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There’s a darkish cloud hanging over the Baltimore Ravens group proper now within the type of the Lamar Jackson contract saga.
The quarterback and former 2019 common season MVP has been demanding an outsized contract extension for a while now, and he has acquired the workforce’s non-exclusive franchise tag, which can permit him to barter a contract freely with different groups.
However Baltimore has different issues, because it barely made the playoffs in 2022 and has a number of roster weaknesses to deal with.
Linebacker Patrick Queen has an choice for the fifth 12 months on his rookie contract, and the workforce has to determine by Could 1 whether or not to choose up that choice.
Do the Ravens anticipate choosing up Patrick Queen’s fifth-year choice?
“That’ll be a dialogue we’ll have with Patrick,” Ravens GM Eric DeCosta mentioned. “Would not need to announce something too untimely with all you guys.”
The deadline to train the fifth-year choice is Could 1.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) April 5, 2023
If the Ravens have a relative energy, it’s their protection, notably their protection towards the run.
They completed third in factors allowed and ninth in whole yards allowed, in addition to third in dashing yards allowed final season.
Queen is an rising younger participant who was third within the Defensive Rookie of the Yr balloting in 2020 and recorded 5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, 9 tackles for loss, six passes defended and two interceptions in 2022.
Sustaining that sturdy protection will probably be an enormous key in taking the stress off Jackson, so long as he stays a member of the Ravens, particularly since they’ve an anemic passing assault.
However, if Jackson does depart, they’d obtain draft compensation, which might make it simpler to determine that Queen is no less than considerably expendable shifting ahead.
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