Ravens QB Lamar Jackson announced Monday that he requested a trade back at the beginning of March. That likely helps explain the lack of movement on the free agency front, with Jackson on the franchise tag but allowed to negotiate with other teams. Any franchise signing Jackson would have to surrender two first-round picks to Baltimore, so we can assume the Ravens' asking price would be greater than that. The returns on trades for both Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson were greater just last offseason -- and Jackson is (arguably?) a more valuable asset than either player. This situation doesn't seem close to resolution. We're still drafting Jackson at his mid-QB1 price in best ball drafts. But it might be a good idea to worry a little less about stacking him with Ravens pass catchers for the time being.
The Ravens are placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on QB Lamar Jackson. That means Jackson can negotiate with other teams after NFL free agency opens. If he reaches agreement with another team, Baltimore would have the option to match or get two first-round picks from the new team. Given that the two sides haven't been able to agree on a new deal yet, this move makes sense. Now the Ravens can let the market set Jackson's value. We'd still bet on him re-signing, but it'll be an interesting situation to watch. We'll also see whether the uncertainty can push Jackson's best ball ADP down any further. (If so, pounce.)
Ravens OC Greg Roman announced Thursday via management firm AthletesFirst that he's "stepping away from the team to pursue other opportunities." Roman's offenses obviously leaned heavily on the run across his 4 years in Baltimore, which made plenty of sense with Lamar Jackson at QB. But Roman's rushing lean predated that stint. All 6 of the previous offense for which he served as OC -- 4 in San Francisco, then 2 in Buffalo -- ranked among the league's top 9 in rushing attempts. Across his 10 years as a coordinator, just 3 Roman offenses ranked lower than 3rd in carries. Only 1 of those 10 finished lower than 4th in rushing yards, and that came back in 2011, his 1st season at the post with the 49ers. We'll see where Roman lands and who the Ravens select to follow him. Of course, the status of Jackson for 2023 and beyond will likely matter even more for projecting both the player and the Ravens offense. Jackson is set to hit unrestricted free agency in March, but we'd be surprised if Baltimore lets him hit the open market. Baltimore's offense promises to be 1 of the more intriguing storylines to watch this offseason.
Ravens backup QB Tyler Huntley says that Baltimore's preseason winning streak is no accident. "It means a lot to the culture, just to show that we're a winning team," Huntley said after Thursday night's victory over the Titans, according to ESPN. "And we don't care what kind of game it is, the Ravens are going to fight to get a win." This obviously doesn't matter for the regular-season fantasy outlook of Huntley or any other Raven. But it's relevant if you're plotting out preseason DFS lineups. Baltimore is playing to win (without putting regular-season starters at elevated risk).
Search
