Ravens long-term plan if Lamar Jackson gets Patrick Mahomes money
Who gets paid on defense?
What about the defense? Well the Ravens are in a tough position with Matt Judon. With a Mahomes like deal for Jackson, it’s going to be hard to pay him elite pass rushing money. The problem is that the Ravens don’t have another elite pass rusher on their roster other than Calais Campbell, who is an older defensive end. They have to keep drafting pass rushers and hope Jaylon Ferguson and Tyus Bowser take a big step up in terms of production.
Marlon Humphrey has to get paid. The Ravens can’t let Humphrey go and he has to be their priority spending on defense. The Ravens have five years of an affordable Patrick Queen. Malik Harrison has four years on his rookie deal. Justin Madubuike has four years on his rookie deal as well. The Ravens have Marcus Peters signed until 2022. The extension of Chuck Clark is already looking great; he’s signed through 2023 on a fairly team friendly deal. A lot of the defense is set up for the next handful of years.
The Ravens may have to move on from Earl Thomas after the 2021 season. According to Spotrac.com that is where the Ravens have their most affordable potential out. Brandon Williams is another player who could become a cap casualty going into the 2021 season, the final year of his deal. The Ravens already knew they had to find a future at the defensive line positions because Williams, Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe were never meant to be long-term solutions.
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The Ravens are fairly prepared on defense, though answers will have to come down the road. Keeping Lamar Jackson and the most important pieces of the team is the priority moving forward. The Ravens don’t have to deal with the future this offseason but they must always be mindful of it. Jackson is a superstar talent, who is one of the best players at the most important position in football. There is no doubt in anybodies mind that Jackson is going to be one of the highest paid players in the NFL’s history. If Jackson gets money like Patrick Mahomes, these are the thing that DeCosta has to be mindful of.