In other words, if the Ravens had used the exclusive tag but then could not consummate a trade of Jackson, having him on a 1 year deal at a bit over $45 million, all against the 2023 cap, is simply an untenable scenario.
There has been a great deal of conjecture regarding the situation between Jackson and the Ravens. The one thing we know for certain is this; Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have been in a contract negotiation stalemate for quite some time. Based on this fact alone, if the Ravens are truly interested in retaining Jackson, they have to find a way to bridge the gap between themselves and their quarterback.
While it is a gamble, using the non-exclusive tag allows Lamar Jackson to speak with other teams and get a true sense of what his value is on the open market. Thus presenting an opportunity to break the impasse that has dogged the negotiations over the last year or so.
The Ravens are no strangers to a similar path. Former Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas went into the open market after the 2003 season before returning to Baltimore. Also, HOF linebacker Ray Lewis was permitted to test the market after the 2008 season and found that the grass was not greener outside the Charm City. Granted, neither Thomas, nor Lewis was a former MVP quarterback entering their prime, so it’s not a perfect comparison. However, I will defer to the Ravens knowledge of the market in this instance.
Some may disagree but I believe the use of the of the non-exclusive tag on Jackson signals the Ravens desire to have him in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.
As much as many of us want to see a conclusion to the Lamar Jackson saga, it appears we will have to remain patient for a little while longer.
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.