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At the NFL integrate Wednesday, Eric DeCosta was asked whether he needs to think about trading quarterback Lamar Jackson eventually and reacted that couple of groups have actually made more trades given that he ended up being the Baltimore Ravens’ basic supervisor 4 years back.
“That being said, I covet great players. I covet quarterbacks. And I love Lamar,” DeCosta informed Baltimore-location press reporters in Indianapolis. “So, that has not factored in one time with me. We want to do what’s best for the club. We try to do what we can for Lamar. We want to make everybody happy.”
DeCosta revealed hope that an offer can be reached with Jackson prior to next week’s franchise tag due date regardless of no arrangement up until now after 2 years of settlements. DeCosta stated he met Jackson just recently, including, “Both understand the urgency of the situation.”
If the sides can’t reach a brand-new agreement by Tuesday, Baltimore would need to put the franchise tag on Jackson to keep him from ending up being an unlimited complimentary representative. The tag would use up all of the Ravens’ readily available wage cap area and significantly restrict what the group can do in complimentary company, which possibly consists of including a much-needed pass receiver and a beginning cornerback.
“You can’t win in this league without a strong quarterback. I mean, that’s been proven,” DeCosta stated. “So, we want Lamar here. We think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He’s certainly one of our best players, and we want him back. We understand that living in a world without a quarterback is a bad world to live in.”
According to sources, Jackson desires a totally ensured offer like the one offered to Deshaun Watson in 2015, and the Ravens have actually hesitated to use that due to the fact that they think Watson’s offer is more of an outlier than a precedent. DeCosta called it a “tough negotiation” with Jackson, who is among the couple of prominent gamers who represents himself instead of using a representative.
“I don’t want to live in a world where there’s no optimism, where I’m just going to give up hope,” DeCosta stated. “You guys have seen me during games. Sometimes I’m in a dark place at the end of the game because there’s no hope. We’ve lost the game. I don’t see that here. I won’t feel that here. I refuse that. I’ve seen a lot of deals happen when things look bleak, or I haven’t seen deals when I would’ve thought it was a slam dunk. It takes two people to do it. I remain positive. I have no reason not to remain positive.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh stated that he is “fervently hopeful” an offer will get done which he thinks “200 percent” that Jackson wishes to be with the Ravens. Throughout this offseason, Harbaugh has actually prepared for Lamar belonging to this group moving forward. Harbaugh stated that, when speaking to offending planner prospects, “All those interviews were based on Lamar being the quarterback.”
“He’s my quarterback, he’s my guy,” Harbaugh stated. “I love him.”
If the Ravens need to utilize the tag on Jackson, DeCosta would not state whether the group would utilize the non-unique ($32 million) or exclusive one ($45 million).
“Sure, they’re big numbers,” DeCosta stated. “We’ve known they’re big numbers, [and] we’re prepared for that. And we’ve got four or five or six different plans based on what happens.”
Under the non-exclusive tag, Jackson might sign a deal sheet with another group however Baltimore can match it or take 2 first-round choices as payment. Under the unique tag, the Ravens control Jackson’s rights in addition to any trade talks and payment with other groups.
The Ravens, who presently have $21 million in cap area, would need to produce more space to fit Jackson’s tag under the cap.
DeCosta acknowledged that Jackson’s unsettled agreement scenario is a “wrench” in the group’s strategies moving forward, specifically when it pertains to extending agreements for other gamers.
“It does create a little bit of a haze as to what the future is going to look like with your roster,” DeCosta stated. “There are some things that we’re not going to do right now that maybe we would try to do. But there’s no bigger question right now, no bigger decision, [and] there’s no bigger challenge for this organization moving forward than this contract.”
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