Ravens NFL Draft: Chargers and Patriots are potential trade partners
By Cory Hughes
With Phillips Rivers entering his 15th season, could the Chargers’s€™ front office be in the market for a certain quarterback from Louisville?
The Los Angeles Chargers will be picking 17th in the 2018 NFL draft, one spot behind where Baltimore Ravens will be selecting. Phillips Rivers, the longtime Charger, will be entering his 15th year in the NFL and will turn 37 in December. They, like the Ravens, have shown interest in the former Heisman trophy winner Lamar Jackson, bringing him in for a workout before the draft.
As draft night nears closer and closer, you have to wonder, is Ozzie Newsome playing games? In his last year in charge, is Ozzie playing one final game of chess? Is he causing some smoke screens so his phone will start ringing for that 16th pick?
Baltimore will be pretty limited when it comes to draft picks this year. They only received a 6th round compensatory pick for offensive tackle, Ricky Wagner. We all know how Ozzie loves his draft picks and this could certainly be a way to add more to his arsenal. This past week the Ravens brought Lamar Jackson in on what would be one of his finals visits but the real head-scratcher will be leading up to that 16th pick.
Do the Ravens have a considerable amount of interest in taking the quarterback or do they just want other teams to think that they do?
The Chargers are certainly a team that could come calling with the position they are in the draft. It would be a small cost, only having to move down one spot.
After Trading Jimmy Garoppolo this past season to San Francisco, Bill Belichick will have to look for a quarterback to be Tom Brady’€™s successor
News broke that the New England Patriots are the team with the most interest in Lamar Jackson. They are also a team with five selections in the first 100 picks, after trading away wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams. If there is a team that Ozzie Newsome wants to attract a trade with, its Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
Even though the Patriots aren’t really known for making the sexy picks, especially in the first round, Ozzie should be the one to pick up the phone to see what Bill is willing to give up for the 16th pick if the Patriots really are that interested Jackson. After all, they have two 1st round picks and two second round picks.
Jimmy Garoppolo was supposed to be the quarterback of the future in New England but with Belichick dealing him to the 49ers, the chances that the Patriots are also making smoke screens is rather slim. Given their situation and need for a future quarterback under center, the Patriots surely do have other needs, especially on the defense after watching the Super Bowl vs. the Eagles. The pass rush and the secondary are undoubtedly at the top of the needs to be addressed but athletes and quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson don’t come around often.
The only team that could end up messing this trade scenario up for the Ravens are the Arizona Cardinals, who are picking 15th overall. Like the Chargers and the Patriots, they are also in need of a future at quarterback. They signed Sam Bradford to a one-year deal this offseason and he isn’t the long-term answer. Drafting Jackson and stashing him behind Bradford for a year is certainly something we could see. But hopefully, it isn’t, because that happening would be taking a card away from Ozzie and the front office.
Next: NFL Draft: 3 reasons the Baltimore Ravens should draft Lamar Jackson
The Bottom line
I’€™ve seen a whole lot of Ravens fans that have already fallen in love with the idea of Lamar Jackson being Flacco’€™s successor in the near future. All I‒m saying is, don’t get your hopes up and don’t be surprised when the Ravens time clock hits zero and you hear Roger Goodell announce a trade.