Former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman has addressed the supposed injury concerns hovering over the status of star quarterback Lamar Jackson this spring.
“Jackson was such a master of avoiding hits, and honestly, he was safest when he was out in space on the move because he was in control as opposed to in the pocket with his eyes downfield, hoping somebody doesn’t run into the back of his legs,” Roman explained for football website The 33rd Team. “The few times he got injured were behind the line of scrimmage, looking to make a throw down the field.”
The Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag to keep Jackson’s rights for 2023 after he missed 11 games (playoffs included) over the past two seasons due to injury issues.
It was reported on Monday that at least one club was “hesitant” to pursue Jackson because of fears related to his injury history, and Falcons owner Arthur Blank later said he has “some concern about whether or not (Jackson) can play his style of game for” many years to come.
Along with the Falcons, the Washington Commanders, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots are among teams that reportedly won’t be pursuing Jackson for one reason or another before or after the upcoming draft.
“The elite pocket passer will always be valued,” Roman continued regarding Jackson’s particular skillset. “At some point, you’ve got to stand in the pocket, throw the ball and deliver it to win consistently. How much you have to do that will change, but there’s no doubt the opportunity exists for mobile quarterbacks because NFL decision-makers have seen it work.”
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Thursday that Jackson “is insisting on getting more fully guaranteed money than the” guaranteed $230M the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson last offseason.
There’s currently no indication any club is close to offering the one-time NFL Most Valuable Player what he allegedly wants, but it sounds like Roman would be comfortable with attaching his future to Jackson’s regardless of the financial cost involved with such a decision.
For what it’s worth, Roman and the Ravens parted ways this past January. He plans to spend at least next season out of the league.
