 Sometimes there can be some things that we think about They can cross our minds and they could be realistic possibilities But then when we think about it, we like oh no, I just I don't want that to happen I don't even want to think about it. You know, I'm not even gonna talk about it I'm not gonna have that uncomfortable conversation, but since some of those Situations, they are realistic possibilities We got to talk about it. We got to talk about it and Jeff Zribick in his latest article in the athletic He brought that Conversation to light because it is a real conversation that needs to be had and of course with the Baltimore Ravens We all know that they are talking with Lamar Jackson Trying to get something worked out with Lamar Jackson. We don't know how it's going We don't know what the numbers are. We don't know what anything is We don't know anything about the negotiations, but we do know that they are negotiating So however that goes obviously as we've talked about it's gonna have a huge impact on the Ravens this off-season And they have several decisions that they need they need to make over the next couple of weeks That's gonna impact the salary cap whether they use a franchise that y'all know already but One of those other tough decisions that the Ravens are going to have to make Obviously with Lamar Jackson as a starting quarterback whether they're gonna keep him whether they're gonna sound to a long-term deal If he even accepts a long-term deal from whether they're gonna trade him Whatever's gonna happen. It's gonna happen But the backup quarterback situation as Jeff brought out is also very important And he brought out how um with Lamar Jackson in the end of 2018 He played the rest of the season started the rest of the season when Flecoe went down with the hip injury Um, and then in 2019 and 20 he played in all but two games But then he said but how the last two seasons have ended with Jackson sidelined by injuries and the Ravens trying to survive must win games with X Undrafted free agents Tyler Huntley Anthony Brown and journeyman Josh Johnson and quarterback It should be fresh and general manager EDC's mind as he prepares for the March 15 start to free agency And that is true. That is true Lamar Jackson missed the last this year I think the last five six games something like that and then last year. I think it was like maybe five six Maybe seven games. I forget how many but he missed significant time these last two years So like we said the last off season My biggest thing for the Baltimore Ravens my motto for them was stay ready. So you ain't got to get ready And but this this is tricky though this situation with the quarterbacks is tricky because one You don't know what's gonna happen where you're starting quarterback You don't know if he's gonna be with you or not, but then on top of that How much money do you really want to spend on the backup? Because you hey, you know, it's a possibility. They could play. It's a real possibility. They could play And then there's a possibility that they may not play you just you don't know So the allocate extra funds to back up quarterback to upgrade in a significantly or do you hold back or do you like me to the middle? What do you do? But let's continue with this article He said if there was an in real quick shout out to Jeff three big man Because he is great great at reporting great at it with his articles. He's great We got to have him back on again But anyway, he said if there was ever an offseason to invest in a backup QQB position This will be it. Certainly the Ravens have more important priorities None bigger than finding a compromise on a long-term extension with Lamar Jackson the wire see the room and needs to be rebuilt Okay And the lack of quality depth that cornerback is problematic. So yeah, Jeff just listen all the problems All the issues that Ravens got because they do have some issues They said well, I don't want to call them issues But they have some holes on the team that need to be filled And again, I keep saying that like this is Eric the cost is biggest offseason that he's had But anyway, let's keep going because I want to get to the good part He said the Ravens only have five projected 2023 draft picks and are going to find themselves awfully tight against the cap If they carry Jackson on the franchise tag this season and we've discussed that a lot too So y'all y'all are already well-versed in the franchise tag stuff. So we don't need to dwell on that anyway Well, we need to dwell on it because there's a real possibility But we don't need to explain it too much in other words The cost won't have a whole lot of assets to at his disposal to fill the team's most pressing needs and a quality backup quarterback Might be pretty low on the list so When you compare The backup quarterback position and what you would need Versus wide receiver Cornerback and obviously Lamar Jackson at the top. Yeah, it's like, okay Well, yeah, maybe we don't need to worry about backup quarterback as much but Let's keep going over the past two seasons The ravens are two and eight in games not started by Lamar. Uh, that's not all on huntley Who was the starter for both of those wins? So, okay I didn't realize that was what the record was. I knew it was rough But two and eight. Yeah, so yeah, so you need eight so you can win more than two more Anyway, uh, that's not all on huntley Who was the starter for both of those wins and didn't play in two of those losses Huntley, who's a restricted free agent this offseason has played well at times and the shoulder and wrist issues seem to be at the root of some of his struggles this past season. So, um, him being a restricted free agent That means the ravens have his rights. Um, they I believe that means that they can They get with him being an undrafted free agent too. I believe they can place a low round tender on him It would be for like Maybe like one between one or two mil. I believe don't call me on this Because we'll find out shortly but I believe they can place a tender on him and they can keep him This year and then next year he would be an unrestricted free agent Now if somebody wants to sign him to an office sheet because they can do that, um, then If they sign him to an office sheet and ravens don't match If it's a low round tender, then he would just go to that team and the ravens wouldn't get any compensation But if they place like a fourth round tender on them, uh, or higher or a third or a second They're not going to place no first second or third or fourth round tender on tyler huntley I just don't see it but um If they placed a higher round tender on him, then they would get that back in compensation like just Using that as an example if they placed the third round tender on tyler huntley and the team signed him to an office sheet And he went to that team ravens didn't match the ravens would get a third round pick So But I yeah, I don't expect him to place a high round tender on tyler huntley um Then uh, it says but the ravens have to at least consider whether they can comfortably upgrade there with a more established veteran Um jackson's injury and illness issues may just be a two-year blip But baltimore needs to cover itself adequately if not So jeff's rebelling just basically saying hey, stay ready. So you ain't got to get ready Uh, you want to have somebody ready to go just in case uh, lemar jackson it There's also the matter of jackson's contract situation if an extension can't be worked out over the next couple of months And the ravens opt against trading him They'll have to be comfortable with him playing on the tag That also means coming to grips with the fact that jackson might stay away from the facility And miss all of the offseason workouts and many camps and possibly all if not most of training camp. Yes That is also something y'all know. We've talked about on here a lot If it gets to the franchise tag and it gets past the deadline to uh To sign him to an extension and name it I mean with the franchise tag alone is going to be ugly, but Well, I would expect it to be ugly. It's nothing said in stone, but I just Yeah, I just don't see it being pretty anyway Uh, the ravens will need a contingency plan uh in place They need to be adequately prepared for week one whether jackson is on the field or not So here we go. Let's get to the good stuff. Uh, well, I mean that was all good stuff But let's get to the even goodest stuff Then figure to be a number of veteran quarterbacks with extensive starting experience on the market too a guy such as jimmy garoppolo Isn't signing somewhere to be an insurance policy. So he was basically exiting him off cross him off the list Um, he'll almost certainly be someone starting 2023 pending free agents such as daniel jones and gino smith probably aren't hitting the open market either Yeah, it's been said that the giants they want to retain daniel jones I think they said a number that have been floating around have been like 25 million a year Or maybe 35 million. I forgot which one it was but yeah Anyway, uh and gino smith We'll see what happens with him Because I don't I don't know. I'm just I'm not Completely sold on seattle bringing him back. That's just me though. So we'll see anyway. Uh, however guys such as baker mayfield sam donald jacobo set And andy dawning and cooper rush All could be available What are what's the names on that list, huh? Let's let's just run it back. Let's do it one more time baker mayfield sam donald jacobo set andy dawning cooper rush all could be available So too could teddy bridge water case kina mike white taylor heinecky garnam enshu and drew lock I didn't know tyler taylor heinecky was a free agent. I didn't know that I ain't saying I want him on the rails, but I ain't know he was a free agent Anyway, uh, perhaps not all of those guys are upgrades Overhuntly or the best fits for the type of offense the ravens want to run But there are still enough options where the ravens should be able to find a good fit now Ah I got a I got a double check on that restrictive free agency thing. Um But we'll we'll we'll look that up in a little bit. Now anyway, uh Let's go to uh Well, we talk about this this money part real quick. He said for the for the top backups The ravens are probably going to have to be willing to spend in the six to eight million dollar Uh Per year range which they've been hesitant to do for a backup quarterback in the past It's a hefty price for a team that could be up against the salary cap But the ravens have already experienced the cost of being without their starting quarterback for important stretches of the season And it's been significant And that's true That is an unfortunate truth, uh for the past two years Lamar Jackson has missed significant time due to injury So what do you do in that case? You you stay ready. So you ain't got to get ready now I feel like you're You're limited with how ready you can be and obviously you you hope Lamar Jackson Can play in in all the games Uh, you you hope that with Lamar Jackson The only reason that he's sitting out is because the ravens already clinched this or clinched that or they Blowing this team out here and there Man, when the last time ravens had a blowout when the last time they like like really blew a team out I can't remember right now, but anyway, um, I mean Tampa they that wasn't a blowout though um I can't I can't think of it right in New Orleans. That wasn't a blowout I mean they won decisively, but it wasn't like a blowout blowout anyway, um So yeah, you got to be ready But now let's let's get to the the the the most fun part the funniest part about this whole thing um, so with uh The backup quarterback position There are some real possibilities with some different guys that the ravens could look at And one of those possibilities is mr. Baker mayfield And I know when you think when I saw Baker mayfield when I first saw this I was like Yikes, that's um, Baker maybe like look Baker may feel cool Yeah, no that just uh That wouldn't be my uh my preference Um, but I mean obviously it's a little more Jackson, but uh, let's let's just read this part of the article Just read it said I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss a potential ravens mayfield pairing I'd fully expect mayfield to sign somewhere that gives him the best opportunity to be the weak one starter Maybe that's staying with the Rams if there are questions about Matthew Stafford's health So that's why they brought him in in the first place because Matthew Stafford was injured and Rams was like, all right Baker, come on. Let's just do it. I think he won the first game got a game winning drive and then after that I don't remember what happened to him after that But um, so him staying with the Rams is a real possibility And think about this like this It's been five years Baker may feel was the number one overall pick number one number one overall pick And he is now on his Well, he's been on his third team because he went from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams his third team five years number one overall pick And you look at sam donald He was a high pick He's on he's just been on two teams because he's just been on the Jets and the Panthers Um, you look at josh rosin another high pick. He was on He's on more than two two three teams because he was on the Cardinals the 49ers the dolphins the bucks I feel like i'm missing somebody too. I gotta be but The the the last man standing Uh, josh addlin then of course Lamar Jackson And we'll see if next year Lamar Jackson will have only played for one or he'll be on his second team But anyway back to Baker may feel I said, I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss the potential Ravens and Baker may feel pairing I'd fully expect may feel to sign somewhere that gives him the best opportunity to be the week one starter Maybe that's staying with the Rams if there are questions about Matthew Stafford's health But if there's not a decent starting opportunity available to him the Ravens would represent a soft landing spot Uh, it's well documented that the Ravens liked Baker may feel coming out of the draft He has a good relationship With Lamar Jackson and he's close with tight end Mark and Juzan. Yeah, that's true Uh, and Lamar Jackson mom he's very familiar with Lamar Jackson's mom. She's very familiar with him Uh, and he said that she told him to bring his behind down in Florida so they could train Uh, and he said he got a little scared from But Lamar Jackson mom obviously she know how to handle business. But anyway, um, Ravens decision makers have always liked and respected Baker may feel Now this part was like oh, oh, okay now Uh, he said uh, when the Ravens faced Baker mayfield and the carolina panthers in 2022 So this past season steve ishati ravens owner steve ishati jogged to the panther side of the field to hug Baker mayfield in pregame warm-ups like Was that one of them nfl hugs? You know how like After the game players will uh, they'll exchange a hug with each other But then they'll like cover their mouths and they'll be saying all this stuff But they'll cover their mouths so the camera don't see it I don't know but anyway, uh He yeah, shawty jog to the panther side of the field to hug mayfield in pregame warm-ups And i'm not sure i've seen that before with a player that hadn't already played for the ravens and had a previous relationship with the owner So, uh, I see A lot would have to happen for to become a reality But it does make some sense on the surface and it it does It does it is one of those uncomfortable conversations But it had to be had and that's one thing I really appreciate about Jeff's rebeck Is that he uh with him covering the ravens. He has continued To be willing to have the uncomfortable conversations and I love Jeff because he just tells it just like it is He is straight up Like in game if you see him tweeting or something if ravens are doing something good He'd be like, oh, this that's great. Then ravens doing something silly. He was like, right ravens They they they can't believe that they're gonna have any success doing this all over again I mean, and it's just like he like he keeps it real 24 sevens. I always appreciate Jeff's rebeck um, but anyway Yeah, back back up quarterback not even just with baka mayfield, but with baka mayfield Um, it is a real uh something that the ravens definitely need to pay attention to it's definitely something that they need to um Is an important position because again stay ready so you ain't got to get ready Obviously you want to do everything and put everything in place uh to for lamar jackson to be the starter um, and him to play in all 17 games Well, again, of course, if unless the ravens like clinched or some or they blowing somebody out and then they're like, all right Lamar go chill man. We missed those. They oh those the good old days 2019 was just a fake season. It was a fake season. It wasn't real. It was a dream. Um, but yeah, man So anyway team keep it clean. I appreciate y'all. Uh, I love y'all so much. Thank you for everything and We out