Ravens take another massive step towards signing Lamar Jackson long term

The Baltimore Ravens are making a real effort to re-sign Lamar Jackson for the long term.

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric D’Costa is literally moving his talents to South Beach in an effort to sign Lamar Jackson to a long-term deal.

The South Florida native has had one of the most tumultuous negotiation we’ve seen in quite some time. For better or worse, it’s this year’s Kirk Cousins ​​or Duck Prescott. While Baltimore would absolutely want to keep him, the self-proclaimed quarterback might want to take his talents to South Beach, or anywhere for that matter, perhaps somewhere in the Dirty South in free agency.

With the clock ticking, DeCosta flew to Miami to talk with Jackson about what it would take to finally put pen to paper and sign a long-term extension with the Ravens. Despite more than a year now of contract negotiations, the Baltimore Copper and the former NFL quarterback are still a long way from each other. It may be flagged, it is likely to be of non-exclusive type.

#Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and general manager Eric DeCosta met recently in Jackson’s hometown of Miami in hopes of working toward a deal, according to sources.

But after more than a year of negotiations, the two sides remain estranged and the situation appears to be heading toward the franchise Tuesday mark. pic.twitter.com/BWqFZMUbBW

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 6, 2023

Without argument, Jackson is the most important domino yet to fall heading into NFL free agency.

Baltimore Ravens manager Eric D’Costa is trying to convince Lamar Jackson to sign him on a long-term basis

look. It certainly serves the Ravens to have a long-term deal with Jackson before the offseason begins. He’s an all-time franchise quarterback, so taking the negotiation process any further would be far from an eyesore for everyone involved. The best thing for the Ravens and Jackson is getting a new deal headed to the OTAs, well before fall camp.

While it wasn’t about getting Jackson a fully secured contract, the discrepancy in the amount of that fully secured money seems to be the real sticking point. No one gets the Deshaun Watson deal because no one is stupid or desperate enough like the Cleveland Browns to upgrade their quarterback position. But he’s better than Killer Murray…

In truth, stubbornness and ego on both sides led to this critical point. This is why the Crows almost certainly tag Jackson. Whether or not an exclusive label would mark the most impactful decision DeCosta has made managing the Ravens since taking over as iconic general manager Ozzie Newsome right after Jackson’s exit from Louisville in 2018.

If this is the exclusive tag, Jackson’s clout might hurt to play elsewhere, but it could serve as a bridge to mending fences and trying to make this thing work. It shows Baltimore’s commitment to the quarterback franchise, now and in the future. If it were non-exclusive, it might give Jackson the freedom to talk to other bands, but it feels like a breakup before an inevitable divorce.

Either way, Jackson’s free agency will be the biggest factor in determining the new quarterback market.

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