General manager Eric DeCosta and the Baltimore Ravens just gave $15 million to a wide receiver who didn’t play in the NFL last season. Luke Jones and Nestor discuss how and why this major acquistion of Odell Beckham Jr. – at least for one season – will impact the franchise’s ability to get Lamar Jackson back into the fold.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
lamar, ravens, wide receiver, lamar jackson, quarterback, play, odell beckham, signing, beckham, year, deal, point, draft, nelson aguilar, todd, baltimore raven, season, football, super bowl, cap
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
Looking back W and S t test the Baltimore and Baltimore positive. We are really into quite a sports week here. You know, like you wake up on the day after Eastern you’re thinking, all right, masters, Yankees in town all weekend. Everybody blew the farts off on opening day. And then some of us went to Earth Wind and Fire or Bruce Springsteen or the Eagles. Some of us went up on the big screen and had their phone blowing up all weekend. We are going to be doing it this week. We’re making good on our families event, primarily crab cakes. We had such a good time there on Friday morning, I saw so many friends, old Budweiser friends, Danny Broderick, we took lots of pictures and people want money. I gave these instant lottery scratch off tickets away all morning and fade these dudes like I want 40 bucks. I want 10 bucks. I paid for my crab cake. So well. We had a great great time to add a fade these we’re gonna be doing that again very soon. Thursday on a Papist I want to let everybody know we’re coming to Larry’s coach Buzz would say it’s my first ever look the shirt. It’s brand new. I washed it but it’s brand new. World famous crabcakes have four locations now we’re going to be at the new one up in Bel Air. It’s all brought to you by our friends at Goodwill and the Maryland lottery that’s on Thursday from two to five I get great guests coming up to Bel Air as well. And I’m sure we’ll be talking about the Ravens latest edition. What Jones let me tell you this, my kid has gotten flippant now at the tender age of 38 or whatever the hell he is at this point. He’s older than you which is crazy. No you’re older to him by a minute but nonetheless, he texts me and says every time you send a wn S T text brought to you by of course Dennis and our friends at Baltimore for that he’s waiting for Lamar Delta the Colts the Falcons The Buccaneers that don’t date anything that doesn’t even make sense to commanders. I don’t know I mean, you were at this McCobb press conference liars luncheon where they really did do a lot of lying and intimidating a lot of things. We talked about that over the weekend. You’re having an Easter dinner with your niece and Easter bunnies over and you’re eating a chocolate hope it’s not the hollow kind or that awful milk it’s good dark chocolate for Easter. And then like your I don’t know man like you said that it’s never closed that ravens like you never take a minute off which is all the more reason you need a backup like me around a case or I don’t know halfway through a ham sandwich or something
Luke Jones 02:34
Yeah, well I mean my overall reaction to what happened on Sunday night was shocking. Let’s face it, this is not the kind of move the Baltimore Ravens make. It just isn’t. This is not raven like and I don’t say that to be negative about it. I think you look at this certainly it’s a major boom or bust kind of move when you’re signing Odell Beckham Jr. who come September will have not played in an NFL game in 19 months. Certainly putting the the idea of signing him aside doing it for $15 million guaranteed, puts the Ravens at a price point with a veteran wide receiver that they haven’t been with, you know, they haven’t been in this territory, going back to acquiring Anquan Boldin in 2010. Going back to signing Derrick Mason in 2005, relative to what the cap was at that moment in time, and an understanding that prices have gone up across the board. This just isn’t the kind of move they make. And when you consider the injury risk when you consider just where they are from a roster building standpoint where they are with the quarterback. There’s certainly risk there’s no question about it. But on the flip side, if Lamar Jackson is going to be your quarterback in 2023, and I’m more convinced now than ever, that he is because you do not make this move. If you’re trading your quarterback, you did not make this move if you’re signing, you know if you’re trading a quarterback and drafting one in the first round, even if Indianapolis would hypothetically come calling because well you saw it Odell Beckham on Instagram, the very first post he made announcing he was joining the ravens, his little son’s wearing a Lamar Jackson jersey. And we saw Lamar Jackson on Instagram, make a reference to the ravens, at least indirectly, for the first time in weeks when he’s FaceTiming with Odell Beckham, who is a Baltimore Raven now, so I don’t think this necessarily changes anything from a long term standpoint. But as it pertains, pertains to 2023, as I’ve said to you for quite some time, all the signs continue to point to who is the suitor now who’s who’s stepping up? And what are the Ravens doing a quarterback if it’s not Lamar in 2023? So I think this really comes back to the ravens are taking a major swing here, there’s no question and it’s very unknown raven like and look, this deal could be great, or it could totally blow up and this could be the worst signing they’ve made since Earl Thomas, you know, approaching four years ago or over four years ago at this point, so, uh, but as as we’ve kind of said, if you’re laying out the scenario for Lamar Jackson to be here in 2023, you want to try to win, right? You want to do something, you don’t want to just have them here and, well, Nelson Aguilar is the only signing you’ve made. So I think this is clearly a major move, whether it works out or not, I do applaud the Ravens on taking a swing at a position where guys like me, and lots of fans have complained about it a lot. And it’s been their blind spots. So it’ll be fascinating to see how this works out. But, again, for me, the biggest takeaway of this, beyond the Ravens just doing something they typically don’t do with the wide receiver position. It’s I just don’t know how you look at this anymore and think Lamar Jackson’s not going to be here at the very least in 2023. Because I don’t think the deal makes a lick of sense otherwise.
Nestor Aparicio 05:54
All right, well, first things first, where did they get the money from? Right, everybody asked that question. So I’m gonna allow you to at least answer that. So I’ll give you like maybe a three parter. Where do they get the money from? Let’s start with that. Secondly, this is a real way to say to everybody on the team and the people in the upper deck and the people who have PSL. We’re trying, right like, like, even if Lamar doesn’t show up at OTAs, if he’s pissed off, if he goes all summer, and whoever is our quarterback, Stetson Bennett. Dennis loves when I say that so I just like saying Stetson Bennett. So I hopefully what you know, late April later this month, we’ll say Stetson Bennett on day two or day three, who knows right? But this is this is appeasing Todd Monken This is appeasing the team that says we’re going to try to throw the football. This is a stab at Lamar saying, hey, Lamar, come back and play for 32 million and chuck it around and go get yourself paid when you bring you know we’re in a we’re on some steep shoddy. I’m a businessman, you’re businessman. You want to do business $33 million. I’ve given you weapons, go win a Super Bowl and then come back and knock on my door and get to 50 Flacco did that 10 years ago, and I saw that one a flak owes people was on my LinkedIn and listed all Flacco achievements before he got 100 pay too much. Even by his own standard. I think the day he took the money he’s like, probably overpaying me you’re gonna mean deep down right? Like hard to live up to this contract in the future. They’re paying me for what I did not for what I’m going to do. This is some if the ravens are looking to bargain against Lamar to make him look bad if he doesn’t want to come play football for 32 million or 48 million or 133 million guaranteed or wherever it is. But there’s still Lamar wants to get paid. This makes Lamar lick his lips a little bit. He’s gonna he But dude, this is combustible. All of this. If you talk about turning the heat up a little bit, and Bashaud he’s got more money than God, he can do whatever he wants, they can kick cat money down the curb that the cost and Harbaugh are convinced they’re not getting fired. Even if the team stinks, even if they have no quarterback and a $15 million wide receiver that’s over stream and I want the ball 18 times a game, whether he deserves it or not. Because all that’s going to happen. You just signed up for that I’ve seen the app. So I’ve seen the kid Zack, and I saw him when he’s 2324 and tippy toe. I remember being in New Orleans and that he caught that ball. I remember being outside the bar looking insane. Caught that ball. Yeah, that was a long, long, long time ago. And first, but this is where did they get the money? And what is this mean for Lamar? Because they this is Lamar turning the heat up on them saying pay me if you want me to play and the Ravens are still going to have to do that.
Luke Jones 08:49
Yeah, well, I mean, the first first question that it’s pretty simple, and it’s already been reported now that I haven’t seen the full details of the contract. But what we’re able years are going to be used here and basically what that means is you put in dummy years for accounting purposes. It’s a $15 million deal with I saw Tom pelissero of NFL Network said a $13.835 million signing bonus and he’s got a million dollar little over a million dollar base salary. So what you do is you put void years in there dummy years and they void at the end of this season. They void at the start of next year’s new league year making Odell Beckham a free agent assuming you don’t do an extension or anything like that. So what it means is it will lower his cap figure. It won’t be a gigantic cap figure for 2023, which is what the Ravens need given where they are given where they are with Lamar Jackson’s situation and still leaving, albeit probably a very small percentage chance of another team trying to sign up to an offer sheet. But you know, it makes a $15 million dollar number if you just do a straight one year contract, it lowers it to a few million dollars, you know, and it’s not as low as one or 2 million but it’s much lower than 15 But here’s the thing when you do voidable years, those years void, and then the remaining cap hits on those void years. But for the signing bonus, they do go into next year’s cap, so they’ll have a dead money hit next year. And that’s what they’ve been doing with a lot of these deals they’ve signed, albeit one year deals that they’ve been doing with some of the players that they’ve resigned of their own Nelson Aguilar kind of going down the list of those guys, so you can make it work, you can always make it work with the cap. And you know, at this point in time, when you do something like this for a $15 million, one year deal, you’re certainly looking at where the ravens are cap wise, you’re gonna have to renegotiate and look at some of their other deals with guys like Marlon Humphrey, Mark Andrews, Ronnie Stanley, and there are always ways to redo those deals to create more cap space for the present. Of course, it’s always a hidden cost, not even a hidden cost. It’s a cost down the road. But that’s what you’re going to do. And it’s something that all teams do. At some point in time. It’s just the Ravens have dipped into the voidable years. mode this year, just because of where they are with Lamar Jackson, as far as the message it sends. I mean, I think you’ve covered a lot of it. But I mean, I look at this in two different ways. One, if you are truly looking to move on from Lamar Jackson, I just don’t see why you’re gonna sign Odell Beckham and sign him to a one year deal to on the on the flip side, while certainly the price point that they gave back on change the conversation because I don’t think there was any thought that the Ravens were anywhere close to meeting what his asked had been, which I had seen a Jets reported reported a couple weeks ago that he was looking for $15 million per year. So yeah, I think you can get back on the sign up amid some uncertainty with Lamar, because you’re paying him $15 million. At the same time. I think it was made very clear to him that the plan is for Lamar Jackson to be here. Because otherwise, you’re not going to have you’re not gonna have your son on your Instagram wearing a Lamar jersey, you’re not going to be you’re not going to be FaceTiming with Lamar the way that they you know, Lamar even put it on his own Instagram. So I continue to say and I felt this way before it happened on Sunday night. But I’m more convinced than ever that Lamar Jackson is going to be here this year. Now. How exactly does that look? Does that mean I assume that there’s gonna be a long term contract? No, not at all. But I think it does mean Lamar is going to be here, which again, is going to be here, or was he going to sit out the season? I mean, look,
Nestor Aparicio 12:37
man, the measurement of his value has been measured here over the last four weeks to the rest of the league, as far as what they will are willing to pay and what they’re willing to give in draft picks. And I can assure you if Joe burrow were out on the street right now, or even Jalen hertz, you know, or Patrick mahomes, certainly or Josh Allen, there would have been a major rush for any of those guys. I think a guy that runs in the linebackers wanted more money than anybody hasn’t finished the last two seasons. I end is unrepresented. I mean, there’s a lot of things. But I still think that the NFLPA will talk about a collusion lawsuit in regard to him in regard to there being no market for premiere quarterback and franchise no market there was no market for him I zero if he comes back here. And I think that that is that’s possible. There’s a legal part of this where he goes in place for his 32 million or whatever, with this lawsuit out there. And at the end of next year, if he wins a Super Bowl with no doubt that somebody around him including Odell Beckham apparently now who’s in his ear and Ray Lewis and last week it was you know quoting Ray right when it quoting re quoting the Bible, right or quoting movies, I don’t even know what I don’t know what’s what anymore wisdom, no weapon for. But nonetheless. Whoever’s around Lamar, getting Lamar, to the field, to the gym, to the playbook, to Todd Monken, to teammates into the castle working, getting better, all of that to try to win a championship under the guise of I’ll come back and then next year, you or somebody else is going to have to give me 280 million. Yeah, whatever. It’s in tomorrow’s mind about this contract thing because I still think all of this, you always say I wash, not quite I wash. But they have the same problem they had at the press conference last week, right? I mean, they really do. And this Odell Beckham Jr. thing like I don’t know how anybody buys in that he’s just a cat that’s going to catch 90 or under balls in this offense here with whatever the quarterback is with whatever Monken draws up. I don’t know what to make of that because I’ve the wide receiver to me and I know you think it’s the most valuable this and that. I think it’s sort of the last piece though. I think everything else has to happen for the wide receiver to get the ball. And to your point, they’ve never stepped out like this. This guy’s combustible, we know that. I mean, we, you know, we just, I’ve seen the app. I’ve also seen the talent, but I don’t know that that’s there. No, that’d be in the fan base is like, Oh, my God, we gotta jump and now we haven’t made they’re still gonna get the quarterback back and get them happy. And I I don’t that’s about a lot of money. And it’s about respect. And, you know, a lot of things that are not bridges that have been burned. But David there at least sort of smoldering. In to some degree, and there’s a lot to figure out here be shiny toy for Todd Monken.
Luke Jones 15:48
Well, I mean, there’s a lot of unknown, including you’re you’re still making assumptions about an offense that we haven’t even seen yet. I mean, it’s not Greg Roman’s offense anymore. So that right off the bat. But a couple things. There’s absolutely risk with Odell Beckham there’s no question. And for me, it’s not nearly even as much about the personality because he acquitted himself well and acclimated himself well in Los Angeles and helped the Rams win a Super Bowl. I mean, he was very possibly on his way to be an MVP that Super Bowl before he tears up his knee. Now, it’s a big question. He’s had two ACL surgeries over the last three years. So there’s absolutely that. There’s the question of Sure. Whenever you’re bringing in a wide receiver who wants the football, that’s always going to be part of it. But Todd Monken was asked about it during, during his introductory press conference, keep in mind, they work together in Cleveland in 2019. And that didn’t go well, overall. But Todd Monken had nothing but positive things to say about Beckham at that point. And this was back in mid February. So it’s not as though the Ravens had him under contract at that point. So. So at the very least, I think we make a strong assumption here that Monken vouched for Odell Beckham and said, Hey, this, we can absolutely make this work. So So you have that. But yeah, the physical part of this, I think you look at Beckham. He’s quite quite a long ways away from where he was at his best compared to where he is now. And again, the physical questions will be there. So I mean, the fact that the Ravens gave him 15 million guaranteed with those question marks, again, very enraged, and like, so you have that part of it. I think, again, I’ll go back to Santa. I’m fully expecting Mr. Jackson to be their quarterback at this point. I was close to being there before. And now I’m not 100% Because nothing’s 100% But I just don’t know how you look at this at this point. And think that the ravens are planning to move on in 2023. Now, the long term questions that you presented are all still there for one thing Beckham’s here one year so it’s not as though you you signed Lamar, a franchise quarterback or a franchise wide number one wide receiver that’s going to be here for five years. So you have that but I think he’s gonna be here because to your point, there hasn’t been a market i i know a lot of people talked about the post draft scenarios, I just don’t, I don’t see that I just don’t I think it’s way more difficult to tear up your cap and your roster to be able to accommodate a contract like that. After the draft. It’s just not something you see very often, you see quarterbacks dealt but not like top of market kind of guys. So everything
Nestor Aparicio 18:25
you’re saying smacks of some sort of desperation in some way. Right? Like I like usually we can fix that in the draft. We could pick up a free agent, we can do this. We’re not in the bright shiny objects. We’re not into injured players. We’re not into one year big number, but there is no long term on this. I mean, as I’m thinking about it, Harbaugh at the cost of jobs for life, they’re trying their best to get to 11 or 12 wins this year. Even if the quarterback doesn’t show up right. So like or if the quarterback shows up and just quite frankly stinks gets hurt, whatever I mean, he could still get hurt. They know that going in. But you’ve seen Anderson reporting see Bushati got involved in this and that shot he’s on the phone with that’s not very raven like either. I don’t think Steve shoddy got in on Anquan Boldin or Steve Smith are in the recruitment of last Hollywood football play did all of this is a little I don’t know, man. It was just Easter and the Yankees were playing and I was watching John ROM and you know, we’ve been dreaming about the Eagles and not the Philadelphia Eagles. This is really strange on a Monday morning. It really really is. It’s almost like an April Fool’s thing.
Luke Jones 19:37
Yeah, I mean, as I said, I’m shocked. But the one thing I will say if there’s one position, I wouldn’t really aspire to be Raven, like at its wide receiver. So it’s, it’s the truth. I mean, you laugh, but it’s the truth. It’s the one position where you’d say Yeah, not so good. Not a good track record. Now, as I already said, this is a boom or bust sign. I’m not going to sit here and say that it’s absolutely going to work. If it doesn’t work, it could be a disaster. But what’s, what’s the alternative here? I mean, are you just going to try to draft a receiver again, and let’s be clear, I don’t think signing Odell Beckham, to me doesn’t change anything about the draft other than okay, you can say it’s not as dire on paper at wide receiver specifically. But if I’m in the first round, where all things being equal, yeah, I’m probably looking for a starting cornerback at this point in time. But I’m still not shying away from the fact that if there’s a wide receiver there at 22, or if I trade back a few spots in there, still a wide receiver there, wherever I’m picking, and I love the guy and I’m over the moon, I still wouldn’t hesitate to draft him because that comes one year, one year deal, and you have no idea of what he’s gonna look like, you clearly feel good about it, you clearly have seen him work out and feel some level of confidence because you wouldn’t just otherwise give him $15 million, you know, without without having some, you know, some conviction about how he’s going to perform. But you know, what you mentioned about Steve shoddy, it’s, it is fascinating. Again, it’s very uneven like, and I think it does speak to how unusual how Uncharted these waters truly are, where the ravens are with their quarterback and where they are as an organization right now as a result. But at the same time, I’ve said over and over even if Lamar is here for 2023 and we’re talking about the same exact thing a year from now. In the meantime, you still want to try to win right you still want to try to win a Super Bowl get to a Super Bowl make a deep playoff run in 2023 and your one move being signing Nelson Aguilar certainly wasn’t the path to doing that. So you’ve got to do something that’s going to potentially change up your your variants, right? You know, this is a this is the kind of move that could work out beautifully. Or it could be the worst signings since Earl Thomas. So that’s where you look at it and say, okay, Lamar is going to be here. I think for me as I thought about this more on Sunday night. It kind of feels what they should have done a year ago. New offensive coordinator, you find out more about what this offense looks like with a more not that you become past happy, but more balanced more of an emphasis on the passing game that just was not Greg roamans wheelhouse. So you have that element now with Todd Monken as your offensive coordinator, and you bring in another wide receiver that you’re hoping Odell Beckham paired with a healthy Rashad Bateman and whoever else is lining up at wide receiver Nelson Aguilar and maybe a draft pick Devin DuVernay, whoever you hope you have a much more representative group there. And then you hope that that leads to one winning and to maybe you get a better picture of what a Lamar Jackson in the second half of his 20s Looks like with maybe a little bit less running and some more passing and a more potent passing attack and something an offense that looks much more formidable. It from a long term perspective, understanding that Lamar is not going to continue to be the the athlete that he is now or the athlete that he was three or four years ago. So
Nestor Aparicio 23:05
well, there’s all kind of you go to Lamar and say it’s a fresh start for you. And also an opportunity, your best chance to win. And nobody else wanted you. We love you long time. We still love you more than anybody else. And here’s 152 million reasons over the next three years to at least shut you up and keep you happy for three years and feel like you’re playing in market for right now. And that if you go do this, maybe we write in $100 million bonus and you win a Super Bowl and we tack two years on it 58 million a year like I don’t know. But the creativity is stepped up here to the point where the guy who wanted to sell the team three years ago before the plague is now rolling his sleeves up and getting on the phone with wide receivers.
Luke Jones 23:50
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. So it’s fascinating in that sense. And again, it’s it’s not Raven, like when you’re talking about wide receivers, especially wide receivers who, you know, in this price bracket, you know, in this price point, and given the injury history, but it really does speak to where they are at where they are with the quarterback right now. And I think it’s a risk. But I think it’s also a big swing and at some some point in time, you got to take some big swings, you got to take some risks, especially in a position where you’ve been lacking and you’ve been lacking for quite some time. So that’s where that part of it I’ll applaud while also acknowledging that, yeah, this has the best, this has the potential to go very south, you know, to go very sour. But again, I think even if you’re just talking about Lamar for this year, understanding where he is understanding where the ravens are understanding where the 31 other teams are with Lamar as far as a lack of interest, given all the circumstances, I’ve never thought that other teams wouldn’t want him at all. It’s given the variables that are at work here the many variables at work here so From that standpoint, yeah, you deliver a message to Lamar and say, hey, look, everything that’s gone on. We brought you in the the guy that apparently when you see some of the reports on Sunday night, Lamar and Beckham have had conversations at different points about playing together and all that. So bring them in, say, hey, now this gives you more incentive to be here in 2023. By the way, Lamar, probably a good idea for you to not skip all of training camp and show up at the end of August, when we have a new offense when you have a new number one wide receiver or one a along with what you hope is a healthy Rashad Bateman. So you’re hoping there’s some incentive there that maybe that leaves Lamar a little less inclined to skip the entire offseason or skip training camp, which again, was all conjecture to begin with, but you’re making assumptions about where they are at this point. And you say, look, either we can work something out long term right now. Or if you want to play on the tag, that’s fine. Go out, be great. We’ll be great. We’ll try to win. And then we can reconvene about this at the end of next season. And we could try to work something out here. Or Lamar, you know what, even if you’re dead set on your price. And even if we can’t work something out here, bringing in Odell Beckham, you’ve got a better chance now to have a great season this year and whoever the team is that ultimately, you’re with long term, this improves your chances to get to that point where you want to be financially contractually. And we’ll, we’ll see how this works this year. And then and then then we’ll revisit this so I think that’s kind of what is at work here. But to your point, when the owner is getting involved, and that’s on Raven, like well, it’s on raven like it and the other thing, it just speaks to, you know, the finances involved here. I mean, okay, it’s a one year deal and I get that and even if Odell Beckham flames out and as a terrible signing, it’s not as though that’s going to be like having a quarterback that ends up being awful right you know, having a long term quarterback deal blow up in your face. So, but But it definitely is unusual, but it speaks to how unusual this situation has been. You know, we’ve been talking about this same general conversation we’ve had for over two years now. So it is unusual, but I think it also does say something about seems like the Ravens like Odell Beckham as a person and Todd Monken again vouched for it even during his press conference. Almost
Nestor Aparicio 27:32
sugar right they know each other through Pro Bowls and this and me know each other.
Luke Jones 27:37
I mean, look Monken said this look why receivers like to like to get the football they do Derrick Mason love to get the football on board and love to get the football there were times with Derrick Mason got ticked a Joe Flacco on the sideline that Jackson and Derrick Alexander wanted the football. Yeah, so So that’s not I know, we have such a stigma for that kind of an attitude sometimes. And are there times where it’s fair? Yeah. Are there other times where I think it’s really overblown and unfair? Absolutely. Now, I think what what’s interesting about Beckham is seeing what happened in Cleveland, the fact that Todd Todd Monken clearly still vouched and thought he was worth bringing into this organization, despite the fact that things did not go very well at all in 2019 in Cleveland, but with Beckham what was the end of his Browns tenure, the big storyline was what him and they could and Baker Mayfield not getting along and clearly there being a rift, but I think as time has passed, I think that story has aged more favorably for Odell Beckham than it did for Baker Mayfield given how the RET the remainder of his tenure played out in Cleveland, and where he is at his in his career now. And like I said, Beckham, by most accounts seemed like that was a really good fit in LA, you know, and again, he helped them win a Super Bowl. He wasn’t great in the regular season when he arrived there but go look at his numbers. He played really well in the postseason until tearing up his knee during the Super Bowl. So I think there’s enough there to think that the Ravens I mean, clearly they feel good about Odell Beckham, the person to some degree, because you wouldn’t take this kind of a risk.
Nestor Aparicio 29:20
Taking him out for a test ride. He’s run around, they’ve poked and prodded and Andy Tucker’s I mean, thank you all of that, right. Like they’re they wouldn’t give him $15 million coming off an injury now playing last year, we beat up Lamar for not playing the last seven weeks. This guy hasn’t played in a year and a half.
Luke Jones 29:35
Right, right. I mean, you would have to you would have to think now, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some unknown, but you would have to think that you feel really good about where he is physically right now. And that’s where you look at this thing and say okay, the fact that he sat out the 2022 season season after tearing his knee up in the Super Bowl the previous year, it from a long term perspective, that might be a good very well could be a good thing for Beckham that he wrote really had a chance. And he’s now going to be well over a year, you know, look to your point a year and a half removed from that ACL surgery. So we’re gonna have to see, I mean, again, this is not I’m not gonna sit here and say that this is a rock solid lock to be a great deal. And on the flip side, I’m not going to sit here and say that the very substantial risk that’s being taken here financially, on a one year deal, and again, some people will tell you, there’s no such thing as a bad one year deal. It is 15 million guaranteed, though. I mean, this isn’t a one year 4 million kind of deal. But you know, I would stay I would say on that front, you know, I mean, it’s, there’s risk, but I think there’s definitely reward here. And if part of that is to mend your relationship with your franchise, quarterback, at least for the short term, and still have a positive, fruitful 2023. Even if it means you’re reconvening, and you’re dealing with the same thing a year from now? Well, you have a chance to win in the meantime, and maybe that does change everything in some form. Now, it could be that this doesn’t work out, and maybe it becomes more, the Ravens become more convinced that okay, maybe it is time to move on and start fresh. Or Lamar Jackson goes out and plays more like the guy who was a few years back and stays healthy. And Odell Beckham works out Rashad Bateman stays healthy, maybe they draft a wide receiver, you know, they, they fill in some other roster holes that they have in the draft, and you go out and you make a run to the AFC Championship for the Super Bowl. And you know that I think if that happens, we’re having a much different tone, a much different conversation about Lamar Jackson and his future with the Baltimore Ravens than we are right now. But everything I just said, those are hypotheticals we don’t really know. So this is absolutely no as I wrote, Baltimore positive.com. I mean, this is kind of the definition of a boom or bust kind of move. I mean, it really is. I mean, yeah, there are scenarios in the middle there. But if that comes healthy and looks like the guy who was a few years ago, then great the Ravens have at least a one a kind of wide receiver that you’re that you’ve paired with Rashad Bateman, if not, oh, maybe things are worse then with Lamar, and as a result or, you know, Beckham is gone. And maybe you’re I don’t know, at this point. Next year, he could be even talking about starting over, so to speak. So you know, there’s a there are quite a few outcomes at work here. But I’ll continue to come back to for me and I was trending in this direction anyway. And you and I’ve sparred about this, we’ve debated about this, but I just look at this. And to me, it’s, it’s more apparent than ever, that Lamar is going to be here, at least for this season. After that,
Nestor Aparicio 32:46
oh, he’s stuck here. But what does that mean about getting him on the field? I mean, that that’s really the issue now is a whole new coaching staff terminology system, all of that. What are they going to do between now and Draft Day or whenever the next day is where you send a wn St. Tax that says they’ve agreed on a three year deal for an inordinate amount of money? They’re gonna
Luke Jones 33:07
say, that’s gonna happen. I’ve never said that. I’m saying for just for this year. That’s all I’m saying. How am I going
Nestor Aparicio 33:13
to get him to work? When does he come to work? What does that timeline look like over the next five months? Well,
Luke Jones 33:19
I think he has plenty of motivation to have a great season, right? Unless he’s just planning to step away and not play football again. So look, do I think he’s gonna be there for OTAs? I don’t think Odell Beckham for one thing. I don’t know if Odell Beckham will be there for OTAs. I mean, he might. But it’s OTAs in the big picture, relative to the big problem at work here that you’re trying to solve in some shape or form. I’m not as concerned about that. I will say this. You want on there for the start of training camp, at the very least. And I think that should be a realistic goal. And you’re hoping because Beckham is here? Because they FaceTimed on Sunday night because Beckham was clearly interested in playing Lamar, when he posted a picture of his son wearing a Lamar Jackson jersey. And I don’t think the Ravens signed him and say, well, Odell, we’re not really sure. Lamar is going to be here. And and that’s the picture he’s going to post. So I think you’re hoping that that’s some added incentive for Lamar to be here, beyond him wanting to have a great season, because if he has a great season, that increases his chances of getting what he wants, whether it’s from the Ravens or from another team. So I mean, I hear what you’re saying. And look, I’m not saying that. I’m not saying this makes everything smooth. But I just look at this and say unless Lamar is just planning to hold out, and to me, he would not have reacted to the Odell Beckham signing the way he did on social media, if he truly was done with the ravens and had no interest in being here anymore. Well, we heard from him he asked for trade. He did. So the fact that he’s posting about this tells me once again, that was much more negotiating tactic, then I’m done with Baltimore. The ravens are dead to me. Trade Me the difference between asking for a trade and demanding a trade right now we’ve seen plenty of players ask for trade Ray Lewis asked for
Nestor Aparicio 35:09
love this weekend to this asking the couches demanding. It’s good. You’re right though. You’re right.
Luke Jones 35:18
That’s what I’m saying. I mean, it’s the truth. I mean, it’s either. We’ve seen guys at I mean, debo Samuel last offseason in San Francisco, asked for a trade from the 40 Niners who does debo Samuel play for now.
Nestor Aparicio 35:32
Well, Chuck Clark came back and played happily and chuck chuck Clark
Luke Jones 35:35
was right but I mean that’s that’s a different story. I’m the Ravens drafted two safeties, and you know, they were going to move on from him anyway. I mean, but but the point is, again, someone asked for a trade, there is a distinct difference of asking for it. And understanding that that’s part of what you’re trying to do to make money and get a deal and improve your financial situation. Compared to demanding a trade and saying You’re dead to me, I will not play for you again, which we see that sometimes I and I’m being a little dramatic and how I describe that. But there’s a there’s a very distinct difference there. And the fact that Lamar spoke out on social media and posted a picture of him FaceTiming with Odell Beckham, a guy who is a Baltimore Raven now not a free agent, but a Baltimore Raven agreed to in principle, that lead
Nestor Aparicio 36:25
that would lead you to believe that the Lamar loss is coming soon. That will lead you to believe
Luke Jones 36:30
Lamar Jackson is certainly still open to playing for the Ravens in 2023. Again, I don’t I am not at all suggesting that this move means Lamar signing a long term deal, but I think it does very much change the outlook for 2023. Because if the Ravens were going into the training camp with Rashad Bateman, Nelson, Aguilar and unnamed draft pick at wide receiver, then then I am asking more so about, okay, when’s Lamar showing up? Is he going to play? What’s this going to look like? I think you bring in someone like Beckham. Again, based on some of the reports out there, they had had some dialogue about wanting to play together, I think it changes, I probably changes the mores mind a little bit in terms of some extra incentive, some extra motivation to not just play this year and play for the ravens, because again, it was the other team at this point in time. But it also, I think, puts him in a better state of mind to be here for all of training camp and put in the work to build that rapport and get ready for the season and see how it works beyond that, but again, I’ll continue to come back to it. For anyone out there who’s doubting if Lamar is going to be here in 2023. I think you got your answer on Sunday night. I’d be very very surprised if he’s not a Baltimore Raven, this coming season after that. Who knows?
Nestor Aparicio 37:59
All right, Luke is here. I I thought we were just going to talk baseball and talk about golf concert, give a little concert review and share some pictures and videos. We’re gonna be at Pappas on Thursday in the afternoon up in Bel Air. Looking forward. Then I’m wearing my pappy shirt. We’ll be having some Harford County fun. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery in conjunction with our friends at window nation. We give away some scratch offs on Thursday. rescheduling fails, we’re going to be captain Larry’s on the 27th later on in the month, really looking forward to that as well. I am Nestor we are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. And we never stop talking Baltimore positive
