Baltimore Ravens: Future favors Lamar Jackson, not Joe Flacco
The future of the Baltimore Ravens offense clearly belongs to incoming rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson as opposed to incumbent starter Joe Flacco.
With the final pick of the first round in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens put quarterback Joe Flacco on notice. After trading back multiple times in Round 1, the franchise — in general manager Ozzie Newsome’s last ride in the draft — traded back up to the 32nd overall pick to select arguably the most explosive and dynamic player in the class, quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Selecting the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner out of Louisville clearly sent a message to Flacco that he wasn’t living up to the billing. Since getting paid following a tremendous playoff run that culminated in a Super Bowl victory, the focus of the never-ending “is he ELITE” debate hasn’t played the part of a franchise quarterback.
However, reports from offseason workouts after the draft seemed to indicate that the incumbent Ravens starting quarterback received the message. His teammates praised how he looked in those workouts, albeit while they and others praised Jackson as well. Having said that, all signs point to Flacco’s reign ultimately nearing its end.
Again, the mere selection of Jackson (importantly, in the first round) and throwing someone as polarizing as the former Cardinal into the mix is a sign that the Ravens plan to eventually transition to him. There’s more than that, however.
Throughout the offseason, the Ravens have put pieces in place that seem tailor-made for Jackson’s success. Not only is having Robert Griffin III on the roster a sign of that, but so too is the hiring of quarterbacks coach James Urban. Not only is Urban a veteran of the coaching ranks, but he’s also a man who, as noted by the Baltimore Sun, helped aid Michael Vick throughout his comeback with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jackson has oft been compared to Vick on the field, and it’s not hard to see why. Both possess tremendous, if not raw, arm talent with uncanny athleticism that sets them apart at the quarterback position. Thus, Urban’s experience coaching and finding success with such a player can’t be ignored.
That’s not to say that Urban or even RG3 being in Baltimore precludes Flacco from also benefitting. As high as the upside of Jackson is, he’s still a rookie that could take some grooming before he’s ready to take over as QB1 for the Ravens. Subsequently, we could see Flacco play better than he has in recent years thanks to new coaching and being pushed by those behind him.
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Even if that’s the case though, what the Ravens have done this season isn’t just put Flacco on notice that he needs to step up. Instead, they have all but said that he’s a lame duck at the quarterback position. He may be the guy in 2018, but the Baltimore Ravens’ future belongs to Lamar Jackson, not Flacco.