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Trade Winds Beginning to Blow for Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson has not played or practiced since injuring his knee in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos.
Todd Karpovich|
Trade Winds Beginning to Blow for Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Trade Winds Beginning to Blow for Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

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Baltimore Ravens

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The impasse between Lamar Jackson and the Ravens over a new contract has created all types of speculation.

One scenario is the Ravens trading the former NFL MVP for multiple first-round draft picks.

Jackson has not played or practiced since injuring his knee in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos.

The offense has languished without him in the lineup, averaging less than 10 points per game. 

The Ravens' passing attack has also floundered and the wide receivers rank 29th in the NFL with 114 receptions, 32nd with 1,328 yards, and 30th with six touchdowns. 

A wideout has also not caught a touchdown pass since Week 3.

This has further shown Jackson's value to the team, according to league personnel.

“He has as much leverage now as ever,” one NFL personnel executive told the Washington Post's Jason La Canfora “Not playing is the best thing for him for the contract. They can’t score without him. That’s not a great team. That’s not a great roster. But they win a lot of games because of him.”

The Ravens will place an exclusive rights franchise tag on Jackson in the offseason, which will cost them about $45 million fully guaranteed. 

That type of deal could preclude the team from adding other major players. The Ravens will want to re-sign Roquan Smith, who was acquired from the Bears last month and could command a contract of $18 million to $20 million per season. 

If Jackson and the Ravens cannot reach a long-term deal, the trade rumors will heat up leading up to the NFL draft. 

And the Ravens might get an offer they can't refuse. Multiple first-round picks would be enticing. 

“He has as much leverage now as ever,” one NFL personnel executive told La Canfora “Not playing is the best thing for him for the contract. They can’t score without him. That’s not a great team. That’s not a great roster. But they win a lot of games because of him.”

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Todd Karpovich
TODD KARPOVICH

Twitter: @toddkarpovich Email: todd.karpovich@gmail.com Skype: todd.karpovich Todd Karpovich has been a contributor for ESPN, Forbes, the Associated Press, Lindy's, and The Baltimore Sun, among other media outlets nationwide. He is the co-author of “If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Baltimore Ravens Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box,” “Skipper Supreme: Buck Showalter and the Baltimore Orioles,” and the author of “Manchester United (Europe's Best Soccer Clubs).” Karpovich, a Baltimore native, is a graduate of Calvert Hall College high school, Randolph-Macon College in Virginia, and has a Masters of Science from Towson University. 

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