The Baltimore Ravens signed Roquan Smith to a contract extension on Tuesday, however will wait till the offseason to take care of Lamar Jackson.
Roquan Smith has supplied a jolt to the Baltimore Ravens protection since they acquired him on the commerce deadline for 2 draft picks. The former Bears first rounder signed a five-year extension with the Ravens on Tuesday, proving he views Baltimore as his long-term house.
Smith’s extension units an NFL record for his place, as he’ll make $100 million over the subsequent 5 seasons.
John Harbaugh praised Smith as not too long ago as this weekend, saying the previous Georgia Bulldog is likely one of the greatest linebackers he’s seen. Smith follows the likes of Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis as Pro Bowl-level linebackers to anchor the center of Baltimore’s protection.
“He has been fantastic that way. He’s all about it. He doesn’t worry about what people think; he doesn’t care,” Harbaugh said. “He wants to do the things that are required to be a great player and to be a great unit and then to impact your team. That’s what he’s all about – 100% – [and] that’s what I love about him. He’s one of the top guys I’ve ever seen that way, and I think that does always impact everybody as a leader, for sure. I want all of our guys to lead that way.”
Will the Ravens lengthen Lamar Jackson, too?
Lamar Jackson’s contract is extra of a mystery. Jackson doesn’t have an agent, which makes negotiating throughout the season just a little extra sophisticated.
Jackson doubtless needs to be the highest-paid quarterback in soccer, which might prime Deshaun Watson’s contract with the Cleveland Browns. However, that will hamstring Baltimore as they fight to construct a Super Bowl-caliber group.
The Louisville product has earned his cash, and he’ll get it someplace. The Ravens rightly have some concern about his availability, as Jackson missed a number of video games close to the tip of the season for the second straight yr. Injuries are part of the sport, and never his fault, but it surely’s one thing to keep in mind when signing any participant long-term.
A franchise tag could possibly be extra doubtless on this state of affairs.
