"You're not allowed back until he's signed" - Former NFL GM expects Colts to go down A. J. Brown route to get Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson's contract negotiation has evolved into potential holdout situation. The quarterback is actively shopping himself, but no team has bitten yet.
Speaking on Get Up, former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum predicted the 2023 NFL draft to serve as the perfect setting for an explosive resolution to the years-long battle. Here's how he put it:
"So take the Colts, for example. They're saying they're out for whatever quarterback they may want. Let's say they don't get him. They could immediately pivot towards Lamar Jackson in either doing a sign, a trade, or sign him to an offer sheet after the draft."
Will No. 8 be a member of the Ravens in 2023?
He continued, recalling a memory from the Parcells era:
"I remember back [when I was with the Jets], we were hot on a corner that we didn't get, and Otis Smith was a free agent."
Lastly, he claimed the head coach pressured him to get into gear with another big-name player of the time:
"Coach Parcells simply said to me, Tannenbaum, go get Otis Smith signed until he signed. You're not allowed back in the draft room. So you're constantly managing free agency and the draft in real time."
Lamar Jackson's future remains shrouded in mystery
At this point, Aaron Rodgers' 2023 season appears to be nailed down more than Lamar Jackson. As it stands, the Ravens' star quarterback could be a member of Baltimore. However, the door is open for him to land with another team at any moment.
Why are all of these teams so publicly “out” on Lamar Jackson, an MVP winner in his prime at the most important position in the entire NFL?
What am I missing here?
Whereas, Rodgers has ruled out retirement and has explained that he has intentions of playing for the New York Jets, Jackson has ruled out almost nothing. Pundits have even braced for the quarterback to hold out in 2023 if he doesn't get a deal he wants.
Howie Roseman in the first round of the last two drafts:
2021: Trade over the Giants to get DeVonta Smith
2022: Trade over the Ravens for Jordan Davis, trade for AJ Brown
Perfection.
Will the Ravens' quarterback's cold war against the franchise become a hot one in 2023 with a full-blown wide receiver-style holdout?