Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson agreed to a lucrative extension and Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers realized his dream of becoming an NFL player Thursday, but neither had as good of a day as their future play caller: first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
The Ravens invested heavily in their offense Thursday, using their only pick of the first two rounds on a highly touted receiver and, of course, locking up their franchise quarterback. Jackson agreed to a five-year deal with the Ravens reportedly worth $260 million, including $185 million guaranteed. The per-year average of $52 million makes him the highest-paid NFL player in terms of annual salary.
“Todd Monken had a good day today,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the first round of Thursday’s NFL draft. “We’ve really upgraded our offense.”
As recently as a couple of months ago, the Ravens’ offense looked thin. It was unknown if Jackson would remain with the team after requesting a trade last month, and the wide receiver cupboard was bare, as it has been far too often.
But with a couple of additions, including Odell Beckham Jr. and Flowers, suddenly the Ravens seem to have a capable group of wideouts who can pair well with running back J.K. Dobbins and Mark Andrews, one of the league’s top pass-catching tight ends.
Baltimore still has other needs to address with the draft — most glaringly, at cornerback — but the offense figures to be improved in 2023 after Thursday.
A unique negotiation
The two-year negotiation between Jackson and the Ravens was befuddling at times and challenging for the parties involved. It spanned several offseasons, did not involve an agent, and eventually led to a trade request. At times, a deal seemed improbable.
Asked if he ever doubted that the Ravens and Jackson could get a long-term deal done, general manager Eric DeCosta said, “you have your moments, of course.”
“Honestly, I have to say, I hope I never have to be a part of that type of negotiation again,” DeCosta said, “because of the time, because of the emotional aspect, because Lamar is such a special player.”
The saga finally began to come to a conclusion Tuesday night. DeCosta, a Boston Celtics fan, was watching the Atlanta Hawks mount a comeback against his favorite NBA team when he received a text from Jackson.
“Just as [Hawks star] Trae Young hit that [game-winning] bomb, I got a text from Lamar that said basically, ‘I think we can get a deal done. We’re getting close,'” DeCosta said. “And I sent back to him, ‘Lamar, you just saved my night.'”
‘It was business’
Without an agent to play middleman, a negotiation can be personal and uncomfortable.
“Our appreciation and love for Lamar has really never wavered, but it was business, as well,” DeCosta said.
Negotiations can create animosity. MLB players and teams go through an arbitration process that can get nasty; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes pitcher said this year that doing so “definitely hurt” his relationship with the team.
If the relationship between Jackson and the Ravens was fraught at all over the past couple of years, they took a massive step toward patching it up by agreeing to a deal. After all, one received a lucrative contract and the other a top-flight talent for five years. “Can’t wait to light up M&T [Bank Stadium] for the next five years,” Jackson said in a video tweeted by the Ravens.
“To hear how excited Lamar was on the phone about it, when we talked about it, that was really a great moment,” Harbaugh said.
