Nothing stirs things up quite like a quarterback controversy, and things could be heading that way in Baltimore.
The Ravens trading up to the last pick of the first round in last month’s draft and selecting Lamar Jackson has created excitement for the fan base of a team that fielded the NFL's 29th ranked passing offense last season. One person who apparently is not excited about the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner coming aboard is incumbent starter Joe Flacco.
And understandably so.
In answering a simple question of whether he had spoken to Flacco as of last week and saying no, Jackson opened the social-media floodgates to speculation that the veteran QB had his nose out of joint. But believing that to be so is premature even though Flacco has not spoken with media since the draft.
I expect Flacco to handle things in a professional manner when he and Jackson cross paths at the Ravens’ practice facility during OTAs. It's also likely that the 33-year-old will not go out of his way to help a rookie who is earmarked to take his starting job at some point.
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I witnessed a similar situation early in my NFL management career in Minnesota. We drafted quarterback Tommy Kramer in the first round despite having 37-year-old Fran Tarkenton as our starter. A big difference was that Tarkenton had been more productive for the Vikings in the prior season than Flacco was last year for the Ravens, as the Hall of Famer had led us to the Super Bowl and was a Pro Bowler in 1976.
Tarkenton was not thrilled with a first-round QB coming aboard. He did not lend much of a helping hand to Kramer as the younger player learned the NFL ropes in the two years they were teammates before Tarkenton's retirement.
When I joined the Titans later in my career, I heard stories of how veteran starter Chris Chandler treated Steve McNair poorly in the latter’s rookie season with the then-Oilers after McNair was drafted No. 3 overall in 1995.
A highly drafted rookie coming in behind a seasoned veteran creates tension at any position. But by nature, quarterbacks ratchet up that tension at the most visible and important position on the team.
Flacco is six years removed from his Super Bowl MVP effort. He is coming off three straight lackluster seasons statistically (QB rating average of 82.3), granted while playing with a questionable supporting cast at the skill positions.
The starting QB job in Baltimore initially will be Flacco's to lose considering his $22 million average salary and the $28 million in dead money still on the books. But by next season, the $16 million in dead money if Flacco were to be traded or released is more manageable. So the veteran will need to up his game and get the Ravens back to the postseason this year, or the Jackson era will begin in 2019.
And if Flacco struggles early in the 2018 season, the pressure to make the switch to an exciting, dual-threat rookie QB will become intense for coach John Harbaugh, who has just two years remaining on his contract.
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Beyond Flacco's recent statistical deficiencies, the problem for the QB (and Harbaugh) is that the crushing home loss to the 7-9 Bengals in last year’s season finale made it three straight years of no postseason play. That doesn't play well with a fan base that was spoiled by playoff appearances in the first five seasons after the coach and quarterback arrived together in 2008.
That recent failure also made Ozzie Newsome a little antsy on his final draft day as Ravens general manager, especially when he saw a talented quarterback in Jackson fall to the bottom of the first round. So Newsome traded two second-round picks, plus a swap of fourth-rounders, to jump up and pick Jackson. GMs don't trade away high picks without the expectation of the acquired player becoming a starter by Year 2.
Harbaugh made several positive comments about his young QB during last weekend's rookie minicamp, including the statement that Jackson was "throwing the ball naturally and very accurately." The coach also dropped a quote that raised visions of special packages for Jackson this season: "We're always going to try to get our players making plays for us. Lamar's a guy that can help us win games.”
Jackson, meanwhile, doesn't lack confidence, but he should ease off on comments such as, "I can go at the NFL pace right away." Hate to break the news, but a rookie minicamp is not quite the same as a regular-season game against the rival Steelers. And even if college quarterbacks are more NFL-ready these days, there still is a learning curve for a rookie QB to fully grasp a new pro system.
But that doesn't mean Jackson would not get thrown into the lineup should Baltimore’s season start going sideways and Flacco does not play well. (And don't expect Robert Griffin III to be the backup over Jackson, especially if the Ravens install some plays to tap into the rookie’s impressive skill set.)
Navigating the Flacco-Jackson situation probably will be a challenge for Harbaugh and his offensive coaches, particularly coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, quarterbacks coach James Urban and assistant head coach Greg Roman, who was the offensive coordinator in San Francisco during Colin Kaepernick's best years as a dual-threat QB. As much as everybody in the organization still believes the Ravens are Flacco's team, they all understand things can change quickly; we see it every year at the position.
The good news for Flacco is he should benefit from the Ravens’ offseason emphasis on adding weapons to spice up their dull offense. Wide receivers Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead and John Brown were free-agent signees, and the draft yielded two other wide receivers in Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley. The Ravens also made two high picks at tight end in first-rounder Hayden Hurst and third-rounder Mark Andrews.
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The clock will be ticking on all of this year’s first-round quarterbacks to become starters, and all five situations will be interesting to watch. But Baltimore’s QB competition is the only one that involves a Super Bowl MVP.
The Flacco-Jackson saga could play out similar to last year’s situation in Kansas City; Alex Smith held off Pat Mahomes until after the season, when the veteran was traded away and the younger QB was named starter.
But if the Ravens and Flacco aren't rolling by the time midseason arrives, don't be surprised if the Jackson era begins in 2018.
Jeff Diamond is a former president of the Titans and former vice president/general manager of the Vikings. He was selected NFL Executive of the Year in 1998. Diamond is currently a business and sports consultant who also does broadcast and online media work. He makes speaking appearances to corporate/civic groups and college classes on Negotiation and Sports Business/Sports Management. He is the former chairman and CEO of The Ingram Group. Follow Jeff on Twitter: @jeffdiamondNFL.
