So, You Want Lamar Jackson? Part 1

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So, you want Lamar Jackson in two-tone blue, eh? I am with ya, I would love to have Jackson leading this offense for the next phase of the Titans era under Ran Carthon. There’s a lot of hurdles you have to jump though.

That’s what I am going to help you sort through today, because in all honesty, it isn’t as crazy as it sounds that the Titans could possibly pull this thing off if they play their cards right. Also, you have to rely on the NFL offseason unfold in just the right situation.

Ultimately, this is why you’ll unlikely hear the Titans are pursing this, because other things have to happen and unfold in a timeline that is just right for the Titans, and in the NFL: nothing is certain.

I am going to be splitting up this into two articles: Background on the various aspects of the NFL vs Lamar, and tomorrow how the Titans could make it work.

So, let’s dive into a few things about Jackson’s situation and why NFL teams are publicly, and quickly, out on him. First, required reading for newly paid subscribers:

• NFL Free Agency 101

• NFL Free Agency 201

• NFL Free Agency 301

How the Lamar Jackson Situation Got Here

At Tuesday’s deadline, the Baltimore Ravens franchise-tagged Lamar Jackson, after not being able to reach a long-term deal over the last two offseasons. They slapped on the non-exclusive franchise tag which means the following:

Non-exclusive Franchise Tag: This is the most common one that teams use. This allows the player and his agent to shop around for a better deal. If the player finds a better deal than the tagged number, they bring that offer back to the original team. The original team gets first right of refusal. If the team chooses to not match it, the new team must give up two first-round draft picks.

Ultimately, it got to this point because of two things:

1. The Cleveland Browns paying Deshaun Watson a fully guaranteed contract

2. Lamar Jackson not having an agent

I am all for players trying to maximize their value and trying to get the most they can while they can, but the best way to do that is to have an agent experienced enough to go toe-to-toe with NFL negotiators. Very few NFL players probably have the skills necessary to properly negotiate for themselves. I know players have done it in the past but have left lots of money on the table by doing it.

While Jackson is asking for a lot of money, he is misevaluating his market versus his value. This is due in large part because he doesn’t have an agent to keep it real for him. An agent’s main job is to work in the best interest of their client, and sometimes that means getting real with them, while also insulating their feelings. The other thing is the Watson contract.

When the Browns signed Watson to a fully guaranteed contract it was meat with near unanimous animosity by the NFL owners. No NFL owners want to get in the habit of offering fully guaranteed contracts in large sums of money. Why? Because of an antiquated CBA provision called “The Funding Rule”. More on that later, however, when people bring up the word collusion, that’s the actual collusion.

They’re not colluding against Lamar Jackson; they’re colluding against fully guaranteed contracts. In fact, the NFLPA brought up the notion that the owners have already colluded against fully guaranteed contracts last summer. The problem is the NFL is too big to fail.

What I mean by that is, that everyone can scream collusion all they want, you’ll never be able to prove it in a court of law with enough evidence, and the owners don’t care. The players will act like they do care, and will try to voice out against it, but ultimately (and unfortunately), The NFL is able to just flex their financial muscles, and force players into situations not beneficial to them.

This isn’t about Lamar Jackson; it is about what he represents: the standard of the fully guaranteed contract.

The True Expense of Signing Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson wants a fully guaranteed contract like Deshaun Watson. Now, let’s just use the low-end estimate of $200 million fully guaranteed. There are only two quarterbacks, in my opinion, that are deserving of a fully guaranteed contract: Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. However, the money is just one part of the cost. The other part is the draft capital.