BREAKING NEWS: Ravens Place Franchise Tag on Lamar Jackson
LIKE. SO, THERE IS INCENTIVE TO GET THIS DONE. >> THREE OF THE SIX PLAYERS TAGGED THIS IS IN OUR ALL RUNNING BACKS, THERE IS ANOTHER ONE, THE MARK JACKSON, GETTING THE TAG DOWN. THIS IS THE NATE McMILLAN FROM BALTIMORE. HE SAYS, HAVING NOT REACHED A DEAL WITH LAMAR JACKSON WE WILL USE A FRANCHISE TAG, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY INSTANCES IN BALTIMORE WHEN A PLAYER HAS SIGNED DESIGNATED WITH A FRANCHISE TAG AND SIGNED A LONG-TERM DEAL THAT SAME YEAR. WE WILL CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE WITH LAMAR JACKSON. WE ARE HOPEFUL WE CAN STRIKE A LONG-TERM DEAL. THE
ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BUILD A CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM WITH LAMAR JACKSON LEADING THE WAY WITH MANY YEARS TO COME. MIKE, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, THIS NONEXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE TAG ON LAMAR JACKSON? >> WELL, IT MEANS THE BALTIMORE RAVENS, WHO HAVE BEEN TRYING TO NEGOTIATE WITH JACKSON IN A MORE TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE, WHICH IS FAR LESS THE ENTIRE VALUE OF THE CONTACT FULLY GUARANTEED. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS WITH JACKSON, WHO HAS BEEN INTIMATING THAT HE WANTS WAY MORE GUARANTEES ON HIS DEAL AND REALLY HAVE TO HAVE THE LEVERAGE. KURT HASN’T HAD THE LEVERAGE TO GET
IT DONE BECAUSE HE HIT FREE AGENCY AFTER PLAYING OUT TWO FRANCHISE TAX. WATSON HAD THAT LEVERAGE. WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT HE SHOULD, BUT HE DID HAVE
WITH OTHER TEAMS. BALTIMORE HAS A RIGHT TO MATCH THEM IF THEY DON’T THEY GET TWO FIRST-ROUND PICKS IN RETURN, WHICH SOME SAY IS NOT ENOUGH FOR LAMAR JACKSON. IN THIS CASE, SOME MIGHT SAY THAT IS BELOW MARKET VALUE IN A TRADE FOR MY JACKSON. I THINK BALTIMORE IS SAYING LET’S GET ON WITH IT, LET’S SEE WHAT IS OUT THERE, EITHER SIGN A OFFER SHEET OR TRADE YOU, OR COME BACK TO US NEGOTIATE TO GET THIS DONE. WE SHALL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. >> THIS IS ALSO A PLACE, MIKE, WHERE PLAYERS WHO HAVE AGENTS USUALLY HAVE AGENTS
REACH OUT TO DIFFERENT TEAMS, FIGURE OUT MARKET, WELL BEFORE YOU GET TO THE SITUATION OF A FRANCHISE TAG. IN JACKSON’S CASE HE DOES NOT HAVE AN AGENT. HIS MOTHER IS HIS ADVISER. I WOULD THINK THAT OTHER TEAMS WOULD BE WARY OF TAMPERING DIRECTLY WITH A PLAYER PRIOR TO HIM BECOMING AVAILABLE, SO, NEXT WEEK, WHEN JACKSON IS ALLOWED TO NEGOTIATE WITH OTHER TEAMS, IT WILL BE THE FIRST TIME HE SEES WHAT HIS VALUE IS. THAT CERTAINLY SEEMS TO BE A STRATEGIC MOVE BY BALTIMORE THING, WE TIE FOR A YEAR TO GET IT DONE, IT HAS NOT
WORKED, NOW GO AHEAD, WE AT LEAST HAVE THE RIGHT TO MATCH THE DEAL AND KEEP YOU ALL LET YOU GO. EVEN MATCH IT AND TRY TO WORK OUT A TRADE AFTERWARDS FOR MORE THAN TWO FIRST ROUND PICKS. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE RULES SAYING YOU CAN’T DO THAT. THE QUESTION BECOMES WHAT EXACTLY IS JACKSON’S VALUE? WE KNOW THE RAVENS HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT OFFERS TO JACKSON IN TERMS OF THE AVERAGE PER YEAR, TOTAL VALUE OF THE CONTRACT, HE HAS WANTED TO SEE THOSE FULL GUARANTEES MOVE UP. THE RAVENS ARE FAR FROM THE ONLY TEAM THAT IS
RELUCTANT TO DO FULLY GUARANTEED DEALS. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE LEAGUE THAT WERE HAPPY WITH THE BROWNS. SO WE ARE IN FOR A FASCINATING TIME TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH JACKSON IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH OTHER TEAMS. I WOULD TAKE IT AS A GIVEN THAT THERE IS AN OFFER SHEET. IT IS POSSIBLE WE WOULD REALLY LIKE YOU BUT THIS IS THE BEST WE CAN DO. >> IT WILL REALLY BE FASCINATING. ONE THING TO WATCH FOR, YOU GUYS ARE ALL OVER IT, THE MARKET WILL BE SET. WE NEVER HAVE A QUARTERBACK LIKE KURT COUSINS, I
THINK IS THE LAST ONE, BE A FREE AGENT. JACKSON IS NOT A FREE AGENT THE TEAMS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, WE VALUE YOU HEAR. IT IS NOT A TRUE FREE MARKET VALUE BECAUSE IT DOES COST TO TWO FIRST-ROUND PICKS, BUT YOU DO GET TO SAY HOW MUCH IS HE WORTH? IF YOU ARE JACKSON LOOKING FOR A FULLY GUARANTEED DEAL, OKAY. I THINK THAT THE RAVENS ARE SAYING IS, IF YOU CAN GET IT, GO GET IT, COME SHOW US THEN WE WILL HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO MATCH. WE DON’T KNOW,
IT DEPEND
