Speculation has run rampant throughout the offseason about where Lamar Jackson could end up this offseason. Alas, most of that speculation has been from fans discussing things as more franchises around the league said they will not be pursuing him than ones that want to go after him.
It is a truly bizarre situation as 26-year-old former MVPs who have won 73.8 percent of the regular season games they have started don’t ever hit the open market. And if they happen to, the bidding war that would ensue should be outrageous.
Alas, for whatever reason, that isn’t occurring with Lamar Jackson. He had the non-exclusive franchise tag placed on him by the Baltimore Ravens but we have yet to hear a peep about where he may end up.
Any team can negotiate and sign Lamar Jackson to an offer sheet. The Ravens would then have the right to match it to retain him, or decline and receive two first-round picks in return. Given the trade packages we saw last season alone for Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, only sending out two first-round picks for a player of Lamar Jackson’s caliber would be a bargain.
While there has been no concrete news about a landing spot, a few franchises have been mentioned as possible suitors for Lamar Jackson. The Atlanta Falcons had a ton of money at the beginning of free agency to afford him. The Indianapolis Colts now have former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen as their head coach, so the fit could be there schematically.
But, one team that is seemingly emerging as a legitimate landing spot is the Tennessee Titans. Anyone that follows gambling lines would see some eyebrow-raising line movement in recent days in the Lamar Jackson market.
Earlier this week, the Titans were +1200 to land Lamar Jackson and trailing at least four teams, including the Ravens. Now, Tennessee sits at +400, which is the lowest odds for a team that isn’t the Ravens.
With reports claiming that Lamar Jackson is ready to move on from Baltimore, things could start heating up when it comes to his market. The Titans aren’t the first team that comes to mind, but if they do end up moving on from Ryan Tannehill, they will need a new starting quarterback.
The weapons in the passing game are lacking, which was an issue for Lamar Jackson in Baltimore as well. But, it would be a tall task attempting to slow down a running back led by him and Derrick Henry coming out of the backfield. Head coach Mike Vrabel plays a physical, run-first style of football and that is one Lamar Jackson can thrive.
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