As Lamar Jackson and the Ravens proceed their negotiations over crucial contract in franchise historical past, the star quarterback’s most essential gesture of the method would possibly’ve additionally been the only: He confirmed up for work Wednesday.
At the tip of the Ravens’ mid-June obligatory minicamp, Jackson had seemingly left open the potential of sitting out Week 1, and maybe even coaching camp, if a contract extension hadn’t been agreed upon. “We’re having conversations about it,” he mentioned. “I don’t know.”
But Jackson reported to Owings Mills final Thursday, led the Ravens’ offense of their first full-team observe of coaching camp Wednesday, and was upbeat and seemingly optimistic in regards to the contract talks Thursday, his first information convention since minicamp.
Jackson, who’s representing himself and coming into the ultimate yr of his rookie contract, was once more obscure in regards to the specifics of the negotiations, which picked up in June. He declined to say whether or not it was essential to get a completely assured deal, as Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had from the Cleveland Browns. Ravens proprietor Steve Bisciotti had mentioned in March that Watson’s five-year, $230 million contract was “groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others.”
Jackson additionally mentioned there could be a “cut-off” in some unspecified time in the future within the course of, although he didn’t say precisely when, or how stalled negotiations would possibly have an effect on his availability this season. And he indicated that his contract talks with Ravens officers had been restricted to durations of “mutual free time,” a rarity throughout camp.
But requested whether or not he thought a deal would get completed, Jackson mentioned: “I think so. I think so. We’ll have to see.” Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray’s latest five-year extension, price $46.1 million yearly, not solely leaves Jackson’s contract scenario as by far the NFL’s most intriguing however maybe additionally supplies a brand new place to begin for the 2019 Most Valuable Player’s personal megadeal.
“I get to talk to both sides, and both sides are very motivated to get the job done,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh mentioned Thursday. “And so I feel like that’s kind of where it’s at. But you know, Lamar’s practicing all day. So it’s not like they’re going to be in some kind of negotiation all day, like they might be in a regular situation.”
Jackson’s sturdy efficiency by way of two days of camp — he had two extra highlight-reel throws Thursday, to rookie tight finish Isaiah Likely and large receiver Rashod Bateman — is as notable as his participation.
“Hold-ins” have develop into the NFL’s newest leverage play, exploiting a loophole within the collective bargaining settlement that enables gamers who report back to camp, however not essentially take part, to keep away from every day fines of $50,000. Some hold-ins will participate in particular person drills, whereas some received’t even enterprise out onto the observe subject. Their playbook is straightforward: The longer their absence, the extra questions coaches and teammates get about their future, the larger the strain turns into to get a deal completed.
Steelers outdoors linebacker T.J. Watt, who sat out staff drills by way of all of final yr’s camp, signed a deal simply earlier than Pittsburgh’s self-imposed contract deadline that made him the NFL’s highest-paid defender. Seahawks security Jamal Adams’ practically three-week hold-in ended after Seattle made him the league’s highest-paid security.
Those riches have seemingly impressed adherents. In camps throughout the nation, contract disputes have led a handful of stars in Jackson’s place — Pro Bowl-level gamers coming into the ultimate yr of their rookie deal — to carry in. Seattle Seahawks large receiver D.Ok. Metcalf, San Francisco 49ers large receiver Deebo Samuel and Los Angeles Chargers security Derwin James all reported to camp however have but to observe. (Metcalf reportedly agreed to a three-year, $72 million extension Thursday evening.)
Not Jackson, although.
“I want to win at the end of the day,” he mentioned. “I just want to be great. I just want to work with my brothers at the end of the day. I don’t want to leave them out there hanging. That’s not me. That’s never been me.”
Jackson’s offseason hiatus was by now typical for him. As he skilled again dwelling in South Florida, including muscle and throwing to native NFL receivers in a exercise at Florida Atlantic University, nameless critics across the league fixated on his perceived shortcomings.
In an ESPN ballot of NFL executives, coaches, scouts and gamers, Jackson fell outdoors the highest 10 in its quarterback rankings, behind the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Cleveland’s Watson. In The Athletic’s personal survey of executives and coaches, Jackson was rated the Tenth-best quarterback, with one unnamed defensive coordinator saying: “If he has to move to win the sport, they ain’t profitable the sport. … I don’t [care] if he wins the league MVP 12 occasions, I don’t suppose he’ll ever be a [Tier] 1 as a quarterback.
“It’s anonymous, so I really don’t care,” mentioned Jackson, who’s statistically one of many NFL’s most effective passers in high-leverage, late-game situations. “He’s anonymous for a reason, you know? It’s all good. I’m good.”
“He’s used to it,” Harbaugh mentioned Wednesday. “I mean, he’s been hearing the same thing since he was probably in junior high. I know he heard it in college; I know he heard it through the draft. I know he hears some of the same people saying the same things they said in the draft. That keeps coming up. I don’t know who this guy named ‘Anonymous’ is. I haven’t met him yet. So I don’t even know why we report on what he has to say. But it is what it is. It’s just baloney; it’s just nothing; it’s a big nothing burger.”
On Wednesday, Bateman was requested whether or not teammates ever convey up Jackson’s contract scenario round him. Does the Ravens’ locker room speak about his future with as a lot curiosity because the NFL world at giant?
“If Lamar is not concerned about the contract, nobody should be concerned about the contract,” Bateman mentioned. “That’s not up to us; we’re going to let whoever handles that handle it. We’re just going to play football. That’s what we’re called here to do, and that’s what we’re going to focus on.”
Preseason, Week 1
TITANS@RAVENS
Thursday, Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m.
TV: Chs. 11, 4
Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM
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Source: www.bostonherald.com