Lamar Jackson can negotiate with NFL teams after being hit with the non-exclusive franchise tag by the Ravens. The Falcons are out, but who should be in?
If there was a team that was going to poach Lamar Jackson from the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, many assumed it would be the Atlanta Falcons. So when the former NFL MVP was handed the non-exclusive franchise tag, which allows the quarterback to negotiate with other teams and potentially be on the move if the Ravens don’t match, all eyes turned to Fulton County.
But the Falcons aren’t in on Lamar Jackson. Neither are the Raiders, Panthers, or Commanders, three other teams conceivably in need of a quarterback, per numerous reports. So who does that leave?
It’s going to be costly, but perhaps the price of two first-round picks — the cost of signing a player on the non-exclusive tag when the team doesn’t match a contract — and a new deal would be worth it for these four teams. In fact, it definitely is.
Table of Contents
- Page 1: Rebirth of a dynasty?
- Page 2: Lamar Jackson instead of trading up in the draft
- Page 3: The most ammo to make a Lamar Jackson deal happen
- Page 4: Moving on and upgrading in a perfect offense
Lamar Jackson rumors: 4 teams that should sign QB for two first-round picks
Give Bill Belichick the QB he always wanted with a Patriots Lamar Jackson match
The more the offseason goes on, the more it starts to sound like the Patriots might not be content with their quarterback situation as Mac Jones is set to enter his third NFL season. There have been numerous rumors circulating that the former first-round pick could be traded this offseason amid other reports that Jones has not exactly been the ideal leader for the New England offense.
Even if the Patriots didn’t have plans to move on from Mac Jones, though, the prospect of landing Lamar Jackson could trade that.
When Jackson fell to the end of the first round in his draft class before the Ravens moved up and ended his fall, one team that people continued to circle as a fit was the Patriots. Bill Belichick has operated with immobile pocket passers for most of his career but the rumblings have always been there that he would like to get more creative with his quarterback. No one offers that more than what Jackson does with his unique skill set.
Now, to be sure, the Patriots could use their first-round picks for the next two years to strengthen the rest of the offense. But if the team doesn’t have an answer at quarterback, they don’t have anything. Jackson is an upgrade over Jones, without question. So it wouldn’t be shocking in the slightest to see New England at least do some homework on if they could make a deal work with the quarterback.
Jim Irsay wants his splash at QB and Lamar Jackson to the Colts makes it
It’s been a quarterback carousel in Indianapolis over the past few years with the likes of Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan and even Sam Ehlinger getting their reps at the position. The results have been mixed — and some have been downright awful — but the truth of the matter is that the Colts have been stuck in a purgatorial state with quarterback since the surprise retirement of Andrew Luck.
Subsequently, the Colts have been circled by many as the most likely team to trade up with the Chicago Bears to the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and take the quarterback of their choosing. Jim Irsay has been anything but shy about wanting to make a splash at the position. But you know what’s better than Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson or any unproven draft prospect? A former MVP who’s only 26 years old and is now on the market.
The situation outside of quarterback in Indianapolis isn’t a complete disaster. They need more offensive line help, particularly at tackle, but the rest of the roster appears to be in overall fine shape. Thus, giving up two first-rounders wouldn’t be all that detrimental to their plight. More importantly, though, they’re already positioned to give up a good bit of draft capital if they’re going to move up for a quarterback in the draft.
Pairing Lamar Jackson with Jonathan Taylor under new head coach Shane Steichen, who had immense success with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia this past season, would be a dream scenario for Indianapolis. It’s a move they have to consider, even if the cost is definitely something to weigh.
Lamar Jackson to the Lions would raise Detroit’s ceiling exponentially
The offseason might still be young, but I’ve been holding the largest mallet to bang the drum that the Lions could be the sleeper to make a move at quarterback this offseason. Yes, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes loves Jared Goff more than most of his family members (probably), but there comes a certain point where the upgrade would be too undeniable to ignore.
So much about the Lions is ready to win, enough so that this team almost made the playoffs with Goff this past season. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson stayed in Detroit despite having heavy head coaching interest this offseason and the rest of the staff has built a winning culture. Moreover, the defense continues to improve, the offensive line is good, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams headline the receiving corps, and the running back room should be solid.
It’s a situation that might legitimately be a quarterback and more smart draft picks away from actually contending. What’s fascinating, though, is that the Lions might be the one interested team in Jackson that doesn’t have to hamstring themselves by trading two first-round picks in order to sign Lamar Jackson off of the non-exclusive tag.
The Lions could trade their own pick this year and still have a Top 10 pick thanks to the Matthew Stafford trade with the Rams. They also have an extra second-round pick this year and an extra third-round pick in 2024 thanks to the T.J. Hockenson trade. That’s more than enough to still continue building out the rest of the roster while landing a game-changing quarterback.
And make no mistake, Jackson would be the ultimate game-changer for Detroit.
The Dolphins could put Lamar Jackson in phenomenal position to thrive
Tua Tagovailoa’s health was a topic of discussion throughout the 2022 season and thus far in the 2023 offseason as well. He played well enough when on the field, but multiple concussions suffered this past year has fans worried. And let’s not forget others who still believe he’s being propped up by head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense and the weapons around him.
Now imagine Lamar Jackson taking his place. You have the league’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterback working in a Kyle Shanahan-tree offense with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The explosiveness at all levels of the field would be off of the charts. When you then factor in the long-term concern about Tagovailoa’s health, the idea of going after Jackson starts to look even more enticing.
Timing would be the biggest key for the Dolphins making this move. They don’t have a first-round pick in the 2023 draft due to tampering charges for owner Stephen Ross’ involvement with Tom Brady. Thus, they’d have to wait until after this year’s draft to then give up 2024 and 2025 first-round picks.
That’s a steep price to pay, especially without having seen the on-field results with Jackson. While true, the prospect of watching the dynamic quarterback play in this offense with these playmakers would be truly special and one that could elevate the Dolphins to heights they haven’t seen since the days of Dan Marino — and perhaps higher.