Lamar Jackson Out, Ryan Tannehill Trade In? How's That Ravens 'Ideal'?

The Baltimore Ravens find themselves in a scramble regarding Lamar Jackson, with media proposals that include a trade for Ryan Tannehill as a solution.
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As a result of the Lamar Jackson stalemate, the Baltimore Ravens are scrambling for answers at the quarterback position.

And that is sending the media off scrambling, too.

Jackson asked the team for a trade in early March, while at the same time trying to negotiate his way through the franchise tag and to a new contract. Now the late-April 2023 NFL Draft is approaching ...

And decisions have to be made as a result of the scramble. ... with one media outlet suggesting that the Ravens' "ideal'' match is with ...

The Titans' Ryan Tannehill?!

There are rumors noting Tennessee's willingness to include in its roster strip-down the trade-away of Tannehill, who to his credit is 36-19 in his last four seasons as the Titans starter.

But our antennae always goes up when a media outlet uses the word "ideal'' when it comes to a player, a team or a roster move.

There is no such thing as "ideal'' - and Tannehill, who is about to turn 35, who has never gotten the Titans over the hump, who is playing on a four-year, $118 million contract he signed in 2020 and who in 2023 has a cap hit of $36 million and a dead cap number for the Titans of $19 mil ... is not "ideal.''

The speculated deal by NFLAnalysis insists "a Day 3 pick would likely get the deal done.'' But we don't know that at all. Nor do we suspect the Titans have complete faith in 2022 tookie Malik Willis.

And one more thing about this rumor: What does it have the Ravens doing with Lamar Jackson?

As we all scramble for Ravens answers, sometimes the most obvious path is the easiest. And the most obvious path remains for both sides to negotiate in good faith in a way that will bring 26-year-old MVP Lamar Jackson back into the Baltimore fold.


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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983. He is the author of two best-selling books on the NFL.