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Lamar Jackson clears air on earlier reported 'demand'
At a joint news conference with Baltimore Ravens management on Thursday, QB Lamar Jackson aimed to clear the air about a report that he had demanded the team add receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. earlier in the spring.
Jackson — who signed a five-year, $260 million deal with Baltimore at the end of April — said that it was a request, rather than a demand.
"No, it was a question [from me] [like, 'Can we?' Basically, 'Can we get Odell [Beckham Jr.] and 'D. Hop' [DeAndre Hopkins]?' It was a question; it wasn't like, 'Oh, I want them or nothing else.' No. That's not how you conduct business," Jackson said.
In March, the Ravens signed OBJ to a one-year, $15 million contract to bolster a receiving corps that has struggled since Jackson was drafted in 2018. Hopkins, meanwhile, remains with the Arizona Cardinals, at least for the time being.
Baltimore made a sound decision by signing OBJ, whether it was at Jackson's request or not. Per ESPN Stats and Info, the Ravens have drafted the most wideouts of any NFL team since 2018 while somehow also ranking last in receptions and receiving yards over that span.
From @ESPNStatsInfo:
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) March 3, 2023
Ravens have drafted 8 wide receivers since 2018 (which was when they selected Lamar Jackson), which is tied with the Broncos for most in the NFL.
Despite that investment, Ravens wide receivers rank last in the NFL in receptions and yards during that span. pic.twitter.com/Lp9y4Svw0q
Jackson declined to comment on his late March trade request, opting to talk about his future as a Raven instead. He said that while other teams reached out about contract talks, Baltimore is where he wants to be.
"I really want to finish my career here, I want to win a Super Bowl here," Jackson said.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said the team put the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson to give him an opportunity to figure out his value. DeCosta said that he thought the exclusive tag was too "binding."
The Ravens are now set to compete in a stacked AFC after securing their franchise QB. By giving Jackson new receivers in OBJ and first-round pick Zay Flowers, they are setting the expectation of a Super Bowl victory.
Jackson said he always believed that a deal would get done, adding he never wavered in his love for Baltimore and its fans.
"They love me," he said. "I love being here. I love my teammates. I love the fan base."
More must-reads:
- Did signing Odell Beckham Jr. help Ravens keep Lamar Jackson?
- Lamar Jackson sets lofty goal with Ravens' new WR group
- The '2023 NFL AP second-team All-Pro' quiz
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Patriots have big Drake Maye concern surface at Vikings' joint practice
Defense ruled the day during the joint practice between the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings. Per Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots defense did a masterful job of disrupting Vikings second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy at Wednesday's practice. However, New England's offensive line was unable to allow Drake Maye to have enough time to finish plays. "Even with four new expected starters up front following last year’s debacle, Wednesday suggested that there will likely be some bumps ahead for this offensive line," Graff wrote. "Sure, going up against the Vikings was always going to be a difficult task. Greenard has been wrecking his own team’s practices in training camp, and everyone in New England knows how good Flores’ scheme can be. But the domination was so thorough by the Vikings’ front seven that three straight plays at one point would’ve resulted in a sack." Maye showed flashes of promise when he had time to throw downfield or was able to use his legs to buy time or scramble when pressure came. The concern is that the offensive line won't allow Maye enough time to even scramble so he can make throws. Graff has noticed the same issues that happened on Wednesday have been a constant at training camp against the Patriots defense. With a new-look offensive line that includes first-round pick Will Campbell at left tackle, the Patriots are expected to have some bumps at training camp and in September. New England's offense probably won't look great out of the gate while the offensive line develops in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' scheme. If and when the offensive line improves, Maye will have a chance to show off the arm that made him the No. 3 pick in 2024. For now, the offensive line is a concern much like it was last season.
Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
Oregon wide receiver Jurrion Dickey has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons with the Ducks, and he is now in a terrible position heading into 2025 as well. Dickey has been suspended indefinitely by Oregon, head coach Dan Lanning announced on Tuesday. Lanning also suggested that Dickey may not play for the Ducks again. "We have two team rules; that’s respectful, be on time,” Lanning said, via James Crepea of The Oregonian. “There’s some pieces of that where I felt like he needed a break from us and we needed a break from that so we could focus on what’s in front of us right now. "Wishing him nothing but the best, as far as success and want to see him get back to where he can be a contributor somewhere; that might be here that might be somewhere else.” Dickey was a five-star recruit and rated as one of the top wide receivers in the country when he came out of Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California, in 2023. He suffered an injury in his senior year in high school and redshirted as a freshman at Oregon. Dickey has two catches for 14 years during his time with the Ducks. Oregon went 13-1 in Lanning's third season with the program last season. The Ducks lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.
Tua Tagovailoa Doesn't Hold Back After Dolphins 'Embarrassed' By Lions
The Miami Dolphins have struggled through training camp and the first preseason game, but may have hit a new low in Wednesday's joint practice with the Detroit Lions. Reporters watching practice noted that Detroit outclassed the Dolphins on both offense and defense, with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa struggling with timing and mistakes against the aggressive Lions' secondary. Speaking to reporters after practice, Tagovailoa refused to give himself a grade but admitted that his team was frustrated against the NFC Super Bowl contenders. "For a grade, I wouldn't give myself a grade," Tagovailoa said, via NFL.com. "I don't think that's fair to grade yourself. "My assessment -- I still wouldn't give myself a grade. I think that's for you guys to do with however you guys report that and whatnot. I think today offensively was a very frustrating day in regards to what we wanted to do, what we said we wanted to do. Came out and we just weren't able to get things jumpstarted, so that was very frustrating today." Tagovailoa is coming off a season where he appeared in just 11 games, completing 72.9% of his passes for 2,867 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Dolphins Struggled in 'Lopsided' Practice Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports noted that the Dolphins were "embarrassed" by the Lions in Wednesday's practice, which came after Miami already stumbled through mistakes in their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. The Athletic's Colton Pouncy had an even more brutal assessment, calling it one of the worst performances he had seen from a team. "That was the most lopsided joint practice I’ve ever seen. Lions dominated both sides," Pouncy shared in a post on X. The practice may not bode well for Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, who dropped to 8-9 last season and return to a division with Super Bowl contending Buffalo Bills and a rising New England Patriots team.
Five best NFL offseason value signings on offense: Bills get great deal with RB extension
Few know how to spend money like an NFL front office. This offseason, teams handed out over $4 billion in extensions alone, not to mention the several other billions spent in free agency. But which were the shrewdest investments? Below, we examine the best value signings at five positions on offense: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line. Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith Contract: Two years, $75 million ($65.5M guaranteed) Shortly after acquiring Smith in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks, the Raiders extended the 2022 Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year to a contract that raises the Raiders' floor while maintaining flexibility. Smith has a manageable $26.5M cap hit in 2026, when Over The Cap projects Las Vegas to have the third-most cap space ($78.7M) based on an estimated 5.8 percent cap increase. Since 2022, Smith has the third-highest completion percentage (68.5 percent) among 32 quarterbacks with at least 20 starts during that span. He's also tied with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for the second-most fourth-quarter comebacks (10) and trails only Mahomes in game-winning drives. Buffalo Bills running back James Cook Contract: Four years, $48M ($30M guaranteed) Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams pierced Cook's bubble when he signed a three-year, $33M extension on Aug. 5. The Bills running back sought $15M per year, making his $12M in annual average value (AAV) a huge win for Buffalo. Over Cook's first three seasons, he's averaged 4.9 yards per carry. In 2024, he led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns. With just 533 career tackles, Cook doesn't have the wear-and-tear of other backs who've made splashes early in their careers, raising hopes that he can withstand the workload that comes with being Buffalo's featured back. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins Contract: Four years, $115M ($40.9M guaranteed) The Bengals retained Higgins at a remarkable price, keeping him in Cincinnati at less than $30M per year, the going rate for the league's top wideouts. Per Spotrac, while Higgins is No. 10 in AAV among wide receivers, he ranks just outside the top 20 in guaranteed money. Last season, Higgins averaged 75.9 receiving yards per game, his most since 2021, and scored a career-high 10 touchdowns despite missing five games due to injury. Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride Contract: Four years, $76M ($43M guaranteed) The 2024 first-team All-Pro ranks No. 1 among tight ends in guaranteed salary. However, if he continues producing numbers more akin to WR1s — last season, he had 111 receptions, 1,146 receiving yards and two touchdowns — his contract will be one of the league's better bargains. Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley Contract: Three years, $60M ($44M guaranteed) Stanley's journey back from a devastating 2020 lower leg injury culminated in the 2019 first-team All-Pro being named a Pro Bowler for the second time in his first nine seasons last year. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft was rewarded with a contract that will keep him in Baltimore through his age-33 season. In terms of average annual value, his extension ranks below other left tackles who signed contracts this offseason, and not just younger players such as Rashawn Slater (Los Angeles Chargers), who was recently lost for the season, and Bernhard Raimann (Indianapolis Colts). Atlanta Falcons tackle Jake Matthews, 33, is averaging $22.5M on his current deal, while Las Vegas Raiders tackle Kolton Miller, 29, is set to earn $22M per year through 2028.
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