Why the Ravens Made the Right Move with Lamar Jackson's Franchise Tag

Are you ready for some football? The Baltimore Ravens made a bold move this offseason by using the franchise tag on their young superstar, Lamar Jackson. While some fans and analysts were skeptical of the decision, we’re here to argue that the Ravens made the right call. In this blog post, we’ll dive into why Jackson is worth every penny of his new contract and why he’s poised to lead Baltimore deep into the playoffs in 2021. So grab your popcorn and get ready for some gridiron analysis – it’s time to talk about Lamar! Why the Ravens Made the Right Move with Lamar Jackson’s

Introduction to Lamar Jackson’s Football Career

Why the Ravens Made the Right Move with Lamar Jackson's Franchise Tag

Lamar Jackson’s football career began at Boynton Beach High School in Florida, where he was a two-sport star in both football and track. He was ranked as a four-star recruit by 247Sports and chose to play college football at the University of Louisville over offers from other schools such as Auburn and Clemson.

As a freshman at Louisville in 2015, Jackson became the starting quarterback after an injury to starter Will Gardner. He went on to have a breakout season, throwing for 1,840 yards and 12 touchdowns while also rushing for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns. His performance helped Louisville win the Citrus Bowl that year and earned him ACC Rookie of the Year honors.

Jackson continued to improve as a sophomore, throwing for 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns while rushing for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was named the ACC Player of the Year and won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first Louisville player to ever do so. The Cardinals once again won the Citrus Bowl that year, this time beating LSU 29-9.

As a junior, Jackson put up even better numbers, throwing for 3,660 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 1,443 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was once again named the ACC Player of the Year as well as winning the Heisman Trophy for a second time, becoming just the second player in history to do so. Louisville did not make it back to the Citrus Bowl that year but still had a successful season

Recap of Ravens Place Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag on Jackson

The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, meaning he will be paid $23.1 million for the 2021 season and will become an unrestricted free agent in 2022 if he does not agree to a long-term contract extension with the team. The move ensures that the Ravens will have Jackson under contract for at least one more season and gives them time to work out a long-term deal.

This was the right move for the Ravens, as they can now keep Jackson under contract for another year while they continue to work on a long-term deal. This also gives them some protection in case something happens and he is unable to play next season. Overall, this was a good move by the Ravens and they should be able to get a deal done with Jackson at some point.

Why the Decision Was Right for the Ravens

As the Ravens approach the 2021 offseason, they face a number of difficult decisions. One of the most significant is what to do with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

The team could sign Jackson to a long-term extension, but that would be expensive, and there are no guarantees he would stay healthy or play at a high level for the duration of the deal.

Instead, the Ravens chose to place the franchise tag on Jackson, which will keep him under contract for one more season. This was the right move for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it gives the team another year to evaluate Jackson as a quarterback. He has shown flashes of greatness, but he is still young and inexperienced. Another year will give him a chance to grow and develop as a player.

Second, the franchise tag allows the Ravens to continue to build around Jackson. With an extra year of control, they can continue to add weapons on offense and shore up the defense.

Third, it gives them time to figure out their own financial situation. The salary cap is expected to decrease in 2021, so signing Jackson to a long-term deal now would have been risky. By waiting until next off-season, they can get a better idea of where the cap will be and how much room they will have to work with.

Lastly, it puts pressure on Jackson to perform at a high level in 2021. He knows that he

Potential Impact of Putting Franchise Tag on Lamar Jackson

The potential impact of putting the franchise tag on Lamar Jackson is two-fold. First, it ensures that the Ravens have one of the best quarterbacks in the league under contract for another season. Second, it allows them to negotiate a long-term deal with Jackson without having to worry about him hitting the free agent market.

The franchise tag will pay Jackson $18 million for the 2021 season, which is a significant raise from the $1.8 million he made last year. It also gives the Ravens some extra time to work out a long-term extension with Jackson, which is something they are reportedly already working on.

If they can get a deal done, it would be a huge win for both Jackson and the Ravens. Jackson would get the security of a long-term contract, while the Ravens would keep their franchise quarterback under wraps for years to come.

Risks for the Future

The Ravens were worried that if they didn’t franchise tag Lamar Jackson, another team would swoop in and sign him to a large contract. This would have put the Ravens in a tough spot, as they would have had to decide whether to match the offer or let Jackson walk.

By franchising Jackson, the Ravens ensured that they will at least be able to keep him for one more season. However, there are still some risks involved. First, it’s possible that another team could make Jackson an offer that the Ravens can’t or don’t want to match. Second, even if the Ravens do keep Jackson, he could hold out for a new contract next offseason.

The biggest risk for the future is that Jackson could get injured. He’s shown himself to be extremely durable so far in his young career, but any player is susceptible to injury. If Jackson gets hurt and is unable to play at a high level, it would be a big blow to the Ravens’ offense.

Overall, though, the Ravens made the right move by franchising Jackson. He’s a special talent and worth taking a risk on for one more season.

Alternatives to Placing the Franchise Tag on Lamar Jackson

When it comes to keeping quarterback Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, the Ravens had two options: place the franchise tag on him or sign him to a long-term contract extension. They ultimately decided on the former, which will pay Jackson $26.1 million for the 2021 season.

While some may argue that the Ravens should have gone with a long-term deal instead of the franchise tag, there are a few reasons why this was the right move. For one, it gives Jackson another year to prove himself as a full-time starter in the NFL. After taking over for an injured Joe Flacco midway through the 2018 season, Jackson led the Ravens to a 6-1 record and their first playoff appearance since 2014.

Jackson took his game to another level in 2019, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. He also set a franchise record with 36 touchdown passes and was named MVP of the year by both The Associated Press and Pro Football Writers of America.

With another year under his belt, Jackson is only going to get better and there’s a good chance he could lead Baltimore to their first Super Bowl title in over 20 years. signing him to a long-term deal now would have been premature and could have backfired if he were to regress or get injured next season.

The franchise tag also gives Baltimore some flexibility when it comes to their salary cap situation. Jackson’s

Conclusion

When the Ravens announced that they had placed the franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson, many commentators questioned the decision. After all, Jackson is coming off of a season in which he was named MVP, and he is still only 24 years old. Surely, the Ravens could have negotiated a long-term deal with him that would have been more cost-effective in the long run.

But as it turns out, the Ravens made the right move in tagging Jackson. Here’s why:

1. The franchise tag gives the Ravens more time to work out a long-term deal with Jackson. Because he is still relatively young and inexperienced, it makes sense for the Ravens to take their time in negotiating a contract with him. By using the franchise tag, they can buy themselves an extra year to get a deal done.

2. The franchise tag will ensure that Jackson is with the Ravens for at least one more season. In today’s NFL, it’s rare for players to stay with one team for their entire career. But by tagging Jackson, the Ravens are essentially guaranteeing that he’ll be with them for at least one more season. And given how successful he was last year, there’s a good chance that he’ll want to stay with the team even longer than that.

3. The franchise tag gives Jackson some security in case of injury. Unlike most players who sign long-term contracts, Jackson will now be guaranteed his salary for next season even if he gets injured