Report: Ravens tried to sign Baker Mayfield amid Lamar Jackson drama

There's yet another indication that the Baltimore Ravens wanted to land a possible starting quarterback for 2023 amid the contract saga involving star Lamar Jackson. 

The JoeBucsFan website has reported that "Baker Mayfield got an offer in free agency from the Ravens but declined." Earlier this month, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler tweeted that Baltimore had looked "into options such as" Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett. 

Mayfield ultimately signed what is essentially a one-year "prove it" deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Brissett joined the Washington Commanders.

Before brief stints with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams during the 2022 season, Mayfield featured for the Cleveland Browns, one of Baltimore's division rivals, from 2018 through the 2021 campaign. 

The 27-year-old was first linked in rumors with the Ravens this past winter after they hired Todd Monken as their new offensive coordinator. Monken was Mayfield's OC with the Browns during the 2019 season. 

"Mayfield’s focus at the time of the Ravens' offer was on a starting opportunity," the JoeBucsFan story added. Meanwhile, Buccaneers senior advisor Bruce Arians recently told JoeBucsFan columnist Ira Kaufman he likes that the club added Mayfield to a quarterback room that also includes unproven 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask. 

"Kyle is not going to give in. Not a chance. It’s a great situation for the franchise," Arians explained.

The Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag on March 7 to hold onto Jackson through the start of free agency, but he announced Monday that he requested a trade from Baltimore on March 2. 

Jackson allegedly wants something in the ballpark of at least $200M in fully guaranteed money, and it's believed the Indianapolis Colts may be the only team other than Baltimore interested in signing him to such an expensive long-term deal this offseason. 

Whatever happened between Mayfield and the Ravens, if anything, it seems he believed he wouldn't have any real chance to earn a starting gig with them by the time training camp opened this summer.