Wise men learn from wise men.
In particular, could NFL front offices learn from the Ravens’ front office?
The Ravens have been negotiating with quarterback Lamar Jackson on a new deal, and the Ravens’ front office has revealed that you don’t have to simply bend over and tremendously overpay for a quarterback in today’s NFL.
With Daniel Jones signing his new deal with the NY Giants, there are now nine quarterbacks averaging $40 million a year in their contracts. Nine!
How many quarterbacks going into the 2023 season average between 20 and 30 million dollars a season? It should be more, correct? I mean, only the elite performers should be paid at the elite level. Yet, the answer is one. Yes, a mere one, Ryan Tannehill, averaging $29,500,000 a season.
So, the NFL owners pay nine quarterbacks $40 million per while only one pays between $20-30 Million? That is insane, unreasonable and illogical.
The nine in descending order are Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Matt Stafford, Dak Prescott and Daniel Jones.
Jackson demanded more, and the Ravens, unlike the Giants, Cardinals, Cowboys and Browns simply didn’t cave in. The Baltimore front office placed the non-exclusive tag franchise tag on Jackson and raised his salary up to $32,416,000.
Yes, Jackson’s playing style made him the elite running quarterback in the NFL and the 2019 AP MVP. Jackson led the Ravens to 13-2 and 11-4 records in games he started in 2019-20. But if you are going to use that stat for those two seasons, what about the last two seasons when the Ravens were only 7-5 and 8-4?
The Ravens know better than anyone why Jackson has missed ten games over the last two seasons. They also know that though Jackson led the NFL in that 2019 season in Touchdown Percentage (9.0) they have seen it the last two seasons at 4.2 and 5.2. He led the NFL in 2019 QBR (83.0). The last two seasons have been 50.7 and 59.0.
The trend of ill-advisedly paying any good quarterback $40 million plus was foolish to the Ravens. They simply said they believe his value to still be high, but not among the highest elite. Any team that believes the Ravens are absurdly in error can go grab him for those two draft picks.
The Commanders got all excited for Carson Wentz, yes. But the price tag was two third-round choices and a $28 million dollar salary. Jackson wants much more, and now his price tag is set much higher as two first-round choices.
Frankly for TV analysts and writers to reflexively knee-jerk charging NFL teams with collusion is quite near-sighted on their part.
The Ravens have thus far shown they are not going to pay a player five years later for what he did four years earlier. They are willing to pay for what they feel he is worth five years later.
Perhaps might fans need to stop bad-mouthing the Ravens and think of what they can learn from the Ravens’ front office.