Lamar Jackson's Ravens Draft a 1st-Round QB? GM Eric DeCosta Stunning Answer

Would the Ravens, who already have contractual control of a 26-year-old superstar MVP in Jackson - consider such a thing? The GM's notable answer is ...

"Playing nice''? For the Baltimore Ravens and their dealings with unhappy franchise QB Lamar Jackson, that time seems to have passed.

During a Wednesday pre-NFL Draft press conference, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta - the point man in contract talks with the unsigned but tagged star - was asked about the idea of selecting a quarterback in the first round.

Would the Ravens, who already have contractual control of a 26-year-old superstar MVP in Jackson - consider such a thing?

"It depends on the board," DeCosta told reporters, via ESPN's Jamison Hensley.

In almost any circumstance, this answer could be construed as being incendiary. DeCosta could have chosen any of a dozen ways to answer the query; "We're not going to comment on any quarterback scenario outside of our desire to have Lamar with us,'' would've been a fine reply.

And in fairness, DeCosta did deflect away when asked specific Lamar questions, politely declining to do so "out of respect for the process.''

Said DeCosta: "I understand the need to ask those kind of questions. I think just out of respect for the process, this is a draft luncheon and we're gonna try to keep as much of this discussion as we can to the draft."

Good try. But "discussing only the draft'' while conceding that a Ravens team that needs weapons around Jackson might instead draft his replacement obviously overflows from "draft talk only'' into "Lamar talk.''

If the Ravens were to take a quarterback in the first round, would that signal the end of the Jackson era in Baltimore? That can be argued. But in that scenario, would it make the playoff-hopeful Ravens a better team? And wouldn't it cause friction in the building while a trade was engineered ... while also putting the Ravens over the barrel in negotiations with other teams who would see Baltimore as being in a must-move scenario?

Baltimore has created a mess for itself. And talking about that mess, even while insisting "we're not talking about that'' mess at a "draft luncheon'' ... does nothing to clear it up.

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