Lamar Jackson OUT vs. Falcons - But Future Trade Target of Atlanta?
The longer one thing goes undone, the more possible another thing gets ... well, at least pursued.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is in the final year of his rookie contract and has been eyeing an extension for a while.
However, the Ravens and Jackson have not seen eye-to-eye and now, one of the fastest quarterbacks in the league faces free agency this spring.
While the Ravens have an opportunity to franchise tag Jackson, things could get bleak in Baltimore if that's the road this goes down ... which opens up the potential for a trade.
And that's where the Atlanta Falcons - who as it happens today play a Ravens team that is without the injured star QB - come in.
The Falcons are in limbo with quarterbacks at the moment, playing veteran Marcus Mariota for majority of the year before switching over to third-round rookie Desmond Ridder, who displayed below-par results in his debut.
Ridder failed to reach the 100-yard threshold and did not possess the tools of a future franchise quarterback in his NFL debut Sunday, a 21-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
It's only one start and the Falcons are willing to be patient, but if the prospect of trading for one of the best players in the league comes around, Atlanta would be foolish to pass it up.
KOA Colorado reporter Benjamin Allbright believes Atlanta could be an "interesting" fit if Jackson becomes available.
The Falcons run a similar run-first offense that the Ravens run and have the funds necessary to offer the kind of deal Jackson is looking for. Atlanta has over $74 million currently in cap space, which ranks second in the NFL behind the Chicago Bears.
It seems like a long shot, but sometimes the biggest trades in sports come from the places we least expect.
Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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