Ravens place non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson
Still unable to work out a long-term contract extension with superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens opted to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on him before Tuesday's deadline.
That sets the stage for what could be a fascinating offseason in Baltimore and around the NFL.
By placing the non-exclusive tag on Jackson, it gives Jackson the opportunity to negotiate with other teams around the NFL when the free-agency signing period begins.
If Jackson plays for Baltimore under the franchise tag, his salary for the 2023 season will make $32 million.
Because he is free to speak with other teams, there is a chance that somebody can do what the Ravens have been unable to do for the past year-and-a-half, which is actually come to terms with Jackson on a long-term contract.
If that happens the Ravens will be presented with two options: match that offer and thank another team for finishing their work for them, or allow Jackson to walk and take two first-round draft picks in return as compensation.
The former option seems to be the most logical end game here. As tempting as two first-round draft picks would be, Jackson has way more value to the Ravens than that. Sure, they could use that newfound draft capital to make a move in the draft to find a replacement, but the odds of that replacement being on Jackson's level are far from a given. Without Jackson, the Ravens offense simply does not function, and it would require almost an entire rebuild of how the team plays to make it worth with somebody new.
Since the start of the 2018 season, the Ravens are 8-14 without Jackson as their starting quarterback and 46-18 with him (including playoffs). It's not easy to replace that, even with multiple first-round draft picks as your disposal.
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