Lamar Jackson Demands Trade From Ravens; Deshaun Watson Heir?
The Lamar Jackson saga continued on Monday as the kind-of-free-agent-but-not-really quarterback took to Twitter to confess he indeed did ask the Ravens to trade him back on March 2.
And now that it's out there, will teams be lining up to throw draft picks at the Ravens? Probably not.
But there is at least one scenario where former quarterback and current NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky thinks Jackson could end up in the AFC South.
Said Orlovsky: “Houston has the picks. … They have the salary cap space. They just have all of the capabilities to do it."
The Texans will upgrade their quarterback room this off-season. And Jackson has not been linked to Houston.
But if the Texans want a "rightful heir'' to what Deshaun Watson once represented there (before things went sour)?
Lamar is that.
Now ...
Unless the Texans divert from their plan of using the No. 2 pick of the 2023 NFL Draft on a quarterback, Houston will likely start next season with a rookie under center — most noticeably in the likes of C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young.
The franchise tag the Ravens placed on Jackson is worth $32.4 million for the 2023 season. Jackson is seeking a long-term deal similar to the five-year fully guaranteed $230 million contract Deshaun Watson secured with the Cleveland Browns last off-season.
In five seasons, Jackson has completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 12,209 yards and 101 touchdowns. Jackson is establishing himself as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in league history. He has recorded 4,437 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground.
He is a special player. Maybe this draft has one of those. Or maybe there are only so many Deshaun-level guys to go around. And now that Lamar wants out? Maybe Houston should want in.
Houston Texans FanNation writer Coty M. Davis contributed to this article.
You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24
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