5 Teams That Should Call the Ravens About a Lamar Jackson Trade
By Hunter Haas
Team No. 2 – Atlanta Falcons
As a Desmond Ridder truther, this one hurts to write, but a pairing of Lamar Jackson and the Atlanta Falcons makes a ton of sense. Head coach Arthur Smith loves to establish the ground game but has never had an option like Jackson at quarterback.
The Falcons were a front-runner for Deshaun Watson last offseason before the Browns came in with a fully guaranteed deal. This aggressiveness shows that the front office will make a franchise-altering move if given the opportunity.
The guaranteed contract is a hurdle for any Jackson trade, but Atlanta should view the Ravens quarterback in a more favorable light than Watson. The Falcons would need to make an offer similar to the Jets’ deal but have plenty of cap space to take on a potential Jackson extension.
The roster needs work — this is undeniable. However, the NFC South is wide open right now, and the Falcons have promising young talent on the depth chart. Armed with droves of cap space and Lamar Jackson going forward is a recipe for success in the ATL.
Team No. 3 – Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are set up well with Jared Goff right now. But if they can acquire Lamar Jackson, it should be a no-brainer. The offense put up gaudy numbers last season, so upgrading from Goff to Jackson would put Detroit in the running for the best offense in the NFL.
As far as assets go, the Lions own the No. 6 and No. 18 overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. For Baltimore, a trade package that includes both of these picks and some future day-two draft capital might be enough to pry Jackson away.
If general manager Brad Holmes sees a franchise quarterback in this year’s draft, it makes sense to use these resources to get him. If he would rather cash those first-rounders into a former NFL MVP, there is a deal to be made that satisfies all parties.