While much of the focus surrounding the Baltimore Ravens in the here and now is, well, in the here and now, there’s no secret that Joe Flacco‘s future in Baltimore remains a large question mark. In recent years, notably post-Super Bowl victory, we’ve seen Flacco struggle with movement in the pocket, feeling pressure, and hitting his receivers in stride (if at all).
Needless to say, Flacco has become rather polarizing around town. Some folks love the signal-caller who brought them a Super Bowl, while others feel he’s overpaid and holding the franchise back.
For those in the latter group it should come as no surprise that, according to Dan Parr of NFL.com, the Ravens are one of sixteen teams heading out to watch Wyoming take on Oregon at OU.
Wyoming of course, is where you’ll find highly touted quarterback Josh Allen, who many consider to be a top-3 quarterback in a 2018 draft.
So what makes this particular game so interesting?
“Saturday’s home game against Oregon will be the last time Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen faces a Power Five team during the 2017 regular season,” writes Parr, who goes on to note that Allen has throw but 1 touchdown versus 7 picks in his other 2 career games against Power Five teams.
Of course with 16 teams (half of the NFL) sending scouts, what makes the Ravens angle so interesting?
For starters, it’s the one team I did not expect to see on this list. Teams like the Jets, Bills, 49ers, and Jags are in desperate need of a future QB, while teams like the Saints are without question looking to the years beyond grandpa Brees. Other teams like the Seahawks and Rams are on the list, although they’re more likely there to scout Oregon RB Royce Freeman than Allen.
But the Ravens? Despite being seemingly comfortable and confident with Flacco, they may very well be looking ahead to his heir apparent sooner, rather than later.
It’s also worth noting that NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has compared Josh Allen to a “more athletic version of Joe Flacco” which, for the sake of continuity and not needing to change up the offense, would be a very intriguing fit in Baltimore as the Flacco era is ushered out over time.
Of course all of this could be for naught. After all, the Ravens seem poised to, at the very least, repeat their 8-8 season, if not improve upon it. Coupled with a quarterback like Allen, who is in line to end up a top-10 pick (along with Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold, with Lamar Jackson right on their heels) he may never make it anywhere close to where Baltimore is drafting in the 1st round.
Then again, this is a Ravens franchise that, back in 2008, traded down from the 8th pick  to the 26th, then back up to the 18th pick to draft Flacco.
Crazier things have happened in Baltimore’s war room…
