Fansided

Each NFL team’s biggest reason to be excited in 2018

By Brad Berreman

BEREA, OH - JULY 30: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns throws a pass during a training camp practice on July 30, 2018 at the Cleveland Browns training facility in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
BEREA, OH - JULY 30: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns throws a pass during a training camp practice on July 30, 2018 at the Cleveland Browns training facility in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Frank Jansky-Icon Sportswire/ Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Frank Jansky-Icon Sportswire/ Getty Images /

Baltimore Ravens – Lamar Jackson

Joe Flacco has been a mediocre to bad quarterback for a few years now. With an eye toward the future without the former Super Bowl MVP, the Ravens shrewdly moved back into the first round of April’s draft to get Jackson.

Jackson won the Heisman Trophy at Louisville in 2016, as he threw for over 3,500 yards, ran for over 1,500 more and had 51 total touchdowns (30 passing, 21 rushing). Then he went out and had a better year last year, throwing and running for more yards (3,660 and 1,601 respectively) while raising his completion percentage nearly three percent. That’s the progress as a passer NFL scouts wanted to see, even with old school cliches about having to switch positions following him into the pre-draft process.

Flacco has clearly been motivated by Jackson’s presence. But there were some indications early in training camp that Jackson will see the field in some capacity, and he’s “ahead of the curve” in a broader sense.

If Flacco struggles or things go totally off the rails for the Ravens this year, Jackson will be in line to start games under center as a rookie. But he may see the field a lot right out of the gate as some sort of Kordell Stewart “slash”-style weapon, with receptions, hand-offs and opportunities to throw.

The possibilities for using Jackson are really only limited by the imagination of coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and the rest of the offensive coaching staff. That may itself be a red flag for Ravens’ fans, but otherwise Jackson is a source for great excitement until further notice.

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