OWINGS MILLS, Md. — It’s tempting to envision Lamar Jackson returning to the Baltimore Ravens offense and throwing deep downfield to DeAndre Hopkins or Keenan Allen.
But the biggest obstacle to getting an established wide receiver for Jackson this offseason might be the quarterback himself.
The Ravens won’t have much salary-cap room to sign a top-notch target or trade for one if they have to put the exclusive franchise tag on Jackson next month. All of the Ravens’ $26 million cap space will get taken up by Jackson’s $45 million franchise tag, which means Baltimore will have to cut players and rework contracts to fit him under the cap.