BALTIMORE — The Ravens are in no rush to sign quarterback Lamar Jackson to a contract extension, and they should be glad he isn’t campaigning for a new deal, too.
Since training camp opened in 2021, I have advocated the Ravens hold off on an extension, and there was nothing this season that would make me change my mind. Until Jackson proves he can handle blitzes and make quick decisions, can win more than one playoff game and become more mature off the field, then the fourth-year quarterback’s deal should remain status quo.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has indicated there is no urgency to meet, but the Ravens have picked up Jackson’s option for 2022. He will make $23 million this season and somewhere between $30 and $35 million in 2023 if they place the franchise tag on him. Of course, his salary won’t be similar to the $43 million Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen made last season when he got a new deal, but Allen has made more progress in the past two years and won more playoff games.
Jackson’s improvement has stagnated. His supporters will point out that he has a 37-12 record as a starter and is the first quarterback in the NFL to have 35 career victories before the age of 25. That’s a great accomplishment, and so are the two Pro Bowls and the league MVP honor he won in 2019, but Jackson missed the last three games of last season with an ankle injury. In Week 10, a 22-10 loss to Miami, the Dolphins left a blueprint on how to beat Jackson with constant pressure from the outside or blitzes — Cover 0 packages.
A popular theory is Jackson is good and athletic enough to win 10 or 11 games a season, but can his arm carry the Ravens deep into the postseason against quality opponents? Plus, at The Castle in Owings Mills, members of the front office are concerned about his off-the-field acquaintances and behavior.
So, the Ravens should allow the Lamar Jackson experiment to continue. They have built this offense and team around him, and if he improves and can lead Baltimore deep into the postseason, then give him an extension. It will be more costly than signing him now but certainly lowers the risk. If he doesn’t succeed in a year or two, then it’s time to move on.
Bring Campbell back at right cost
It will be interesting to see if the Ravens can re-sign defensive end Calais Campbell, an unrestricted free agent.
At age 35, Campbell is still one of the top players on the market, but the Ravens shouldn’t pay him the $12.5 million he made last season. He had a good year and is a leader on the field and in the locker room, but the Ravens might want to offer him an incentive-laden contract that would spread the money out and make it more cap-friendly.
The Ravens have 19 players who will become unrestricted free agents, some of whom will command lucrative contracts, such as center Bradley Bozeman, cornerback Anthony Averett and safety DeShon Elliott. Patrick Ricard, also an unrestricted free agent, might be the best fullback in the league but that position has become less popular with the implementation of spread offenses in recent years.
Orlando Brown Sr. would be proud
There are reports that Kansas City placed the franchise tag on left offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., which will guarantee him a salary of $16.5 million next season.
If his late father, Orlando Sr. (nicknamed Zeus) were around, he would be extremely proud of his son. It’s been a tough transition for the younger Brown going from left tackle at the University of Oklahoma to the right side in Baltimore then back to the left side in November 2020 when Ronnie Staley got hurt.
The Ravens were criticized for trading Brown, the former third-round pick, to Kansas City in April, but they made the best out of a tough situation. Both Ravens coach John Harbaugh and former general manager Ozzie Newsome deserve credit for bringing out the toughness in Brown. They did the same for former Ravens offensive linemen Tony Jones, who died in January 2021, and center Wally Williams.
Jordan Davis was flyin’
A lot of scouts and coaches raved about the speed at the scouting combine recently, especially cornerbacks Kalon Barnes of Baylor and Texas-San Antonio’s Tariq Woolen. Barnes ran a 4.23-second 40-yard dash time, the second fastest time in combine history, and Woolen clocked in at 4.26. Even more incredible is that is Woolen is 6 feet 4 and 205 pounds.
But the player who produced the most shocking result was Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis. At 6-6 and 341 pounds, Davis ran the 40 in 4.78. That’s cooking. I don’t care what position he plays; a team should create a new one for him.
That’s some scary stuff.
