Raiders reportedly are one team not eliminated from Lamar Jackson trade
Las Vegas owns the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
The majority of the headlines involving Lamar Jackson after the Baltimore Ravens elected to franchise the quarterback were teams not expected to pursue the 2019 MVP.
The Las Vegas Raiders are switching things up.
A team source told ESPN's Dianna Russini that the Raiders are potentially still in the running.
The Ravens used a non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, meaning another team can sign the QB to an offer sheet. If Jackson accepts and the Ravens elect not to match that offer, then the tendering team would give up two first-round picks in exchange for the talented QB. If the Ravens match the offer, then they retain Jackson’s rights.
The Raiders released quarterback Derek Carr this offseason and currently only have Chase Garbers on their roster since Jarrett Stidham is a free agent. Las Vegas owns the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Raiders would have to give up that pick plus their 2024 first-rounder for Jackson.
If the Raiders haven't eliminated any QB options, then they also could still pursue Aaron Rodgers in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency or maybe even Mac Jones in a deal with the New England Patriots.
If they don’t go the veteran route, they could be in position to land one of the top four quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson or Will Levis.
Rodgers or Jackson could put the Raiders in contention for a Super Bowl. A rookie would set them up well for the future.
Las Vegas might need to pony up with a fully guaranteed contract to get Jackson to agree to an offer sheet.
Jackson does not have an agent. His mother, Felicia Jones, has served as a pseudo-agent in the past.
If no team trades for Jackson, then he'll be set to earn $32.416 million on the non-exclusive tag this season.
Featured image via Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
