Mike Florio predicts Ravens will part ways with their high maintenance QB
Recently, Mike Florio, host of Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports, got onto the topic of Lamar Jackson. The talk show host believes Jackson is high maintenance and as such, the Baltimore Ravens would have trouble paying for the type of talent Jackson would need around him in order to make a Super Bowl run.
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The recent trade of Marquise “Hollywood” Brown during the NFL draft seems to be what prompted Florio to voice his opinion. The Ravens are currently moving into the 2022 season with questions at the wide receiver position.
"I suspect that some folks with the Ravens would be disappointed in the way that Lamar Jackson handled it because it does create the impression there's a rift between player and team that really isn't there. They've got their own issues."
Florio also said,
"Obviously, they can't get Lamar Jackson to come negotiate with them on a long-term deal. And at some point, they have to make plans for the future, with the possibility that Lamar won't be there. And when you've completely restructured your offense to suit the unique and very special talents of one person and that person then potentially is removed from the equation you've got a problem."
Florio, continued,
"And I like the idea that they're doing something different from everyone else. It makes it harder for defenses to prepare for you. It's like when the Patriots were the only team that ran the three, four, and Peyton Manning could never solve the three, four, he never saw the three, four and then he started seeing it more. And he got better at playing against the three, four defense.
"So if the Ravens are the only ones with this offense, good luck getting ready because you're always preparing for a different offense. But the problem is you're going to have pieces of that offense players on that offense that are never going to be valued by you and the ravens are going to pay somebody 25 million a year to play receiver that's not happening. And you're never going to create the body of work that that makes you attractive to someone else to justify that kind of money. "
Ravens emerged from draft with no new receivers; they've added five undrafted free agents at the position, and counting. wp.me/pbBqYq-cgDX
Is Mike Florio right about his Baltimore offense take?
While Florio’s take is certainly a unique one, his point is no less valid. Veteran wide receivers may not want to play in a system where the ball isn’t coming to wide receivers much. Jackson, after all, is usually the top rusher on the team. The Ravens may have to rely on rookie contracts and lesser-known receivers to make up their wide receiver corp.