Luke Jones and Nestor lament the fatigue of the ongoing Lamar Jackson contract talk all over the country as NFL owners and teams appear reluctant to show Number Eight the (guaranteed) money.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
teams, lamar, lamar jackson, ravens, quarterback, signed, talking, week, year, point, draft, offer, tampa, play, money, free agent, first round pick, maryland, agent, luke
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
What about W and S T Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are positively back into the march groove and all things Lamar and Lamar and more Lamar will be doing the Maryland crabcake tour on April 5, in my homeland of Dundalk. We’re going to be at Costas and I’m going to be giving away these fantastic instant scratch offs. They look. Looks mom will remember these because these were old school. And they came out like many, many years ago, back in the 70s 50 years of doing the Maryland lottery of friends. And when donation put us out on the road as well. 866 90 nation, I will have the floppy hat on April 5, honoring costs for being one of the original purveyors of all things Maryland lottery tickets back in 1973. I’m wearing my drugged city shirt, Dundalk, Maryland 1954. And they also were original lottery purveyors, we had a great conversation with my dear friend Calvin said, we’ll be coming back down to the fountain down there in the tasting room. But you know, Luke’s never been to drug city. So at some point, do when I go back to drug city, you’re coming into an unstable me drug city, you’re gonna have to, because I want to show you my neighbor, and you’re showing me all around your little Little League in your home run fences. And by the way, we’re gonna do a football segment here. I will get came up to your homeland over the weekend. And I have some Show and Tell for this segment that I’m going to break out here at some point. And we’re going to have a little bit of fun. I have shown tell for the baseball part a segment for the football part of the segment as well, because I went antiquing in Shrewsbury Pennsylvania, at the behest of my son and his daughter who sent me up there looking for my Pacific belt buckles. And all I found was small Baltimore Sun things with John Stebbins, and a whole bunch of old clippers stuff. And then I went to State College, Luke, football capital of the big 10. At least they think so they were independent for a long time. And I ran into Ross Tucker, who gave me some peachy Paterno at the Bruce Springsteen concert. And the only thing he wanted to know. And I think he was lubricated. If you don’t have savings prior to show all he wanted us. Hey, what’s up with Lamar? What’s going on with Lamar, man? What’s the ice cream? Let’s talk about Lamar. And I’m thinking man, it stretched all the way to Princeton and say college just Lamar thing. So I want to give it to look what’s going on with Lamar.
8
Luke Jones 02:27
Well, to quote the great Bill Murray and one of his films. Well, it’s Groundhog Day. Again. What’s going on with Lamar? It’s what’s been going on for weeks and months and years, even? Maybe not quite. Yeah, maybe not quite that dramatic with the fully guaranteed contract thing. But look, we talked about it going into the start of the new league year, when we knew that the Ravens were officially placing a franchise tag on him whether it was going to be the exclusive one, which would have been 45 million around there, there abouts, or whether it’s the nonexclusive, which was 32 million, we said that the Ravens were going to be in a tough position here, not just because of that cap number, because 32 point 4 million is not exactly prohibitive, as it pertains to franchise quarterbacks and kept dollars and things of that nature. But when it comes to maintaining flexibility to match, a potential offer sheet from another team, whether that’s going to come or not, is another debate. But you have to Maurice Smith is wondering where we find, right. But that’s but that’s where we find the Ravens at this point where we’re a week into the negotiating period, at least and certainly almost a week into the official signing period. And the ravens are one of only two teams, the Jaguars being the other one that finished the weekend with having not signed an outside free agent. That’s where the Ravens find themselves right now they’ve lost some guys. They’ve resigned some guys, they certainly have a number of free agents that they are still talking to of their own that could still come back I think, you know one name I’ll throw out there Marcus Peters, you look at the cornerback market, it hasn’t been lucrative. So someone on the wrong side of 30, someone who’s now a year plus removed from an ACL injury, probably not a lucrative deal out there for him. So could they have they increase their chances of bringing him back? Sure, I would say but you keep coming back to the Ravens need to maintain flexibility here and you and I have debated this a lot in terms of whether Lamar was going to be back or not. And look, I’m not saying it’s 100% that he’s returning but at the same time. You’ve seen the veteran quarterback market disappear, right I mean, guys have found homes and we’ve talked about which teams have signed a veteran quarterback and say okay, well that seems to take them out of the Lamar market. But as you and I’ve talked about whether the rain Didn’t work out something long term or not. Each day that passes feels like it’s more and more likely Lamar Jackson is going to be the Ravens quarterback at least this year. And we’ll see what happens from there. But
Nestor Aparicio 05:11
and the Ravens will have no motivation to give them $120 million now, right? Like it’s 32 you play or you don’t play, right? I mean, I don’t know where the hard ball and all of this is. Where you’re hardball on the kid, you’re expecting the lead your team? Who’s been an on again and off again, leader from the very beginning, and is like, I don’t know how I keep going back to Dennis, like, how can they kiss and make up? And how could this be happy with ravens, you know, other than the fan base, Lamar is out dancing party and, you know, people bringing their selfies in, like whatever, like I’m watching seeing all this stuff, and thinking, if he’s not sitting which immersi now when, if there’s, you know, if he’s not looking to get another gig right now, like, as the market dries up to your point, like Tampa, Atlanta, the Carolina these teams that have other chairs that were in our chairs back in November, December and the chairs of all the internet out there, and indeed the Morris Smith’s mind. And in Lamar Jackson’s agents mind, these teams would all be out there. Man we were so post St. Patrick’s Day all the early money’s gone. A lot of teams don’t have that kind of cap room laying around. And we had predicted that with Tampa and some other places where maybe he thought he did a good tax situation, that you know that Miami obviously valued a cornerback, you know that these teams valued other things other than Lamar Jackson. And I guess in his mind, everybody was going to make Lamar number one, when the Ravens were the only one willing to make them number one five years ago, and now he’s hitting the market, who’s gonna make Him their priority? And it’s, this is fascinating to watch, dude, it’s, it’s unbelievable, really. And that’s why Ross Tucker is bringing it up with me 10 minutes before Springsteen sit in the stage over some peachy Paterno? Yeah, well, the
Luke Jones 07:06
one thing you said that I’ll push back on a little bit is he’s not really hitting the market, because you know what he wants, right? He wants to pull a guarantee deal. And oh, yeah, you need to give up two first round picks. So teams like Miami who don’t have a first round pick, even if they even if that deep down, they wanted to move on from two, you can’t do it until after the draft. So we’ve said this all along. And this is why it’s, frankly, frustrating when you see the talking head shows on ESPN and what have you where people just keep saying, well, they need to go get Lamar, it’s like, okay, well, it’s not that simple. He’s not a unrestricted free agent, where you just sign them. And that’s that, right? There’s so many layers to this that speak to it being much more complicated is demands, draft compensation, the idea that you could go down the road and sign an offer sheet with him and think, Hey, we got a chance. And then the Ravens just said, Okay, we’ll match that, you know, we’ll match that. But we’re not, we’re not just going to give away our franchise, quarterback, and we actually feel like whatever the offer sheet, hypothetically, would be. And again, whether Lamar is going to even sign an offer sheet that wouldn’t be fully guaranteed. You know, that’s, that’s certainly at least a strong debate, whether that would even be a reality. Now, there’s a lot to it. So, you know, I what you said in terms of teams, not making him their top priority? Look, I mean, he’s not an unrestricted free agent, there’s a lot more to it. So that’s when you look at each team’s individual situation. And to me going into last Wednesday, when teams at 4pm, on the 15th, when they could officially start talking to him putting aside agent, you know, the lack of an agent and all the other factors, you know, there was still the sense of who was going to make sense who, all those different variables that we’ve mentioned over and over and over, who kind of lines up and at the time, I kind of thought it was Indianapolis, you know, based on the fact that they had cleared some cap space, and they hadn’t made a lot of signings, could it still be them? Sure. But each day that passes, you just wonder, you know, I mean, is there going to be a team that’s gonna be able to create enough cap room, or they’re gonna have to cut theoretically, they’d have to cut so many different players. And then it’s like, alright, you get Lamar, but what’s the rest of your roster look like? So there’s just a lot to it. And that’s where I look at it from the standpoint of each day passing it feels more and more likely that it’s kind of the Ravens or who for him right now. Now. Lamar Jackson, Andy Murray Smith and Lars Campton anyone else who’s advising him at this point could say in a big picture sense well, you know, you go the Kirk Cousins route or you know, Dak Prescott playing on the tag. I mean, you know, it’s not it’s not unheard of that a player would do it. I mean, cousins did it played on the tag two years and eventually got to mark and that’s when he got his three year Garen fully guaranteed deal. So but the problem is if you’re Lamar Jackson is still a lot of time. until you can do that, you know, you’re still two years away from that. So
Nestor Aparicio 10:04
8what did you see the numbers that Josh Allen, the money he’s made versus what Lamar would make if he plays? Sure.
Luke Jones 10:11
Yeah, I mean, the Moore’s the money that he’s missed out on over the last two years. I don’t know how you’re gonna get that back. Even if you get a fully guaranteed deal. I don’t know how you’re getting that back at this point. I mean, that’s, that’s what’s so difficult for him. So
Nestor Aparicio 10:24
it’d be different if he had two Super Bowls under his wing. But he’s got two incomplete grades at the end of these two years. In addition, that works against him for anybody to sign him for it for anybody to sign him. He’s got to incompletes when he was betting on to deep runs, and my value and being the number one, he’s not the best quarterback in the National Football League. And I know you’re higher on him than I am and probably always have been because of the style. But nobody stepping up in the way that they all got couldn’t get out of their own way for Deshaun Watson and you talk about the trade part, the two picks and whatever in Miami and this and that. I want to say this because I haven’t said this because I haven’t had an opportunity to say this, because he’s only been on the market for half a week, right? If you love that kid, and you think that kids your quarterback, and you think you’re gonna win a championship with that kid the next three to five years, and you would be on the phone with Eric d’acosta right now saying what do we have to give him and what do we have to give you? Let’s figure it you like if we love the kid, you love the kid, too? Well yeah. Tyler Haney key who did the Tampa Tampa got somebody right. Who didn’t who to Tampa sigh. Tampa? Jeff Garcia? I don’t know. Yeah. No, but I mean, whatever
Luke Jones 11:44
off guard. I wasn’t thinking about that. No, I’m
8Nestor Aparicio 11:46
not thinking about it either. Because they signed somebody that can’t wait with. So like, I don’t even remember who was Jameis Winston somewhere. But that was yesterday in Tampa. But Baker? Thank you. Yeah, they can’t win. So
Luke Jones 12:03
I knew that it just wasn’t
Nestor Aparicio 12:07
working looking to embarrass either one of us on our trivial knowledge of who what quarterbacks and what hot chair, it’s either you can win or you can’t. And if this is the week, this is the week where if Mr. Big Shot white owner wherever he is on his plane on his boat, and then the general manager and the coach are like, we got Baker Mayfield or we could get Lamar Jackson we have two or whatever their situation is or we have the number one pick, or we could go get Lamar Jackson. Last year was Deshaun Watson bright shiny objects. As I talked to Dennis about selling cars and Pacific a belt buckles and you know, all of that the bright shiny object here Lamarr thought he would be the bright shiny object and call it collusion Call it whatever you want. Like I mean, they’re all spending 100 You know, $240 million dollars in cat money. So they’re all spending the money now who they spent it on, you know, whatever and how they collude against quarterbacks, but I don’t think they’re gonna go to market with a guarantee deal for a guy who’s got two incomplete grades who now have teams are deciding they’d rather have Baker Mayfield then give up half a draft or two drafts and give him too much money or more than Eric and Steve who love him. And John love him. We’re gonna give him and like, this is it’s dude, it’s fascinating. And I guess this is why why Peter came on last week, right? To your point at Aaron Schatz on last week. I want to talk about anything else. Like I they all get two minutes on their respective shows unless they write a column about it. This thing is so complex that Peter King and I did 32 minutes on it didn’t get a breath on anything else, because he had a lot he wanted to say. Because there’s just so much to say about all of this.
Luke Jones 13:56
8Yeah, there is. I mean, I’ll be honest, I’m fatigued beyond belief talking about Lamar Jackson. I think national guys it’s a little bit different because they’re covering the rest of the league. But I mean, look. let’s also be clear here. Other teams making these decisions like like, let’s not get these other teams that much credit either by the Buccaneers aren’t winning anything with Baker Mayfield? I mean, come on now. So So at the same time, let’s also not give all these teams too much credit that they look at the set of variables and say, Oh, we’re making the smart decision. There are some teams that absolutely should be in on Lamar Jackson, quite frankly, bought 137
Nestor Aparicio 14:33
miles away laid out. There’s there’s one right down the street date that he would make them instantly better.
Luke Jones 14:41
Well, but we’ve been saying the Washington commanders football teams black slash blank skins. We’ve been talking about them making bad decisions for 25 years at this point in time. So there’s that but you mentioned Deshaun Watson, let’s be clear here. Though there was interest in Deshaun Watson of multiple teams until the Cleveland Browns offered a fully guaranteed deal. And then how much interest was there, one, a team that would had already been eliminated from the content from contention. And those other teams that were trying to sign him, they, some of them still need a quarterback. But we go back to the fully guaranteed ask, and that’s where this thing continues to be at its impasse, at the impasse at the ravens and Laura that for a year now, you know, your plus. And you know, the rest of the league looking at this and saying, I’d like to talk theoretically, you know, hypothetically, I’d like to talk to the kid. But if that’s a stretch is asking point, and the Ravens haven’t even been able to negotiate with them, because that’s what he’s wanted. You know, they’ve tried and he really hasn’t been willing to negotiate. I mean, I think that seems to be apparent at this point. Look, he has his asking price. And that’s that, and he has the right to do that. But if you’re that other team who doesn’t have a rapport with them, he doesn’t have an agent. So communication is an issue, draft compensation, the fact that he’s had some injuries over the last couple of years, as it pertains to a fully guaranteed deal. I don’t think Lamar Jackson being injured at the end of each of the last two years, disqualifies teams from being interested at all. But I think it does certainly make them take some major pause as it pertains to a fully guaranteed contract. Absolutely. I think the Ravens felt that way. If Lamar had taken the ravens to the Super Bowl last year, or this year, or he had won another MVP this past season, I don’t think we’d be talking about this, I think they would feel that we don’t really have a choice. This is Joe Flacco post Super Bowl 47. Again, I think they’d have no leverage. And that would be that they’d have to pay him. But it hasn’t worked out that way. So that’s where this is more complicated. So what you have is the Ravens being in this holding pattern where they have started, the second week, let’s call this a second week of free agency at this point in time, with around $8 million in cap space. Now, they have a number of players that they can restructure contracts and create more cap space as needed. So they’re just kind of in a holding pattern waiting and seeing if there’s going to be a team that steps up and sniffs around Lamar Jackson, at this point, who is that team? Again, we’ve talked about Indy, I saw some national reporters over the weekend speculating a little bit about a team like a New England, but that doesn’t feel patriot like quite frankly. And, again, so many of these teams have already spent free agent dollars elsewhere, that you just look at and say, from a cap standpoint, from a contract structure standpoint, how feasible would it be so in the same way, we talked about, you know, the Miami Dolphins don’t have a first round pick the San Francisco 40 Niners don’t have a first round pick, so they can’t even talk to Lauren. So after the draft as it pertains to him being on the tag and an offer sheet, so yeah, that’s where you just kind of go through the list and you just start disqualifying teams for any number of reasons. You know, I mean, the teams that have a franchise quarterback certainly aren’t going to be in on him. Teams that have signed another veteran quarterback, you know, at least in like the Jimmy Garoppolo bracket, you know, and above. Now, they’re not signing Lamar Jackson, whether they made a good choice or not with the guy that chose instead is debatable, but it’s it’s what they did.
Nestor Aparicio 18:17
Yeah, well, the st. So Raiders, they have guys in those chairs now, right? Like the the chairs are getting full. I mean, his agent didn’t see this. And his agent and he were out clubbing over the weekend. And I’m thinking to myself, if you’re a dude, again, if you’re not on the plane now, when right? I mean, the money’s going away, where’s the interest in him? They’re screaming collusion, but we’re trying to as journalists put the pieces together because I believe me. These are dastardly men who own these teams. So like, I have no thoughts about their integrity or their ethics. I’ve seen it at work. But all that being said, how this is going to play out where he’s going to go and quarterback and what the circumstance would be here. If he comes back again, plays for 32 million doesn’t show up in the offseason. We don’t hear from his agent all we do is see these bits and pieces of this guy playing video games and live in a millionaire’s life and kind of having a good time in the offseason. It’s this is give me the popcorn. I’m like Michael Jackson thriller is what I’m like, Luke, you know?
8Luke Jones 19:28
Yeah, I mean, like, I mean, that’s him going to concerts and stuff like that. I mean, that’s that’s not
Nestor Aparicio 19:34
know but this week his agent would be out trying to get him in desperately right now of course well,
Luke Jones 19:39
but the agent would be doing the groundwork for that and there is no agent so sure. No, I hear you. So then
Nestor Aparicio 19:44
8there’s nothing happening. If he’s not on the plane to here or there are there are they’re not, then there’s really nothing. Nobody’s giving him money without meeting him. I’ve met him.
Luke Jones 19:54
Well, but but it also comes down to if, if his starting point is more than what teams are willing to do. And then then there’s a draft compensation. And then there’s the lack of an agent. And then there’s talking about the injury. And then there’s talking about, you know, restructuring your offer up. Again, all these variables start to pile up. And that’s where teams have clearly said, Well, we’re gonna go in a different direction. If
Nestor Aparicio 20:19
I wanted $150 million from Jim or say, I’d be on a plane to Indianapolis and sitting in his office and telling him what I could do to to help his football team. But I present myself Lucas isn’t
Luke Jones 20:30
hard. That’s me. But that’s but that’s not the asking price. He wants more than that. So that’s what
8Nestor Aparicio 20:35
well, then he’s not getting on the plane in Jim Mercer, he’s not getting on the plane. And he’s gonna have to come back and play for $32 million with his tail between his legs. And I don’t think that’s good for as good as Ravens fans think that is for them. I don’t think it’s good for them. And as much as Kevin Byrne used to preach to me and all the Ravens brass would say we like a pistol football player that wants to go earn his money. We you know, we we like him pissed off. I don’t think that this is good for them. I you know, like,
Luke Jones 21:01
let me let me ask specifically, but what why is this different than Terrell Suggs playing on the tag back in 2008? Why is this different than
Nestor Aparicio 21:11
because you’re the quarterback? And I think there was questions last year about his decisions, and not I think there were bruised feelings. And I think that
Luke Jones 21:20
8oh, I don’t, I don’t necessarily disagree with that. I’m just asking why that can’t work. But look, let me be
Nestor Aparicio 21:25
honest feelings with your franchise players. Not good ever, ever, ever, ever.
Luke Jones 21:30
I don’t disagree with you. But my point is, like, what’s the alternative?
Nestor Aparicio 21:35
I guess, you have to ask themselves that, right?
8Luke Jones 21:38
I mean, I’m just, you know, you’re not just gonna just, you know, they’re not just gonna let them go.
Nestor Aparicio 21:43
They may no, think he’s done there. He’s gonna play somewhere else. And he’s got to be my guy. And I’m gonna get my price. You know, especially draft compensation. You know what I mean? So, I don’t but but but the
Luke Jones 21:56
but the See, see, that’s where I disagree with you. I don’t see the Ravens. Why would the Ravens be motivated to move Lamar Jackson at a less than optimal? Price? I mean, say what you want about him? He’s an extraordinary asset. Because when a lot of football games, I don’t disagree, but I don’t
Nestor Aparicio 22:10
8know what an asset he is, if he’s gonna show up in August and be an asshat instead of an asset. And not, but he has plenty of motivation on that, but played.
Luke Jones 22:20
But he has, he has an extraordinary motivation to play well, also, right now, that doesn’t mean I think he’s showing up for OT. I mean, he didn’t show up for OTAs. Last year, they’re voluntary, and he’s not even under contract at this point in time. So how important are OTAs? How important is the first two weeks of training camp? You know,
Nestor Aparicio 22:40
how important is the advice since getting more knighting it from? That’s really,
Luke Jones 22:43
I don’t disagree, but I’m trying to live in reality here though. Like,
8Nestor Aparicio 22:48
reality says he’s going to come play football. And John and Eric believe that probably too. And and how is that going to turn out? And how uncomfortable and awkward is that going to be? Well, you know, dude, you’re a professional, you’re paying, you’re gonna pay $2 million. This week, that quarterback and my team, you’re asking the meetings, like, you know, like, that’s the way it has to be, it can’t be that way. And he can’t be happy here. I think they’re all fighting an uphill battle of not where they want to be, not where they want to be. And I don’t know that there’s ever a point, they’re going to come to him and say, look, here’s four years, and 160 guaranteed, that’s way more than you get anywhere else, we love you long time, we’ll give you we’re gonna give you more than anybody would give you that he’s even really going to believe that once the union has been in his head about, like, this is really sticky for me. I mean, I’m wandering through the first Kumbaya, and he’s the quarterback, and week one, and everything’s cool. And they’re in there for no and like, because he’s great, because he is great. I’ll hear that, that if my birthday in October, everything’s cool here and number eights under center. And this works, this would be a great feat for all of them. And I would applaud it. If that happens. I just, it doesn’t feel to me, it isn’t smelled to me for the last 120 days, like that’s what this is, as a professional as somebody.
Luke Jones 24:16
And let’s be clear, I’m not saying everything’s great or groovy, it’s not. But at the same time, you have to look at the reality of where you are. And if there’s not look deep down. And I don’t know this Nestor, but I think the Raven, as if they got a trade offer, and this is even going back to before the deadline for the franchise tag if they had gotten the trade offer that would blow them away. I think that and a team was willing to meet the Mars contract request because that clearly would be part of it. Yeah, I think they would have been willing to move on. I don’t think that’s happening, at least at this point in time.
Nestor Aparicio 24:52
So I think maybe Eric went to Indianapolis and figured that out, right? Probably and
Luke Jones 24:57
8that might have something to do with the fact that they gave him the nonexclusive 10 And again, then maybe wait and see. And if Indianapolis, theoretically had been, you know, they still could be. But if they’re a team that would be willing to pony up and pay Lamar, what he wants the fourth overall pick this year and a first round pick next year, or you could work out different draft compensation, you can also have that option as well. But, you know, maybe that would be maybe that maybe the Ravens would deem that good enough. But at the same time, if that market isn’t there, and there isn’t that team, it’s willing to give him what he wants right now. You’re still better off with Lamar Jackson, even if it’s not kumbaya than Baker Mayfield being your quarterback this year. I mean, if you’re doing that, for what, not beaten Patrick mahomes and Josh Allen, maybe you can make the playoffs that that’s your that’s your ceiling. And you know, from that standpoint, I mean, that’s where you look at this and say, okay, and kick the can down the road another year. Again, I’m not saying that’s ideal. I put, let’s be clear, when I’m when I’m laying this out there, it’s where they are, I mean, the fact that they haven’t been able to the fact that they haven’t signed an outside free agent, or we can have free and saying, look, the ravens are never that team that’s throwing silly money around at the start of the new league year. But usually a weekend, they’ve typically signed a guy or two, maybe it’s not a big ticket item like a Marcus Williams, but you’ve signed a guard, you know, go back to Kevin Zeitler, a couple years ago, you know, you’ve signed a number three wide receiver type, you know, nothing, I mean, they literally over the first week did not sign an outside free agent, which is it’s not unprecedented. But it speaks to where they are right now. Because they are in a position where you know, you, you don’t want to be in a position where you can’t match Lamar Jackson’s offer sheet. If it had been a team that we talked about this before free agency started Washington, for example. And it’s clear, it seems apparent with them signing Jacoby perset that they’re not in the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes. And not saying they were going to be because there have been lots of reports suggesting they weren’t going to be but, you know, that was a team that had a middle, you know, a mid first round pick, you know, middle of the first round. That’s not good enough for Lamar Jackson. It’s just not. So that’s where you look at okay. See, does he at some point in time, and it might not be this week, but maybe it’s a few weeks down the road, or maybe it’s come the draft and he sees no teams have signed him to an offer sheet. At some point to the people that does him, you know, him and the people that are advising him? Do they look at this thing and say, Okay, maybe the Ravens offer wasn’t as bad as we thought. And he comes to that realization, realization? Or does he say I’m gonna bet on myself this year, and whether that’s smart financially or not? It’s his choice, you know, it’s been his choice to not have an agent. It’s his prerogative at the end of the day. But does he try to have a better season and this coming year, and then we’re doing this thing all over again next year to some shape or form. So it’s weird. It’s fascinating for people who aren’t exhausted by it. Frankly, I’m in the exhausted camp at this point in time. But just because you’re tired of it doesn’t mean that you just resign yourself to coming up with a less less than optimal solution. Because, again, he’s that important, you know, he’s that valuable of a player in a vacuum. Again, all the other factors that we talked about that explain this collusion or non collusion, there’s, it’s complicated. I think everyone would agree with that, who’s actually taking the time to look at this thing. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean you just you just throw in the towel and take any old mediocre compensation for him and move on. Because then what, that’s when we keep coming back to the argument, you and I have had a different times or debate, I should say, over the last two or three months where it’s you say, Okay, you move on from Lamar Jackson, what’s next? And that’s that, that’s the complicated piece. You’ve decided you’re gonna move on? All right, trying to replace him. That’s that’s way, way easier said than done. So that’s where we find the Ravens where even if if they were being truthful, and saying, Yeah, this, this isn’t great. And certainly Lamar Jackson saying the same thing. At the same time, that doesn’t mean what’s best for them in 2023, at the very least, wouldn’t be for Lamar Jackson coming back, and both sides kind of counting on the other to be motivated and have a good season and see what happens if Lamar bets on himself and has his best season since 2019. And the ravens, let’s say they make it to the AFC Championship game, at the very least, which will be the first time they’ve done that in a decade, then, maybe we’re talking about it in different terms. If Lamar plays all 17 games, and plays at a high level and he looks even better in the Todd Monken On offense compared to the Greg Roman offense, and let’s say they drafted a wide receiver in the first round, that’s a legit wide receiver, a number one wide receiver. It’s gonna be a very different different conversation then. And then maybe at that point, you know, maybe Lamar says, I’ll do a three year fully guaranteed deal. And maybe that’s what the best solution would be. I don’t know, I’m spitballing. Here. Clearly, it’s tough for us to figure out a solution because, well, the parties that are directly involved in this haven’t been able to come up with a solution that satisfactory that both sides so you know, this impasse continues. And as every day that that pack passes, it feels less and less likely that a team is going to do an offer sheet. I’ve heard some people talk about, you know, okay, it could come after the draft. I still don’t know how that works from a cap standpoint, unless, unless you just have a roster that is that flexible to do that. I mean, the the cap dollars have been spent last week and this week and the week after that. And then after that you’re talking about mostly minimum kind of deals, right? So if it’s not now then when and that’s where I keep coming back to it feels more more like Omar’s gonna be here in 2023. I don’t know that. I haven’t heard that from anyone in the know to that. I don’t think anyone knows that with 100% certainty. But if a team’s not stepping up now, then. And the Ravens haven’t, you know, it’s not as though they went and signed another veteran quarterback or anything. So it looks like it’s gonna be Lamar. And I don’t know, maybe, maybe they come up with a compromise between now and mid July for the deadline. Or maybe we’re talking about this all over again a year from now, which I kind of hope not, I not kind of I definitely hope fatigue, he says fatigue, I’m fatigued I absolutely am. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean that you just throw in the towel, and you just say see ya, and you’re going to take any any old offer for him either. So we’ll see what Lamar has to say with his exclusive interview from his own YouTube channel, which he teased late Saturday night, we’ll see if there’s anything, I’m not holding my breath, that it’s going to be anything earth shattering. But we haven’t heard Lamar talk in long form since early December. So we’ll see what he has to say or if there is any newsworthy items that come from that. But otherwise, we’re just kind of waiting. And meanwhile, as you’ve pointed out, those quarterback chairs at places that quite frankly, in a vacuum, absolutely should want to sign Lamar Jackson. Well, it’s not happening. So reality is different from what we think should happen or what could make sense. So we’ll we’ll see how this continues to play out. But in the meanwhile to Groundhog Day all over again.
Nestor Aparicio 32:46
Well, you know, I know when which has steal for me out of the upper deck and I saved all the money on the season tickets last year and I have all the money from the flights from Tampa that things that in use, I decided that I’m going to sign my own free agent, quarterback, Luke here for the offseason, I went out on the eBay, and I legitimately got something that I couldn’t afford. In 1989. When I wanted it, I literally couldn’t find it. And if I found that it would have been $129 Then which I would not have spent because it was officially licensed. So I bought this this is old school logo athletics. 1990 edition. I have a Warren Moon. So look at that, you know, and it fit it fits me. So it’s it. I’ve washed it several times, and now smells good enough to wear. And so this is it. I’m going with this. So no matter what, this is what I’m gonna be wearing in week one. Number one, Warren Moon so that’s it. Very cool. I had that for you guys. And I’m like I was antiquing in Shrewsbury when I went to the Springsteen show, and I have something for the baseball segment that I’m going to share with you Luke Jones is here. He will be there Owings Mills, breaking news. If you’re on the WNS D tech service, you know all about it’s all brought to you by coons Baltimore for Dennis will be here on Thursday. I will be giving away Maryland scratch offs and these are the 50th anniversary that we had a bunch of winners when we were dealing with drug city a couple of weeks ago we’re gonna be looking for some winners as well at Costas on the fifth and then fade these on the seventh kickin opening day off right man I mean, we’ve got Springsteen we got opening day we got the 50th anniversary the Maryland lottery, we got our friends at window nation 8669 You nation during the buy to get to free in the 24 months 0% financing, like my windows like spring. I need an exterminator. somebody’s out there. I gotta get the spiders and all these crazy things away from me. We’re gonna get to some baseball because we got opening day we got World Baseball Classic. We have the eternal debate is there’s something really more important in the World Series. We’ll talk about all that more. Luke will be with us and we got a good week around here as we get ready for baseball. we tip our caps to the Maryland tear Robins and we continue to spin the wheel with the Lamar sweepstakes he’s fatigued I’m Nestor we are wn SDA and 1570 Towson Baltimore we never stopped talking Lamar Jackson and Baltimore positive
