While no official word has come out regarding Lamar Jackson withdrawing his trade request, Sunday night provided an interesting indication regarding the former MVP’s expectations on this front. Odell Beckham Jr. passed on a potential partnership with Aaron Rodgers — after doing so in 2021 as well — to play for a Ravens team not on great terms with its quarterback.
Beckham probably has a good idea who Baltimore’s 2023 starter will be. Jackson actively recruited the eight-year veteran wideout to Maryland, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link). An understanding exists, upon Beckham signing, it will likely be Jackson targeting him next season.
Although an offer sheet — potentially one after the draft — could shake up this situation, no team has made any indications it will consider that expensive path. Jackson continues to seek Deshaun Watson-level guarantees, which has thus far been a non-starter. As it stands now, Jackson should be expected to remain with the Ravens in 2023. How this OBJ addition came together — just before the longstanding free agent was to visit the Jets — lends more weight to Jackson realizing he is unlikely to change teams this year.
Only three players (Le’Veon Bell, Dan Williams, Sean Gilbert) have ever skipped a season while on a franchise tag. Jackson’s tag price ($32.4MM) is in another financial stratosphere compared to those players’ compensation. His unpredictable odyssey since becoming extension-eligible in January 2021 aside, the sixth-year passer should never have been viewed as a legitimate candidate to sit out a season. The Ravens have now given Jackson his highest-profile wideout.
Baltimore pursued DeAndre Hopkins and Courtland Sutton in trades, and the team should not be considered out of the mix to further add to its receiver mix early in the draft. Baltimore, which also signed Nelson Agholor to a lower-cost deal, has done extensive homework on this year’s top-graded wide receivers. Jordan Addison and Quentin Johnston have visited the team, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will do so. The Ravens have used first-round picks on receivers in 2019 (Marquise Brown) and 2021 (Rashod Bateman). The draft has been the primary avenue for this run-heavy team to bolster its receiving corps, but the $15MM guarantee given to Beckham — one that appears much higher than the Giants or Jets were proposing — finally lured a marquee free agent.
Beckham, Bateman, Agholor and Devin Duvernay represent the top Ravens receivers. Three of these players missed all or part of last season due to major injuries. Beckham, of course, sat out the 2022 season due to his Super Bowl LVI ACL tear. Bateman missed much of the campaign due to a broken foot; a Duvernay foot injury ended his season in Week 15.
The Ravens have until July 17 to extend Jackson, who will otherwise be attached to the tag salary. Baltimore could trade Jackson after that date, leading to the three-time Pro Bowler playing for another team on the tag. But scant indications have come out the Ravens are planning to go elsewhere. The Ravens are hosting Anthony Richardson next week, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com tweets, and may be looking into other quarterbacks in the draft, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. GM Eric DeCosta left the door open to a first-round passer being in play, but the Beckham addition makes that already-unlikely scenario less realistic.