Happy Friday, Flock!
I have been trying to use these pre-weekend Out to Lunch pieces as a bit of a palate cleanser of sorts. By the end of the week, we’re all just that much more exhausted by a whole new cycle of Lamar Jackson “reports,” speculation, and arguments. There still hasn’t been any actual news, so any “update” we could provide here would just be more of the same.
Unfortunately, Jackson is all ANYONE is talking about when it comes to the Ravens right now. Until this thing is settled in one way or another, there’s no sense in speculating about potential free agent signings (will there be any cap room to do so?), and with the draft still months out, so many things could change that trying to forecast a pick seems pretty pointless.
Lamar Jackson is trending every day, but there is never any news. He wants a fully guaranteed deal. #Ravens have shown no interest in going there. Here we are, same place we have been for a year.
— Bo Smolka (@bsmolka) February 23, 2023
So bear with me today. We’re scraping the bottom of the barrel for topics.
Scroll past the first name on this list, because (waves at everything above and for the last month)…
Of the NFL’s top 100 free agents, as compiled by CBS’s Pete Prisco, the Ravens have four. The *other* three are:
44. G Ben Powers
He is coming off his best season as the team’s left guard. He’s good in pass protection, but can sometimes have trouble in the run game. He’s just 26, so his best football should be in front of him.
85. CB Marcus Peters
He turned 30, so he is coming to the end of his career and he had some rough moments early last season coming off a torn ACL in 2020. At his best, he can still lock down top receivers.
91. Justin Houston
Age is an issue since he’s 34, but he can still help as a pass rusher on a rotational basis. He had 9.5 sacks last year for the Ravens.
I’d wager that Powers is as good as gone. Ben Cleveland, you’re up big fella.
While we know it’s impossible to have too many cornerbacks, Peters seems likely to have played his last downs in purple as well. Yeah yeah, John Harbaugh “loves Marcus Peters.” Until he has an easy excuse to bid him farewell.
Edge is one of those positions, like WR, where the Ravens always seem to be desperate for help. That’s probably gonna be the case again as Houston’s 9.5-sack season will probably earn him a multi-year deal. Elsewhere.
Ugh. Alright. This elephant in the room with me keeps stomping and trumpeting and refuses to be ignored.
So, here’s your Lamar hit for today, ya junkies.
Internal surprise over Lamar Jackson’s playoff absence and a massive gulf in guaranteed money yield this conclusion:
‘Feels like anything is possible’
Inside the awkward Jackson-Ravens standoff, and what comes next, from @jamisonhensley and me. https://t.co/l0NZ0vMGLS
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 23, 2023
There ya have it, “anything is possible.”
