Wednesday’s pre-draft information convention involving Ravens decision-makers loomed as basic supervisor Eric DeCosta’s first alternative to publicly deal with Lamar Jackson’s latest public commerce request.
But DeCosta, coach John Harbaugh and director of participant personnel Joe Hortiz largely prevented any in-depth dialogue of the offseason’s dominant storyline, citing their need to maintain the give attention to their preparations for the upcoming NFL draft, which is scheduled to start April 27, reasonably than their star quarterback.
At the beginning of the session with the media, a crew spokesman requested that reporters ask questions pertaining to the draft. When the primary query directed at DeCosta sought his response to Jackson’s tweet on March 27 that claimed the Ravens have “not been interested in meeting my value,” DeCosta confirmed an elusiveness the cell quarterback might need envied.
“I understand the need to ask those kinds of questions,” he stated. “I think just out of respect for the process, this is a draft luncheon, and we’re going to try to keep as much of this discussion as we can to the draft, to the coming weeks, building the best football team we can. So I understand those questions. I think we’ve spoken about this situation probably five different times this spring in various different press conferences and such. So we’re going to try to just kind of defer to those questions and move forward to the draft.”
Three questions later, DeCosta was requested if he had a most well-liked final result concerning negotiations between the crew and Jackson earlier than the draft.
“I think the things that we control really [are] getting the list, the draft board set, evaluating the players as best as possible, being aware of the players, the free agents that are available now and post-draft, who are the players that we might have a chance to bring in post-draft that can make us a better football team as well,” he replied. “And then doing the best job we can in terms of recruiting free agents. Our scouts do a phenomenal job of that, our coaches do a great job of that and just putting ourselves in a position to win draft weekend.”
When the following inquirer started a query referencing Jackson, the identical crew spokesman interrupted and reminded the assembled media that “this is about the draft” and “we’re not going to answer any more questions today” about Jackson.
DeCosta did say, nevertheless, that the uncertainty across the crew’s quarterback place didn’t alter his analysis of the quarterback draft class — “we really do try to build a board that’s really ‘best player available,’” he stated — and that they aren’t ruling out taking a quarterback within the first spherical. The Ravens have the No. 22 choose.
“It depends on the board, it really does. I’d have to say yes because we have quarterbacks in our top 31,” DeCosta stated. “So just based on that alone, simple math, I would have to say yes.”
The uncommon show was a marked departure from Harbaugh’s assembly with native and nationwide reporters on the NFL’s homeowners assembly in Phoenix final week when the primary 26 questions centered on Jackson’s tweet and the coach answered each with out acrimony or bitterness. Wednesday’s growth was maybe the most recent signal that fatigue concerning the 2 sides’ almost two-year incapability to hammer out a long-term contract had reached the higher echelon of the group.
The crew assigned the nonexclusive tag on Jackson, the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2019, on March 7. The transfer was applauded in some corners as a result of the Ravens may match any supply sheet Jackson signed with one other crew or decline and obtain two first-round picks. And at $32.4 million, the nonexclusive tag was about $13 million cheaper than the unique tag, which might have prevented Jackson from discovering out his worth in the marketplace.
Here are different takeaways from the information convention:
Cornerback ‘a strong position’
DeCosta known as this 12 months’s cornerback class “a strong position,” which might match a necessity for the Ravens. Starter Marcus Peters is a free agent, leaving Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens the lone returning starters.
One extremely touted prospect is Ohio State’s Joey Porter Jr., who’s projected as a first-round alternative. His father, Joey Porter Sr., was an outdoor linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a thorn within the Ravens’ aspect for a few years. Would including the youthful Porter be problematic?
“I’m going to give him a call, and I’m going to find out,” Harbaugh quipped. “For me, it’s family first. Joey Porter Jr. is a heck of a player, and it’s not just him. There’s a lot of good corners like Eric said, guys that we’d be excited about. But this dude knows how to play. I love the way he plays his style. He’s the Joey Porter Sr. version. He’s got a great mentality, so we’ll see what happens.”
Not exhibiting their hand
Besides cornerback, DeCosta famous the energy of the huge receiver, offensive line and line of defense lessons — all of which may fortify subsequent 12 months’s squad. But DeCosta declined to say which place is probably the most coveted by the group, mentioning that the 2021 crew thought it was set at operating again till season-ending accidents sidelined J.Ok. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
“Our needs can change,” he stated. “I wouldn’t want to pigeonhole one specific thing, but in general, I think secondary is always something that we can address. Offensive lines are always something, the defensive line that we should address, the receiver position, those positions where you need multiple guys to play. I think those are important positions every single year to draft players so that you have a continuous depth in terms of when guys get hurt, you can put guys in.”
Wide receivers at play
Three huge receivers — Southern California’s Jordan Addison, Boston College’s Zay Flowers and TCU’s Quentin Johnston — have been linked to the Ravens as potential alternatives with the twenty second choose. The franchise has been largely unsuccessful in drafting that place, however DeCosta laughed off a query about feeling happy if he had been in a position to break the streak this time.
“I’ve been here 28 years. If it wasn’t receiver, you guys would be asking something else,” he joked. “That’s the reality. It’d be the offensive line, it’d be the quarterback position, it’d be the secondary. It’s just the nature of the beast, right? So we want to address as many positions. There’s never been a perfect team. I’ve never seen a perfect team yet in the NFL. We aspire to it, but I haven’t seen that team.”
NFL draft
Thursday, April 27, to Saturday, April 29
TV: ESPN, NFL Network
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Source: www.bostonherald.com