The Ravens reportedly intend to negotiate with quarterback Lamar Jackson before the deadline to place the franchise tag. At this point, Lamar should politely decline Jackson.
The game of chess has become a key moment. Jackson has the Ravens in check. You have to make a big step on Tuesday.
You apply either the non-exclusive franchise tag or the exclusive version of the tag. Jackson should wait and see what they do.
Non-exclusive means he can negotiate with other teams. He might sign an offer sheet with another team. The Ravens could keep up, or they could turn it down. It could be traded along the way.
Exclusive means it would be the sole contractual property of the Ravens. But he would have a one-year contract for $45 million instead of the much lower non-exclusive tender amount ($32.416 million). It could still be traded, but the higher offer would give it a lot more leverage in long-term talks.
At this point, it’s Baltimore’s turn. Why not see what the Ravens are doing? As explained over the weekend, getting the label affixed now also helps Jackson. It sets the stage for the more expensive second label or the extremely expensive third label.
So at this point, Jackson only has to do what most of us are pretty good at – nothing at all. By 4:00 p.m. ET Tuesday, the Ravens will certainly be doing something.
At this point, Lamar Jackson should force Ravens to pick a franchise tag level that originally appeared on Pro Football Talk