Insider doubts Stephen A. Smith's report on Ravens' Lamar Jackson

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio isn't buying what the camp for Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson recently tried to sell to ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith. 

Smith said during Friday's edition of "First Take" that people close to Jackson insisted the 26-year-old "never asked for a fully guaranteed deal" during negotiations with the Ravens. It's repeatedly been reported, as recently as by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Jamison Hensley on Thursday, that Jackson wishes to land something similar to the five-year contract worth $230 million in fully guaranteed money that Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns last year. 

"If that’s true (and, frankly, I don’t think it is), why hasn’t that come out sooner? For months, it’s been believed that Jackson wants the same structure as Deshaun Watson," Florio said of Smith's story. 

Florio also mentioned how, as Fowler and others reported in November, the NFL Players Association filed a grievance during this past season claiming "teams have colluded against its players' pursuit of fully guaranteed deals" following the Browns-Watson agreement. Specifically, the union alleged teams were colluding to not give "certain quarterbacks" fully guaranteed contracts.  

"And the NFLPA definitely has been assisting Jackson in his negotiations with the Ravens, since Jackson doesn’t have an agent," Florio continued. "So, no, I don’t believe the contention that Lamar never asked for a fully guaranteed contract is true."

Fowler and Hensley said Thursday that "the Ravens...are balking at guaranteeing the full amount, according to team sources." Florio indicated that could have something to do with supposed leaks coming from Jackson's camp.

"At some point, the Ravens need to stop absorbing body blows and start counterpunching," Florio added.

Barring an unexpected development, such as just about every reporter being wrong regarding the matter, it seems like a given that the Ravens and Jackson won't sign a long-term deal before the March 7 deadline for teams to use their franchise tags. Considering what Smith and Florio had to say before the weekend, one could surmise the relationship between Jackson and the Ravens is damaged beyond repair. 

Baltimore could use the exclusive franchise tag to retain Jackson's rights into the new league year and then ask for more than two first-round draft picks from a quarterback-needy team such as the Atlanta Falcons or New York Jets in return for the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player. While plenty can still happen, it feels like Jackson has taken his final snap with the club that drafted him back in 2018.