Wednesday’s predraft information convention involving Ravens decision-makers loomed as common supervisor Eric DeCosta’s first alternative to publicly deal with Lamar Jackson’s latest public commerce request.
However DeCosta, coach John Harbaugh and director of participant personnel Joe Hortiz largely prevented any in-depth dialogue of the offseason’s dominant storyline, citing their need to maintain the concentrate on their preparations for the upcoming NFL draft, which is scheduled to start April 27, reasonably than their star quarterback.
Firstly of the session with the media, a crew spokesperson requested that reporters ask questions pertaining to the draft. When the primary query directed at DeCosta sought his response to Jackson’s tweet on March 27 that claimed the Ravens have “not been all in favour of assembly my worth,” DeCosta confirmed an elusiveness the cellular quarterback might need envied.
“I perceive the necessity to ask these sorts of questions,” he stated. “I feel simply out of respect for the method, this can be a draft luncheon, and we’re going to attempt to preserve as a lot of this dialogue as we will to the draft, to the approaching weeks, constructing the very best soccer crew we will. So I perceive these questions. I feel we’ve spoken about this example in all probability 5 completely different occasions this spring in numerous completely different press conferences and such. So we’re going to attempt to simply form of defer to these questions and transfer ahead to the draft.”
Three questions later, DeCosta was requested if he had a most popular consequence concerning contract negotiations between the crew and Jackson earlier than the draft.
“I feel the issues that we management actually [are] getting the listing, the draft board set, evaluating the gamers as finest as doable, being conscious of the gamers, the free brokers which might be obtainable now and post-draft, who're the gamers that we'd have an opportunity to usher in post-draft that may make us a greater soccer crew as effectively,” he replied. “After which doing the very best job we will by way of recruiting free brokers. Our scouts do an outstanding job of that, our coaches do an awesome job of that and simply placing ourselves ready to win draft weekend.”
When the following inquirer started a query referencing Jackson, the identical crew spokesperson interrupted and reminded the assembled media that “that is in regards to the draft” and “we’re not going to reply any extra questions at this time” about Jackson.
DeCosta did say, nonetheless, that the uncertainty across the crew’s quarterback place didn't alter his analysis of the quarterback draft class — “we actually do attempt to construct a board that’s actually ‘finest participant obtainable,’” he stated — and that they don't seem to be ruling out taking a quarterback within the first spherical. The Ravens have the No. 22 choose.
Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Younger are projected to be picked on the prime of the draft, with Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis prone to comply with shortly thereafter. Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker — only one yr youthful than Jackson at age 25 and coming off a season-ending torn ACL — might be obtainable when the Ravens are on the clock.
“It relies on the board, it actually does. I’d must say sure as a result of now we have quarterbacks in our prime 31,” DeCosta stated. “So simply based mostly on that alone, simple arithmetic, I must say sure.”
The weird show was a marked departure from Harbaugh’s assembly with native and nationwide reporters on the NFL homeowners conferences in Phoenix final week when the primary 26 questions centered on Jackson’s tweet and the coach answered every one with out acrimony or bitterness. Wednesday’s growth was maybe the newest signal that fatigue concerning the 2 sides’ almost two-year lack of ability to hammer out a long-term contract had reached the higher echelon of the group.
The crew assigned the nonexclusive tag on Jackson, the 2019 NFL Most Beneficial Participant, on March 7. The transfer was applauded in some corners as a result of the Ravens might match any supply sheet Jackson signed with one other crew or decline and obtain two first-round draft picks. And at $32.4 million, the nonexclusive tag was about $13 million cheaper than the unique tag, which might have prevented Jackson from discovering out his worth available on the market.
“I might say there’s in all probability greater than 4 guys that may be important quarterbacks on this league on this draft class,” DeCosta stated.
Listed below are different takeaways from the information convention:
Cornerback ‘a powerful place’
DeCosta known as this yr’s cornerback class “a powerful place,” which might match a necessity for the Ravens. Starter Marcus Peters is a free agent, leaving Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens the lone returning starters.
One extremely touted prospect is Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr., who's projected as a first-round alternative. His father, Joey Porter Sr., was an out of doors linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a thorn within the Ravens’ aspect for a few years. Would including the youthful Porter be problematic?
“I’m going to offer him a name, and I’m going to seek out out,” Harbaugh quipped. “For me, it’s household first. Joey Porter Jr. is a heck of a participant, and it’s not simply him. There’s quite a lot of good corners like Eric stated, guys that we’d be enthusiastic about. However this dude is aware of learn how to play. I like the way in which he performs his model. He’s the Joey Porter Sr. model. He’s obtained an awesome mentality, so we’ll see what occurs.”
Not exhibiting their hand
In addition to cornerback, DeCosta famous the energy of the extensive receiver, offensive line and defensive position lessons — all of which might fortify subsequent yr’s squad. However DeCosta declined to say which place is probably the most coveted by the group, stating that the 2021 crew thought it was set at working again till season-ending accidents sidelined J.Okay. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
“Our wants can change,” he stated. “I wouldn’t wish to pigeonhole one particular factor, however usually, I feel secondary is all the time one thing that we will deal with. Offensive traces are all the time one thing, the defensive position that we should always deal with, the receiver place, these positions the place you want a number of guys to play. I feel these are vital positions each single yr to draft gamers so that you've a steady depth by way of when guys get damage, you may put guys in.”
Huge receivers at play
Three extensive receivers — Southern California’s Jordan Addison, Boston School’s Zay Flowers and TCU’s Quentin Johnston — have been linked to the Ravens as doable choices with the twenty second choose. The franchise has been largely unsuccessful in drafting that place, however DeCosta laughed off a query about feeling happy if he had been capable of break the streak this time.
“I’ve been right here 28 years. If it wasn’t receiver, you guys could be asking one thing else,” he joked. “That’s the truth. It’d be the offensive line, it’d be the quarterback place, it’d be the secondary. It’s simply the character of the beast, proper? So we wish to deal with as many positions. There’s by no means been an ideal crew. I’ve by no means seen an ideal crew but within the NFL. We aspire to it, however I haven’t seen that crew.”
No replace on Queen
The Ravens have till Could 1 to train inside linebacker Patrick Queen’s fifth-year possibility, conserving him in Baltimore by means of the 2024 season. It might come at the price of a completely assured $12.7 million, based on Over The Cap’s projections, however DeCosta didn't commit to creating such a transfer.
“That’ll be a dialogue we’ll have with Patrick,” he stated.
Queen, a 2020 first-round choose, led the Ravens with 117 tackles final season and added 5 sacks and two interceptions, pairing with midseason commerce acquisition Roquan Smith to type probably the greatest linebacker duos within the league.
NFL draft
Thursday, April 27, to Saturday, April 29
TV: ESPN, NFL Community
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