Lamar Jackson Collusion? NFL Source Talks of Ravens 'Dirty Work' Contract Negotiations

"Why should we do (Ravens GM Eric) DeCosta’s dirty work for him? They’re just going to match any offer anyway," one NFL exec says by way of explaining the league-wide disinterest in bidding on QB Lamar Jackson.

A bidding war for the services of Lamar Jackson? When the Baltimore Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the star QB, former NFL MVP and team's best player last week, the layman arrived at a logical conclusion ...

"Give up two first-round picks for Lamar?! That's a steal!''

But instead? Crickets.

Well, "crickets'' except for the stunningly coincidental series of "leaks'' from an assortment of NFL teams in need of QBs - pretty much every team in need of a QB, actually - announcing, in unprecedented fashion, an universal disinterest in a 26-year-old superstar who in many cases would instantly become the best player on his new team.

So, what gives?

"Why should we do (Ravens GM Eric) DeCosta’s dirty work for him? They’re just going to match any offer anyway," the front office member said to uSTADIUM.

If that's a true development, it's a new development. 

Is that "collusion,'' the word that has gotten thrown around as an underhanded explanation? Not really ... though those leaks sure did seem almost choreographed.

So what is it?

The idea is this: Baltimore, as is within its rights, unfortunate enough as it is for Jackson, used the non-exclusive tag so both parties could see what his market was this offseason. And then, once determined, the Ravens front office could simply match any offer sheet he signed.

No muss. No fuss. No negotiation. New deal.

Of course, because there are zero bidders (amid gossip that Washington might re-examine its position), the first "offer'' is the one-year, $32 million contract that comes with the tag ... and which of course grossly underpays Jackson based on the salaries of other QBs.

There has reportedly been an offer from the Ravens of "far more than $40 million per year.'' But if the guaranteed money isn't on par with the rest of the NFL QBs? No deal.

Did the Ravens play this "tough but right''? Know that from the very start, Baltimore was bothered because Cleveland a year ago gave a gigantic $230 million deal to Deshaun Watson, putting in motion what Jackson figures he should be paid,

“Damn, I wish they hadn’t guaranteed the whole contract,” Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said at the NFL league meetings last March. “I don’t know that (Watson) should’ve been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract. To me, that’s something that is groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others.”

Indeed, and here we are. "Negotiations are hard'' between the Ravens and Jackson, as it appears those are the only two parties prepared to do any "dirty work.''

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