Lamar Jackson is the inevitable future of the Ravens. How Joe Flacco responds to this new pressure will decide when that future begins:
The Baltimore Ravens made what could be the most consequential splash from the 2018 NFL Draft’s first night. They traded back into the 1st round and took their quarterback of the future with the 32nd overall pick. Lamar Jackson has the hopes and dreams of the franchise resting on his shoulders and it couldn’t be a more exciting time for Ravens fans. The Ravens have had the same quarterback for 10 years. Joe Flacco, who has no guaranteed money remaining in his contract after the 2018 season, has a quarterback that can compete with him for the first time in his entire career.
Ryan Mallett wasn’t going to push Flacco. Josh Woodrum didn’t worry Flacco last August. Flacco is the starting quarterback walking into the 2018 season however for the first time he has to earn his time on the field. If Flacco stumbles and the Ravens can feel the season slipping away from them, the pressure for the Ravens to put in Jackson will be on full blast. Jackson represents hope. Flacco is there to help the team win while Jackson develops and learns, waiting in the wings. At some point, the Ravens will have to turn to hope.
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The Ravens want to win now, which favors Flacco:
Jackson is the next starting quarterback for the Ravens. Jackson is going to get every opportunity to succeed in Baltimore. The Ravens draft could potentially build a functional offense for the future and the Ravens didn’t do that for Flacco. The Ravens want to win with Flacco and they are in win now mode. That being said, Jackson is the quarterback that will end up benefiting the most from this draft class.
Jackson is incredibly talented but also incredibly raw. The last thing the Ravens want to see is Jackson become spoiled goods because they put him in before he was ready. Jackson may be capable of coming in and lighting the league up but the Ravens plan isn’t to see Flacco be an expensive backup. The Ravens plan is to get through the Flacco era and then put Jackson in when the time comes.
For the first time in a long time the Ravens will have an entertaining preseason. All eyes are going to be on Jackson. If Jackson performs well in the exhibition games, the pressure will go up for Flacco. However the Ravens long-time quarterback would really have to give the Ravens cause for concern, or get injured to lose the starting job. Having Flacco under center for at least a year gives the Ravens a perfect situation. They have the chance to groom Jackson. The future will be exciting but there is no reason to rush it.
The Bottom Line:
Flacco brought this on himself. He played under the level that the Ravens were paying for. He gave the Ravens a reason to look for the next franchise quarterback. Flacco doesn’t have to like this move, but he does have to understand the situation. Flacco can’t change the fact that at some point, Jackson is going to take his job. He can however delay the passing of the baton by playing well. The only way Flacco loses his starting job in 2018, is if he makes benching him too tempting for the Ravens.
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Flacco is the quarterback of the now. Jackson is the quarterback of the future. That dichotomy could change but that’s how the Ravens are going into the season.