Ravens, Raiders Connected In Blockbuster Offseason Trade

Ravens, Raiders Connected In Lamar Jackson Trade Talks

It’s easy to see why the Las Vegas Raiders would be willing to move heaven and earth to trade for Lamar Jackson. After bringing in Pete Carroll and Geno Smith, the organization clearly believed it had the talent to compete for a postseason spot. That hasn’t worked out, as the team is on a collision course with the first-overall pick and will likely move on from both the quarterback and the head coach in the offseason.

This team desperately needs to turn the ship around, as they haven’t had a winning season since 2021 and haven’t won a playoff game since 2002. Even though Lamar Jackson hasn’t had the most playoff success, he’d easily be the best quarterback the franchise has had in quite some time, and the Raiders are one of the few teams with the trade pieces to tempt the Ravens.

Assuming they earn the first-overall pick, the Raiders might be willing to trade that pick and disgruntled edge rusher Maxx Crosby for Lamar Jackson. The first-overall pick is obviously a valuable selection, and Crosby would probably welcome a change of scenery after the team placed him on the injured reserve against his wishes.

Why Would the Ravens Do This?

Of course, the biggest hurdle with any trade rumor surrounding Lamar Jackson is figuring out why Baltimore would ever agree to any proposed deal. Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP, wrapping up his age-28 season, and is one of the three or four most valuable players in football. Quite frankly, there’s no good reason for Baltimore to ever entertain a trade offer.

The first-overall pick is nice, and perhaps the Ravens could entertain a trade if someone like Andrew Luck or Trevor Lawrence were declaring for the draft. Unfortunately, this is a weak quarterback class with no clear top prospect, so the Ravens wouldn’t have a way to replace Jackson.

The Lamar Jackson trade rumors started because reports indicated he and head coach John Harbaugh have a strained relationship. Both sides deny this, but for the sake of argument, let’s say it’s true. If you had to pick between your MVP quarterback and your good-but-not-great head coach, you’d pick the quarterback every single time. If push comes to shove, it’s far more likely Harbaugh is out of a job than Lamar Jackson.