Pundit Says Lamar Jackson Bears the Burden of a 'Revolutionary'
The goal posts moving for Lamar Jackson has become as expected as it is exasperating.
Jackson falling 67 spots to No. 69 in the NFL "Top 100" and being left out of some pundits' top 10 quarterback rankings last week were the latest affronts to the two-time MVP.
Andscape’s Justin Tinsley looked at the unique way Jackson is judged, something that started during the draft process eight years ago and has persisted even though Jackson has revolutionized the quarterback position.
"Jackson, upon entering the NFL as the last pick in the first round of the 2018 draft, inherited an overbearing distrust Black quarterbacks knew all too well," Tinsley wrote. "It was never about whether Jackson could play in the NFL. Rather, the ultimate debate was whether the game could adjust to a tour de force like Jackson, who rewrote, in real time, the rules to America's most beloved sports position. Every critique surfaced with more questions. Could his style of play transfer to the NFL? Could he read defenses to be an elite quarterback? Could he throw from the pocket?
"Simply put, Jackson not only won the argument, he buried it. Every game-winning drive, every miraculous pass or escape from certain pass-rush fate. Each MVP. Every accomplishment became vindication for a player many doubted, having seen how he looked and played and determining he would prove to be the antithesis of game-changing talent."
Tinsley noted that the scrutiny of Jackson never disappeared, it just shifted shape.
"No reasonable fan, critic or analyst is suggesting, as former Indianapolis Colts General Manager Bill Polian did in 2018, that Jackson move to wide receiver anymore," Tinsley wrote. "The questions around Jackson don different cloaks. Can his body hold up? Can he be trusted to make the right decision in January? Is he worth another massive contract? (The short answer is yes.)"
Tinsley said the real question facing Jackson is what comes on the other side of a revolution.
"In sports history, very few have ever been asked to lead a revolution," Tinsley wrote. "Every revolutionary comes to the same realization that changing the game was only part of the mission. How the game remembers you is the hardest part. A Super Bowl is the loudest goal, but it's not the only one. It's about proving the revolution you brought wasn't just euphoric in the moment, but lasting.
"Jackson changed football seasons ago. Now comes a task far more difficult than a December battle in Pittsburgh with the season on the line: dictating how history remembers the other side of the revolution."
Questions Facing Ravens Heading Into Training Camp
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec looked at the 10 biggest questions facing the Ravens heading into the start of training camp next week.
The main questions are well-documented: Will defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike be cleared to play? What will training camp under new Head Coach Jesse Minter look like? Will there be any movement on contract extensions for Jackson and wide receiver Zay Flowers?
Here are two other questions Zrebiec noted:
Has Tyler Loop put his season-ending miss in Pittsburgh behind him?
"The Ravens believe he has, and if they didn't, they presumably would have signed another kicker to at least serve as competition for Loop in camp. Loop, whose 44-yard miss in Week 18 kept Baltimore out of the playoffs and ended an uneven rookie season, insists his confidence is in a good place and he kicked well in offseason practices.
"Still, Loop is a few bad practices or a few preseason misses away from the questions about how the Ravens can rely on him getting even louder. There is probably no Raven, except Jackson, who will be scrutinized more this summer than Loop. It's an unenviable position to be in, but Loop needs to deliver."
Is there room for a rookie undrafted free agent on the 53-man roster?
"The Ravens take a ton of pride in their ability to find and develop quality undrafted free agents, which is why this is always a notable question this time of year. The Ravens have had a rookie free agent make their regular-season roster in 20 of the past 21 years. One of the biggest storylines emerging from last year's cutdown day in Baltimore was that three undrafted free agents, inside linebacker Jay Higgins and defensive backs Keyon Martin and Reuben Lowery, made the team.
"This is another year where the Ravens don't have a plethora of unaccounted for roster spots, and they have 18 undrafted free agents bidding for the precious few of them. The undrafted free agents to watch include offensive tackle Diego Pounds (Mississippi), quarterbacks Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) and Joe Fagnano (Connecticut), and defensive back Lardarius Webb Jr."
Two Breakout Candidates Not Named Mike Green or Malaki Starks
Outside linebacker Mike Green and safety Malaki Starks are the Ravens players most frequently mentioned as breakout candidates, but The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer identified several other contenders.
Here's a look at two:
G Vega Ioane
"Ioane was a brick wall at Penn State, allowing no sacks and just one quarterback hit over his last two seasons. Ravens coaches have raved as though he's building another one in Owings Mills. Of course, the learning curve for rookies can be severe. And Ioane will be tested early: The Indianapolis Colts' DeForest Buckner (Week 1), the Dallas Cowboys' Quinnen Williams (Week 3) and the Tennessee Titans' Jeffery Simmons (Week 4) are three of the NFL's 11 highest-paid interior defensive linemen. Take care of business in September and October, and who knows where Ioane's hype could be by December."
DT Travis Jones
"Jones has already played like one of the NFL's best nose tackles. He just happened to do it for a defense last year that fell apart around him. … Jones' surest path to prominence is a steady stream of sacks. He had five last year, a career high and more than he had in his three previous seasons combined. If the Ravens can find another interior rusher to free up more one-on-ones for Jones — defensive linemen Nnamdi Madubuike and Calais Campbell are good candidates — he could deliver a season that echoes Haloti Ngata in his prime."
NFL.com's Kevin Patra named one non-quarterback MVP candidate for every team. Outside linebacker Trey Hendrickson was his pick for the Ravens.
"Last time we saw Hendrickson healthy, he was the league's sack leader and one of the best disruptors in the NFL," Patra wrote. "If the 31-year-old stays healthy with his new team, he'll spearhead a rejuvenated defense under Jesse Minter. If the Ravens are to get back to the top of the AFC North, it's going to be because the D came back to life. That starts with Hendrickson."
Hendrickson is a sound choice. A case also could be made for Flowers, safety Kyle Hamilton, and running back Derrick Henry.
Ravens Land in Middle of Pack in Under-25 Talent Rankings
They grow up so fast. It seemed like just yesterday that Hamilton and Flowers were first-round picks. Now, they're multi-time Pro Bowlers.
In part because Hamilton and Flowers are both 25 years old heading into this season, the Ravens landed at No. 17 in ESPN’s ranking of all 32 teams by their under-25 talent.
ESPN's Aaron Schatz noted that with Hamilton and Flowers having "graduated," the Ravens still have plenty of promising young players, led by "blue-chipper" Starks, who is 22.
"Linebacker Teddye Buchanan will turn 24 in October, and he started most of last season," Schatz wrote. "Cornerback Nate Wiggins and edge rusher Mike Green are both 23, while rookie edge rusher Zion Young is 22.
"On the other side of the ball, the standout youth is on the line, with right tackle Roger Rosengarten at 24 and first-round guard Vega Ioane at 22. The Ravens have less young talent at the skill positions, other than this year's draft picks: tight end Matthew Hibner is 24, wide receiver Elijah Sarratt is 23, and wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane and tight end Josh Cuevas are both 22."
