The Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson have yet to come to a resolution on the stalemate that they are currently in, making many people wonder when things will move forward with a resolution. The NFL draft is less than one month away, and their free agency has consisted of just one outside addition in wide receiver Nelson Agholor.
With all of the uncertainty surrounding the team, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports named seven quarterback options for Baltimore if Jackson moves on via offer sheet or trade. He started with two rookie options in Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.
“Like a lot of these potential quarterback options for the Ravens, it’ll really come down to which team ends up stepping to the plate for Jackson. For example, if either the Colts or Lions elect to go after Jackson, then the Ravens would be within range to select one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL Draft. Indy is currently situated at No. 4 overall while the Lions will be on the clock with the No. 6 overall pick. If Baltimore, which holds the 22nd overall pick, was to acquire one of those selections, it would be in the realistic range of Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis.”
He then moved to veteran signal callers, starting with Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
“So along with the oodles of other more sought-after parts of the compensation for Jackson, the Ravens could have the Lions throw in Goff, who is a serviceable option under center for the time being. That is especially true if the team does not want to toss the young quarterback that they hypothetically take with Detroit’s first-rounder into the fire out of the gate in Week 1. Goff could serve as a bridge to whatever the team wants to do next at the position, whether that be taking a quarterback in 2023 or waiting to take one in the future.”
Sullivan also mentioned an intriguing young thrower in San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance.
“Let’s say the Ravens ship off Jackson to a team for a treasure trove of future picks that don’t directly link to another quarterback (possibly a trade with the Atlanta Falcons). Under that circumstance, Eric DeCosta should jump on the phone and call up John Lynch to see what the asking price is for Trey Lance. The 49ers selected Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but have yet to really see him in action. While he came into the league with a ton of fanfare and oozing with raw talent, the team opted to let the North Dakota State product develop behind Jimmy Garoppolo during his rookie season and then, when he was ushered in as the full-time starter last year, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2.”
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was next on Sullivan’s list,
“After a promising rookie season, Jones took a step back in 2022, but a large part of the blame could be placed on Bill Belichick’s perplexing decision to have Matt Patricia and Joe Judge spearhead the offense. With a more stable offensive coordinator like Monken, Jones would likely look more like the quarterback we saw in 2021 rather than in 2022, which would give the Ravens a solid player with two more seasons on his rookie contract, plus the fifth year option for 2025.”
Sullivan then talks about a familiar face for Ravens’ offensive coordinator Todd Monken in Georgia’s Stenson Bennett.
“Regardless of what happens with Jackson, Bennett to the Ravens will be a popular pairing throughout the pre-draft process. That’s because of Todd Monken, who was Bennett’s offensive coordinator at Georgia for the last three years. Now that he’s running the Ravens offense, Bennett could be a sleeper option for the team, especially if they make a deal for Jackson that doesn’t result in an immediate heir apparent either in the form of an established veteran or first-round rookie. Bennett will likely be taken in the later rounds of the draft, so it wouldn’t require Baltimore to immediately use whatever assets they get for Jackson to acquire him.”
Finally, Sullivan mentions a bit of a “dream scenario with Chicago Bears’ quarterback Justin Fields.
“Chicago has the cap space to offer Jackson the contract he is seeking and a ton of assets to acquire him, including Fields. Neither team would have to change their offensive approach as both quarterbacks have lethal rushing ability, and the Ravens would be given a reset with another quarterback on his rookie contract. If you’re Baltimore, getting Fields may be the dream scenario if you’ve reached the point of no return with Jackson.”