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OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Contract negotiations between the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson will not be affected by Dak Prescott’s record deal with the Dallas Cowboys, general manager Eric DeCosta said Tuesday.
“If you go to the Bentley dealership or the Range Rover dealership, you know what the cars are going to cost. You won’t get a lot of discounts, ”DeCosta said. “They all cost about the same, and you go with the idea that you’re either going to buy the car or you’re not going to buy the car. … At the end of the day, these are all really big contracts. They are exceptional players. These are quarterback offers. They are famous players and you know you are going to pay a lot, but you are going to get a lot in return. “
On Monday, Prescott agreed to a four-year, $ 160 million contract with the Cowboys, which includes a $ 66 million signing bonus, the highest in NFL history, a source told Adam Schefter of ‘ESPN. Prescott’s average of $ 40 million per year only ranks behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ($ 45 million per season).
DeCosta said he recently had one-on-one conversations with Jackson as part of a long-term deal. But the parties have not entered into formal negotiations and no contract proposals have been exchanged.
“We are confident and determined to try to secure a long-term deal and hope to be able to do so at some point in the near future,” DeCosta said. “It may take a little while, but we’re ready to give it a try.”
Jackson, 24, is entering the final year of his four-year, $ 9.5 million rookie contract. He is set to earn $ 1.771 million in 2021 – who currently ranks 23rd among quarterbacks – after leading the Ravens to the playoffs in each of his three seasons and winning the NFL MVP award in 2019.
Baltimore can technically bar Jackson from being a free agent until at least the 2023 season if he exercises his fifth-year option and uses the franchise tag. The process of signing franchise shifts can be lengthy. It took the Cowboys and Prescott three years to strike a deal.
But DeCosta said his approach with Jackson wouldn’t change looking at how the talks unfolded in Dallas with Prescott.
“Every negotiation is different. Every player is different. Every GM is different,” DeCosta said. “We have a strategy and we have a relationship. Lamar has been playing for three years, and you know what, he’s a good player. We feel really good about himself. I think he feels really good about us. . It’s up to us to get a deal done. “
DeCosta said he was unsure whether Jackson would continue to represent himself or hire an agent.
According to DeCosta, he has had a few talks with Jackson since the end of the season and hung out with him a few weeks ago. DeCosta said he spoke about Jackson’s team, family, and his goals and dreams for the future.
“We laughed a lot,” DeCosta said. “It’s been really healthy and really, really good. We started talking about what a contract might look like, but we really didn’t necessarily get to know all the weeds and the nuances of all these types of things, but it will happen at some point soon. “
DeCosta added, “We will be as transparent as possible with Lamar. He will be as transparent as possible with us. Certainly, it will be a good relationship and partnership.”
DeCosta touched on other topics during his 36-minute press conference:
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The Ravens have entered preliminary talks with Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. “I love everything about Mark – his personality, his abilities, his work ethic, his demeanor, his competitiveness,” DeCosta said. “He’s the kind of guy we want to keep.”
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DeCosta said there is no deadline for a possible trade for Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., who has expressed his desire to play left tackle on social media. “He’s under contract and he understands that,” DeCosta said. “We will do what is best for Orlando and we will do what is best for the Ravens.”
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The grievance with security Earl Thomas is ongoing and will not be resolved anytime soon. Thomas was cut last August after hitting teammate Chuck Clark in training. If the Ravens win the grievance, they will receive an additional cap of $ 5 million. If Baltimore loses, it will take away the $ 5 million cap.
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