With the Baltimore Ravens having officially placed the franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson, we’ve moved into a crucial phase of the process. For the first time in his career, Jackson is able to speak to other teams (or at least he will be on March 13, the start of the tampering window).
Never before has he ever had the opportunity to gauge his outside interest (which has been curiously eager to broadcast its absence), which means the possibility exists more than ever that his future may deviate away from the Ravens organization. That is not the message they have conveyed, shockingly.