Latest On Lamar Jackon’s Contract
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is entering the final season of his rookie deal, and to many, it’s a surprise and a concern that the two sides have yet to reach an agreement on an extension.
Other quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz all signed lucrative extensions well before the expiration date of their rookie contracts. Also noteworthy is the fact that Jackson has yet to show up to OTAs.
In his latest MMQB column, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote that he expects the Ravens to “be protective” with information leaks when it comes to negotiating a new contract with the 2019 league MVP:
“I wouldn’t expect to hear much become public on Lamar Jackson’s absence from OTAs in Baltimore,” Breer wrote. “The Ravens believe trust is a huge factor, really, in all areas for Jackson, but especially with the contract negotiation. So the circle will be kept small on his contract talks, and I’d expect the Baltimore brass will be protective with information on it.”
There is hope that mobile and online sports betting will launch in the state of Maryland at some point this year. This would probably include the launch of the BetMGM Maryland sportsbook, which would offer new customers risk-free bets of up to $1,000.
BetMGM Maryland would offer a long list of different sports to bet on, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, tennis, golf and F1.
Customers would also be able to place different bets such as money lines, parlays, prop bets and futures (championship and division winners. At multiple sportsbooks, the Ravens are a prime favorite to win Super Bowl 57. FanDuel has their odds at +2000, and DraftKings has the Ravens at +2200.
Ravens Reportedly Prefer A Long-Term Deal With Jackson
With the quarterback market increasing every year, many are wondering if Jackson will try to maximize his earnings by following Kirk Cousins’ footsteps.
Cousins played the 2016 and 2017 seasons for Washington under the franchise tag. He then received his mega deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 free agency, and Cousins has gone on to sign two extensions (2020 and 2022) with the franchise.
But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Ravens would rather reach a long-term deal with Jackson as opposed to a “year-to-year” path.
“They don’t want that; they want to sign him long term,” Fowler said during SportsCenter on Sunday (h/t Tim Daniels of Bleacher Report). But I’ve talked to multiple league execs who say maybe they would do the same thing, especially with some of the injury concerns with his running style. So, they want to get it done, but they’re not going to panic too. They have options.”
Fowler added that the franchise tag for 2023 would be around $30 million, which is a bargain for a player of Jackson’s caliber.
According to Spotrac, there are 12 quarterbacks who carry an average annual value (AAV) of at least $30 million for 2022. Jackson is certainly worth more than that, given his career production and consistency up to this point of his career.
The Ravens don’t kick off their 2022 season until Sept. 11, when they’ll visit the New York Jets in an early afternoon showdown (1:00 p.m. EST). There is still lots of time for the two sides to reach a new deal beforehand, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if they agreed to delay contract talks until after the season.
Odafe Oweh’s 2022 Goal? “To Dominate More”
Odafe Oweh has a solid rookie season for the Ravens, notching five sacks, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
The 2021 first-round pick, simply put, was one of the few bright spots on a Baltimore defense that greatly struggled throughout the year. Coming off his first professional season, Oweh had a short and sweet explanation for his goal in year two.
“Just to dominate more,” Oweh said, per Clifton Brown of the team’s official website. “Finish. Be there more for my team, in terms of making the plays in situations that we need. Be more aware, in terms of things going on around me. I don’t want to give you like the specifics, because you don’t do that. [I just want] to be an overall better player and everything like that.”
The Ravens underwent a drastic overhaul on defense during the offseason. GM Eric DeCosta signed ball-hawking safety Marcus Williams to a five-year deal worth $70 million. A month later, he snagged do-it-all Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton with the No. 14 pick in the draft.
With All-Pro corners Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey set to return at full health, the Ravens should field one of the league’s elite secondaries in 2022. If the likes of Oweh and veteran mainstay Calais Campbell can continue to wreak havoc in the trenches, the Ravens defense will be that much tougher for opponents.
