The Lamar Jackson saga is no where near a secret anymore. The Baltimore Ravens have themselves a legitimate problem on their hands, which could ultimately end with the team parting ways with the former MVP.
Tuesday morning, the Jackson saga came up when NBC Sports' Peter King weighed in on the situation at hand. According to King, the Colts are a real possibility for Jackson, should the Ravens oblige and trade their starting quarterback.
Not only are the Colts a real possibility, but King also mentioned that Baltimore would likley take one particular deal for Jackson, if talks were to progress. What does that package look like? It's pretty simple.
According to King, the Colts would be willing to trade their no. 4 overall pick to the Ravens in exchange for Jackson. The most shocking part of this report is the fact that the Ravens would apparently be willing to accept a deal like this.
Just one pick. That's it. Could it really be that easy for Indianapolis?
"If the guarantees weren’t stupid, I think the Colts would be interested,'' King says. "My bet is the Ravens would take the fourth pick in the draft, solely, for Jackson.''
Just a single pick for the former MVP who is only 26 years old and holds an NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a regular season ... that's likely not good enough for the Ravens. But, King believes it would be.
Now, if that wasn't quite good enough, or the Ravens wanted a different type of deal, what would that look like? We get a little bold with the next few trades.
Trade Number 2
In this second deal, the Ravens ask for a much more creative package from the Colts. For starters, the Colts actually keep their no. 4 overall pick. In the end, that could bite the Ravens, but we'll get to that later. Let's take a look at the deal itself.
The trade starts with Baltimore getting another young wide receiver to pair with Rashod Bateman, potentially giving them a lethal one-two punch, should both of them work out together for the long haul. Pittman hasn't yet panned out with Indianapoils just yet, but he's also failed to get the legitimate quarterback play he deserves during his short career.
Should Baltimore figure out the quarterback position going forward, then they'll have a great, young combination at receiver. That is, assuming Bateman stays healthy and can develop the way they envisioned.
The Ravens get a pair of picks this year, coming in the second and third rounds. Those end up at picks 36 and 80, giving Baltimore a second rounder back from the Roquan Smith trade and a pair of picks in the third, now.
Beyond that, the Ravens also get a first rounder in 2024 and a second rounder in 2025. It's a hefty price, but also still only includes one first rounder from Indianapolis.
Trade Number 3
Finally, we come to maybe the most interesting trade scenario of them all. It's one that Bleacher Report's Christopher Knox rumored in his piece on Monday, where he wrote about the Ravens possibly trading Jackson after the draft.
"The Ravens could hold out for more than the two first-round picks by threatening to match Indianapolis' offer sheet but offering to trade Jackson for additional compensation, " Knox wrote. "If Indy stands to improve significantly—therefore making its 2024 and 2025 first-round picks low selections—Baltimore could want a little extra in the deal."
This is a highly-polarizing trade from both ends. For one, if the Colts end up improving greatly with Jackson, then those two first rounders won't be very early. The Ravens could end up with a pair of picks in the back five or 10 of both first rounds.
The other aspect of this is the fact that the Colts keep their first rounder this year, and wind up with someone like Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson, Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter, or another one of the top players, to go along with adding Jackson.
My guess is, Ravens fans wouldn't be too thrilled about this deal. Baltimore doesn't get a first rounder this year, and because the trade would take place after the draft, they truly woulnd't get anything for this year, obviously.
Now, on to the fourth and final trade, which Ravens fans could probably end up living with if a trade was imminent.
Trade Number 4
Finally, we come to the big one. This is the type of deal that, if a trade were to be guaranteed to happen, and it was completely unavoidable, the fans would likely end up being able to accept.
There is a lot to unpack, here, for Baltimore. Once again, it's only Jackson headed to the Colts. But, for Baltimore, they end up with the no. 4 overall pick this year. They also get a first rounder next year and a third rounder in 2025.
And, again, Pittman comes to play alongside Bateman.
But, let's focus on that no. 4 overall pick. Assuming Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud go first and second overall, the Ravens could opt to try and find a like replacement for Jackson by going with Anthony Richardson at no. 4. The Arizona Cardinals hold the third overall pick, and barring a trade, there won't be a quarterback taken there.
Between Richardson and Will Levis, it has to be Richardson for the Ravens. Their offense is already built around a mobile quarterback, and Richardson is an athletic freak. Should he go in the top four picks? Maybe, maybe not. But, the Ravens would be giving it their best shot to replace Jackson without having to change a whole lot.
Now, next year, the Ravens will also have a pair of first rounders to continue building. This would be a hefty package for Indianapolis to give up. But, if the Ravens play hard ball, this might be the type of deal to pry Jackson from their fingertips.