Most Baltimore Ravens fans are excited about the way in which the offseason has gone. The team went from questions over what the future held to the reality that they will be all-in on Lamar Jackson for the forseeable future.
If the Baltimore Ravens end up making a playoff run, or get to the Super Bowl, what will be the notable moves that were made when we look back and think about this run was put together?
5. Baltimore Ravens extending Lamar Jackson opens the door for a championship run
There were so many scenarios thrown out there that it is impossible to keep track of all of the rumored quarterbacks for the Baltimore Ravens this off-season. However, the best case for Ravens this offseason was Lamar Jackson getting extended, and that came to fruition.
You can argue about the long-term questions and the cap hits that will be coming down the line. However, nobody can debate that the Baltimore Ravens extending Lamar Jackson was the smartest decision they could possibly make to open their Super Bowl window this year.
First, the best options long-term for Baltimore typically included Anthony Richardson. That may work, but it does not give them a chance to compete in 2023. Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and when he plays, the Ravens win more often than not.
Beyond that, the big difference between the franchise tag and the extension in the short term is just the salary cap hit. With the franchise tag, it is a one-year deal, so the Ravens cannot adjust his cap hit. Now that they extended him, it actually lowered his cap hit this year.
This made it easier to not only sign Odell Beckham, but also Rock Ya-Sin. Even now, they are still completely fine cap-wise thanks to the trimming of his hit. As noted, the cap hit will come back around in a few years, but the cap will keep going up, so the percentage of the hit will sting less.
The Baltimore Ravens' 2023 chances hinged on Jackson, so getting him to stay, and saving cap space in the short term is the ultimate win of the offseason.