What does Roquan Smith's record-breaking deal mean for Lamar Jackson's future with Baltimore?
Roquan Smith is a rich new man in Baltimore. The linebacker has signed a 5-year, $100 extension to the Ravens, securing his long-term future after joining them in a midseason trade with the Chicago Bears.
Smith is another young star to tie his future to the Ravens. He was one of the most impactful players for the second half of the season, completely changing Baltimore's defense as soon as he joined the team. Everybody has improved as a result, and teams can’t let a young and talented player leave for free after trading for him.
It's important to remember, though, that the Ravens still have a player that they need to sign an extension. In fact, he's their most important player. Baltimore needs to figure out Lamar Jackson's situation and not let him play under the franchise tag by any means, because his price will only go up from there.
Let's analyze if Roquan's extension changes anything regarding Lamar's future.
Roquan Smith extension: Ravens still have more than enough cap space
In short, cap space is not a problem for Lamar Jackson's new contract.
As of today, Baltimore has $49 million available in the 2023 payroll according to Spotrac. Roquan Smith's new contract is not factoring in yet, but there will be more than enough space for the Ravens to fit Lamar's contract in, whenever he signs.
There are many different ways to spread cap space. They can do it through signing bonuses, signing a contract with a big base salary but not many guarantees, or even through incentives. For Jackson, he'll surely demand a ton of guarantees, such as Deshaun Watson did before signing with the Cleveland Browns.
Teams can manipulate the salary cap even if they sign a player for a major extension. The Ravens knew that Lamar would still sign when they offered Roquan a new deal. Considering their cap space, money won't be a problem.
How much is Lamar Jackson projected to make?
Right before the 2022 season, Jackson turned down a deal from the Ravens that was worth $250 million with $133 million guaranteed. He wants his new deal fully guaranteed.
Jackson is represented by his mom; he does not have an official agent.
A good baseline would be Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed $230 million, which is what the quarterback is looking for. If the two sides can't find a deal before March, Jackson will receive the franchise tag, extending his window for a new deal for a few more months.
Smith's extension announced by the Ravens today doesn't change anything regarding Lamar, because the situation itself is already complicated.