OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Baltimore Ravens’ contractual talks with Lamar Jackson will not be affected by Dak Prescott’s record deal with the Dallas Cowboys, CEO Eric DeCosta said Tuesday.
“If you get to the Bentley dealership or the Range Rover dealership, you know what the cars will cost. You won’t get a big discount,” DeCosta said. “Everything costs about the same and you go in there with the idea that you will either buy the car or you will not buy the car. … In the end, they are all very big contracts. They are outstanding players. There are defender offers. They are brand players and you know that you will pay a lot, but you will receive 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 largest in NFL history, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Prescott’s $ 40 million a year average is just behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes ($ 45 million a season).
DeCosta said he recently had one-on-one talks with Jackson in a long-term deal. But the parties have not started formal negotiations and no contract proposals have been exchanged.
“We are confident and committed to trying to reach a long-term agreement, and we hope to be able to do so at some point in the near future,” DeCosta said. “It may take a while, but we’re willing to give it a try.”
Jackson, 24, is entering the final year of his $ 9.5 million rookie contract. He is scheduled to earn $ 1.771 million in 2021 – currently ranked 23rd among defenders – after leading the Ravens to the playoffs in each of the three seasons and winning the 2019 NFL MVP award.
From a technical point of view, Baltimore can prevent Jackson from being a free agent until at least the 2023 season if he exercises his option for the fifth year and uses the franchise label. The process of signing franchise defenders can be a long one. It took three years for the Cowboys and Prescott to reach an agreement.
But DeCosta said his approach to Jackson will not change, following the way Dallas talks with Prescott took place.
“Every negotiation is different. Every player is different. Every GM is different,” DeCosta said. “We have a strategy and we have a relationship. Lamar played for three years and you know what, he’s a good player. We feel good about him. I think he feels good about us. It’s up to us to get a deal done.”
DeCosta said he did not know if Jackson would continue to represent himself or hire an agent.
According to DeCosta, he has had some discussions with Jackson since the end of the season and spent time with him a few weeks ago. DeCosta said they talked about the team, Jackson’s family, and his goals and dreams for the future.
“I laughed a lot,” DeCosta said. “It was very healthy and very, very good. We started talking about what a contract might look like, but we really didn’t necessarily get into all the weeds and shades of all those kinds of things, but that will come at some point. soon. “
DeCosta added: “We will be as transparent as possible with Lamar. He will be as transparent as possible with us. It will definitely be a good relationship and partnership. “
DeCosta touched on other topics during his 36-minute press conference:
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The Ravens have begun preliminary talks with Mark Andrews, who is entering the final year of his debut contract. “I like everything about Mark – his personality, his skills, his work ethic, his behavior, 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 deal in the Pro Bowl offensive attack Orlando Brown Jr., who has expressed a desire to play the attack on the left 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 Earl Thomas complaint is certainly ongoing and will not be resolved any time soon. Thomas was cut in August last year after hitting teammate Chuck Clark in practice. If the Ravens win the dissatisfaction, they will receive another $ 5 million in space. If Baltimore loses, it will take $ 5 million from the ceiling space.