Atlanta Falcons are smart for avoiding Lamar Jackson drama

The Atlanta Falcons have gotten arguably the most media attention they have received since they were a playoff team in 2017.  Atlanta has been talked about extensively this off-season first as a landing spot for Lamar Jackson followed by having the team’s direction discussed when it was made clear they wouldn’t be chasing Lamar.

Atlanta is making the right move one that a large portion of sports media doesn’t seem to be fully considering. The Falcons aren’t simply a quarterback away from making a Super Bowl push. They are a team that is nearing the end of a rebuild and looking to fix a lot of positions the team had to tear down to rid themselves of bad contracts and open up opportunities for younger players.

Trading for Jackson means the Falcons would have to give Lamar an offer the Ravens are unwilling to match and in turn, give Baltimore two first-round picks and Lamar guaranteed money. This is something the team was unwilling to do for Deshaun Watson a quarterback who had a relationship with owner Arthur Blank who was clearly pushing the team to do what it took to add the former Houston signal caller.

Atlanta chasing Lamar at this point makes zero sense from a roster-building perspective and when you consider the position Baltimore is in. Teams aren’t disinterested in Lamar Jackson because they don’t want to add a former MVP who is clearly still in his prime.

The concern is obviously that any team that attempts to sign Jackson is wasting their time negotiating a deal that Baltimore will in turn agree to and leave the team empty-handed. Lamar isn’t a free agent, to add Jackson you will have to come up with a lopsided deal that a team that has built itself around Lamar in Baltimore is willing to walk away.

Chasing Lamar is setting yourself up for failure either by paying the quarterback far too much or wasting time agreeing to a deal the Ravens will swoop in and take. Atlanta staying away from Lamar is the wise decision for a team that is going to be completely focused on building a complete roster not chasing a player who is unlikely to land anywhere else.