Ravens put non-exclusive tag on Jackson, Patriots can offer contract
Do you hear that? It’s Bill Belichick’s music. Well, now that we know what type of tag will be put on Jackson, we have some clarity as to what could happen.
The non-exclusive franchise tag essentially allows the player to negotiate with other teams in the NFL. Those teams can offer Jackson a contract, and he can sign it. It’s an offer sheet, if you will.
Then, the Baltimore Ravens can either match that offer or they can say “no thanks” and trade him for the other team’s 2023 and 2024 first round picks.
Well, guess what? The Patriots not only have their first round picks in 2023 and 2024, but they also have plenty of cap space to pull this off.
Why wouldn’t the Patriots try this? If the answer is Mac Jones, well, I’m sorry, but that isn’t a valid answer.
Mac Jones cannot hold a torch to the type of QB that the 2019 MVP is. This would instantly make the Pats serious Super Bowl contenders, especially with that top five defense. Jackson would get to reunite with an old teammate in Matthew Judon, as well.
The AFC East would get that much better, and this would be a stellar move especially if the New York Jets are able to land Aaron Rodgers.
I would not be surprised to see Bill Belichick pull something off like this.
Right now, the Ravens are silly for doing this, and there’s really no reason for them to not have already signed Jackson to a long-term deal.
What could burn them is if the team does not match an offer sheet from another club. They’d only get two first round picks back in the deal, and you could argue that he’s worth four.
The framework of a typical trade for Jackson would have likely been what the Texans got for Deshaun Watson, which included three first rounders and six total picks.
Now, potentially only getting two draft picks would be a fireable move from the Ravens’ front office personnel.