The Baltimore Ravens were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson, as Friday was Jackson's self-imposed deadline to get a long-term contract finalized. Jackson will play the 2022 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, making $23,016,000 fully guaranteed.
"Despite best efforts on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. "We greatly appreciate how he has handled this process and we are excited about our team with Lamar leading the way. We will continue to work towards a long-term contract after the season, but for now we are looking forward to a successful 2022 campaign."
Jackson said earlier this week that he will not be talking about a contract at kickoff -- not concerned about the risk of playing without a guaranteed long-term deal.
"I haven't thought about any injuries, or anything like that. I just came off one last season, and I'm feeling pretty good this season," Jackson said. "I don't even want to put that in the atmosphere.
"It was a pretty big risk last season, the year before. I wasn't thinking about contract negotiations around that time. This season, it's going to be the same thing, but I'm just playing football. Anything can happen, but God forbid the wrong thing happens, I'm keeping God first and just playing ball, like I've been doing."
Jackson -- who represents himself -- has only revealed that the Ravens did not offer him $250 million guaranteed at the end of August. When asked how the negotiations were faring Wednesday and if he was any closer to a contract, he responded to ask the general manager (DeCosta).
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Lamar is a unique dude for sure. Scary player to defend.
Not many in his position would do what he is doing.
I have mixed feelings. I hope he goes to another team. At the same time why take the risk of injury?
He is going to get paid crazy money no matter where he plays. The only thing that could hurt him is a severe injury. Most likely it will not happen. At the same time it could.
I have been thinking about the 2018 draft. Strange looking back now. I never thought Lamar would make it as a passer.
I wanted Darnold. Allen I felt had the biggest upside but he was raw and like many I thought he needed time to develop. I liked Baker but had him third.
Rosen threw a great ball but there was something about him that was lacking. He didn't connect with teammates at all.
Allen has reached his potential. He is a stud for sure.
Is it pure coincidence that the 2 QBs from the 2018 class that have had success, both went to teams that have had consistent staffs and a plan?
No.
Too bad we kept Hue Jackson (my guess is that Haslam forced Dorsey to keep him). And then hired Todd Haley to coordinate the offense (a Dorsey decision). And then Dorsey wanted to show everyone how big his balls and hired Kitchens (even though literally everyone else wanted Stefanski).
The point he was making is how they got to be so good. Take a look at Njoku. I can't think of a player in the NFL with more raw ability than he. Yet year after year he has failed to live up to that potential. Having raw ability and talent aren't enough. It's watching that talent being molded into reaching its full potential that's the issue.
There's nobody that didn't see that Allen had a strong arm when he entered the draft. But he was extremely raw and it would take a lot of work to see him ever reach his potential. Often times drafting based on potential ends up being an abject failure. The Bills took a huge gamble drafting him. With solid coaching in a consistent system that huge gamble is paying huge dividends. Let's not pretend that it wasn't a stable system and great coaching that played major roles in him being the QB he is now.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
That’s why I maintain: had we drafted Allen, he woulda sucked here. Didn’t matter who we drafted with Hue, Kitchens and the lot
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
That’s why I maintain: had we drafted Allen, he woulda sucked here. Didn’t matter who we drafted with Hue, Kitchens and the lot
I totally disagree. Allen is a complete stud and it's hard to believe that doesn't jump off the screen to some. Again, this place is an alternative universe.
That’s why I maintain: had we drafted Allen, he woulda sucked here. Didn’t matter who we drafted with Hue, Kitchens and the lot
I totally disagree. Allen is a complete stud and it's hard to believe that doesn't jump off the screen to some. Again, this place is an alternative universe.
Allen was pretty terrible his first couple years. I think basically anyone would have failed with Hue and Kitchens. The entire organization was a complete dumpster at that point.
In Allen's rookie year he threw for a completion rate of 52.8% with more int's than TD's. In his second year he threw for a completion rate of 58.8%. It wasn't until his third NFL season that he actually began to look like the QB we see today. It seems as if you contend a consistent system and consistent coaching wasn't the reason he's the QB he is today. And then you talk about others having an alternative universe.
Sad, just sad.
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
In Allen's rookie year he threw for a completion rate of 52.8% with more int's than TD's. In his second year he threw for a completion rate of 58.8%. It wasn't until his third NFL season that he actually began to look like the QB we see today. It seems as if you contend a consistent system and consistent coaching wasn't the reason he's the QB he is today. And then you talk about others having an alternative universe.
Sad, just sad.
100%.
At college playing in against weak opposition he was a 56% passer. When he came out he was all about immeasurables and potential. You can't do anything but tip your hat to him and the Bills. He looks like a top 3 QB - although I wish he would save the running and taking hits till it was needed/playoffs.
He was so "bad" out of college that Jalen Ramsey has this famously bad take. Obviously his opinion looks stooopid and beyond ignorant right now and Ramsey got pwned big time last night - but clearly at the time of that draft there were big questions out there.
"I think [Buffalo Bills draft pick Josh] Allen is trash. I don’t care what nobody say. He’s trash. And it’s gonna show too. That’s a stupid draft pick to me. We play them this year, and I’m excited as hell. I hope he’s their starting quarterback. He played at Wyoming. Every time they played a big school—like, they played Iowa State, which is not a big school in my opinion because I went to Florida State, and he threw five interceptions, and they lost by a couple touchdowns or something like that.? He never beat a big school. If you look at his games against big schools, it was always hella interceptions, hella turnovers. It’s like: ‘Yo, if you’re this good, why couldn’t you do better?’ He fits that mold, he’s a big, tall quarterback. Big arm, supposedly. I don’t see it, personally.”
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Maybe the Ravens don't intend to sign Jackson to a contract at all -- unless he shows marked improvement and consistency in playing the actual position of QB this season or next.
If we see marginal improvement this season, along with maturity in his gameday demeanor, maybe they franchise him next season. Sometime this season or next, they will need to decide if he can win a Super Bowl... Or hell, maybe they actually win one, which would make signing him easier.
During this time, they'll also continue to play Russian roulette in how they utilize "Lamar, the weapon". I was shocked his first season when he was continually running the ball 16-20 times per game. Eventually, I tipped my cap and thought "well, that's his skill-set, why try to change him". It was about that time that we were all saying "this is not sustainable, he's going to get injured". It has been sustainable, until JOK sent him packing last season. And although that was a sack and not him running in the open field, if these hits and injuries start to dull the weapon, Lamar loses his luster.
The Ravens will continue to chew him up -- they'll spit him out if they don't see improvement or there is a devastating injury. A Lamar Jackson, who cannot run like he does, is a middle-of-the-pack QB. Maybe they just intend to delay payment until they're sure?
Wanna be famous? Either be really, really, right ...... or really, really, wrong.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
I think that's a real possibility. I don't care how slippery and how few hits Lamar takes while he runs - he's still a running QB who is not thick or built to withstand hits from guys 40+ lbs bigger than he is. It's simple risk management. Why commit insanely big $$$ when you have him under contract for this year. He might get hurt - he might have an MVP season. Either way you still are in the driving seat to sign him. Provided no bridges get burned or ill will manifests - the worst thing that happens is his price goes up. But I'd take that and watch for a year before signing any $220M+ contract with most or all of it guaranteed. . . . Jokes about him being one of the best RBs in the NFL might well be mean and off the mark - but there are times when he throws the ball poorly. I think the Ravens are being very smart.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
That’s why I maintain: had we drafted Allen, he woulda sucked here. Didn’t matter who we drafted with Hue, Kitchens and the lot
I totally disagree. Allen is a complete stud and it's hard to believe that doesn't jump off the screen to some. Again, this place is an alternative universe.
Allen was pretty terrible his first couple years. I think basically anyone would have failed with Hue and Kitchens. The entire organization was a complete dumpster at that point.
Eh, alternate universe? I'd say it's more BBS. We've all endured this charade, I won't begrudge any fan that still has scars.
As for the rest, you're spot on -- and you and I have said as much before. I've used the same words -- "jump off the screen". There is no way in hell any franchise would cash in their chips after a couple of seasons with those tools in the belt, and the weekly jaw-dropping plays, regardless of how quickly he elevated his game.
"Pretty terrible" is a pretty silly statement. Year two was 58.8% 3089 yards 20TD 9INT... and he rushed for 510 and 9 touchdowns... and every 3rd and short was a 1st down.
So what are posters saying when they make these bold statements like "he wouldn't have worked out with the Browns"? Do you mean that you don't think he would have showed any improvement at all with this franchise? I find that reeaally hard to believe. And imo, if his year two numbers were his year four numbers with the Browns, there's still a solid chance we'd still be riding out his 5th year option (Watson sweepstakes aside)... Since we all know how much better he's become since year two, saying he wouldn't have worked out here is basically saying you don't think he would have showed any improvement at all wearing these colors. I don't know what leads people to believe that.
You seem to be confusing showing any improvement at all to being the QB he is today. Those are two different things entirely. It seems as if some fans have suddenly become believers that continuity holds no value. When the hell did that happen?
Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.
I think because regime changes are often setbacks for young QBs. Would he have failed in Cleveland, hard to say because it didn't happen, but I think we have seen more rookies fail on bad teams than we have seen succeed.
So as I was surmising in my original post, are Allen and Jackson successful because they had consistency around them, and a team willing to develop and build around them, or is that just a coincidence versus Baker, Rosen and Darnold?
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
Why does Lamar qualify for 23k+ for his 5th yr option and Baker only 18k when he was the #1 pick? I thought the rookie contracts were pretty standard according to draft placement.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir
Why is no one talking about Jimmy Garroplo (spelling) being on the market for as long as Baker? And JG getting picked up by no one, and re doing his contract for less money?
Why does Lamar qualify for 23k+ for his 5th yr option and Baker only 18k when he was the #1 pick? I thought the rookie contracts were pretty standard according to draft placement.
Quote
The option-year salaries are no longer strictly tied to where a player was drafted (i.e.; top 10 or outside of top 10). Originally, the fifth-year salary for the top-10 picks was the transition tender (average of the 10 highest salaries) at a player's position when the option was exercised. With players selected outside of the top 10 (picks 11-32), the fifth-year salary was the average of the third through 25th highest salaries at a player's position.
Performance now dictates the option-year salaries. With two or more Pro Bowl selections on the original ballot during the first three seasons of contracts, the fifth-year salary is the franchise tender -- which is the average of the five highest salaries for a player's position in the fourth year of his contract. One Pro Bowl selection on the original ballot during the first three seasons of a deal puts the fifth-year salary at the transition tender -- which is the average of the 10 highest salaries for a player's position in the fourth year of his contract.
Participating in 75% of offensive or defensive plays, whichever is applicable, in two of the first three seasons of deals or an average of at least 50% play time in each of the first three seasons, sets the fifth-year salary at the average of the third through 20th highest salaries at a player's position. For first-round picks that don't fall into any of these three categories, the fifth-year salary is the average of the third through 25th highest salaries at a player's position.
Why is no one talking about Jimmy Garroplo (spelling) being on the market for as long as Baker? And JG getting picked up by no one, and re doing his contract for less money?
Probably because he is on another team, and has been under contract. The contract rework came pretty late in the game to be of any value to any team that may have wanted him. Baker was a free agent, so it made sense he got some action.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
You seem to be confusing showing any improvement at all to being the QB he is today. Those are two different things entirely. It seems as if some fans have suddenly become believers that continuity holds no value. When the hell did that happen?
Not confusing anything... just saying that even if he didn't improve so drastically he would still be in Cleveland. JMO.
Lamar Jackson's Fifth-Year Option to Cost Ravens $23.02 Million
The league released those numbers after the 2021 salary cap was set at $182.5 million, an 8% decrease from last year.
The fifth-year options have a tiered system under the new collective bargaining agreement with the following breakdown for quarterbacks:
Tier 1. Players with two or more Pro Bowls: $25.1 million Tier 2. Players with one Pro Bowl: $23.02 million Tier 3. Players who achieve playtime criterion with no Pro Bowls: $18.9 million
Why is no one talking about Jimmy Garroplo (spelling) being on the market for as long as Baker? And JG getting picked up by no one, and re doing his contract for less money?
Probably because he is on another team, and has been under contract. The contract rework came pretty late in the game to be of any value to any team that may have wanted him. Baker was a free agent, so it made sense he got some action.
Hmmm, this is wrong. Baker was not a free agent, and neither was Jimmy G. Both players had contracts for 2022 with Baker's being guaranteed. I think Jimmy G's deal was something like 23M to 24M for 2022.
That’s why I maintain: had we drafted Allen, he woulda sucked here. Didn’t matter who we drafted with Hue, Kitchens and the lot
I totally disagree. Allen is a complete stud and it's hard to believe that doesn't jump off the screen to some. Again, this place is an alternative universe.
Allen was pretty terrible his first couple years. I think basically anyone would have failed with Hue and Kitchens. The entire organization was a complete dumpster at that point.
I disagree that the situations of all those 2018 QBs are the reason why two succeeded, two failed, and the other is trying to save his career. But, it's not worth arguing about, especially in this environment where the Baker excuse makers rule the roost.
Shifting to Lamar and the contract. I think he should have hired an agent. It's terribly difficult to negotiate w/the player himself. Teams often bring up points where the player might struggle. That's tough to do w/the player sitting right in front of you and not have the proceedings become contentious or at least foster resentment and hurt feelings. From everything I heard, both sides want to get the deal done.
I don't think Lamar is perfect, but he has been very successful. He genuinely cares about his teammates and playing the game the right way. Yes, he is unconventional but they win w/him. Baltimore was ready to fire Harbaugh and the team was struggling w/Flacco. Lamar came in and saved Harbaugh's job and led the team on a string of victories. For all the talk on here about what a good situation Lamar was in, I remember some of us discussing whether or not we should hire Harbaugh because he was supposed to become available. Diam and I were championing that move. Others thought Harbaugh sucked.
Plus, that Ravens O is tailor made for him. If any other QB came in permanently they would have to make a complete change. They're going to have to pay him. They have a legit shot at the SB with all the talent they have and Lamar at QB. Get it done.
Why is no one talking about Jimmy Garroplo (spelling) being on the market for as long as Baker? And JG getting picked up by no one, and re doing his contract for less money?
Last night, Collinsworth made a comment which compared Allen's grasp and execution of the offense to Brady's. It was probably hyperbole, but damn, the dude was efficient. Today, they were saying on TV that Allen processes like Brady and runs like Gronk. LOL
Btw........not sure I get the relevance of the Houston playoff game when we have more recent data. Last year in two playoff games, Allen had a passer rating of 149.0 with 637 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Read that again. It's freaking incredible.
Want more evidence?
That was the greatest game I have ever seen and it was the best performance by a qb I have ever seen.