Disinterest in Lamar Jackson is easy to explain… Sorta
Now Jackson has formally requested a trade, but still, no team has made an aggressive run at the MVP-winning quarterback.
Jeremy Fowler asked executives why the market wasn’t reacting strongly to Jackson’s supposed availability. The consensus he got is that trading for Jackson is really less straightforward than it would appear.
The offer sheet/franchise tag route has been on the table for weeks, but executives were already lukewarm about having to send the Ravens two first-round picks in exchange for the right to pay Jackson many millions of dollars. That’s a double whammy on what getting Jackson would ultimately cost.
Fowler pointed out that a sign-and-trade could be on the table now that Jackson has publicly expressed his desire to move on, but that requires Baltimore’s participation.
The Ravens, though they haven’t doled out the money Jackson wants, still would like Jackson in Baltimore long-term, Fowler reports, so the team isn’t exactly willing to go down that route when they have a lot of leverage over the situation.
In the end, all of this explains why a trade might not complete, but teams are going “out” on this situation before even talking to Baltimore about the topic. That’s the part that doesn’t make a lot of sense, considering a GM’s job is to explore every possible option and opportunity.