The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on star quarterback Lamar Jackson ahead of free agency after he was unable to come to terms with the team on a contract extension.
The non-exclusive franchise tag gives rival teams a chance to send an offer sheet to Jackson for a contract. The Ravens are then in the position to either match the offer from an opposing team, or let Jackson walk and collect two first-round picks from the team who signs him.
ESPN NFL analyst and former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich believes that New England should be one of the teams to make a run at Jackson this offseason.
“I have been on Lamar’s side basically since he was drafted,” Ninkovich said on Get Up! on Friday morning. “When he was drafted I thought he was going to be the best quarterback of the group and he hasn’t let me down. … At this point right now, I [agree with Chris Canty]. If you’re Lamar, you’re digging in and the Ravens, if they’re not going to give Lamar what he wants, then you’ve gotta dig in and you’ve gotta hold out.
“If you’re another football team, I don’t know, like the Patriots? If you’re the Patriots, and you go and you make an attempt to get Lamar, that changes everything, absolutely everything. And listen, I’m a huge fan of Lamar’s style of game and what it puts on a defense. And there’s needs and wants. A need is necessary for life. A want, it helps your quality of life. I don’t need Lamar here, but I sure as heck want to see Lamar running around with a New England Patriot on his helmet because if you see it out there, the Patriots instantly, instantly become the division favorites and, to me, get right back in the Super Bowl hunt.”
New England making a run at Jackson would certainly change the landscape of the AFC East, which is due to change significantly with Aaron Rodgers expected to become the quarterback of the Jets in short order. A division featuring Jackson in New England, Rodgers in New York, Josh Allen in Buffalo and Tua Tagovailoa in Miami would quickly become one of the top quarterback divisions in football.
While it sounds good to Ninkovich, it probably doesn’t sound quite as good to former first round pick Mac Jones, who is looking to prove in year three with a new offensive coordinator that he has the ability to be the Patriots franchise quarterback moving forward.
