
The defensive tackle improved his value on the free-agent market more than anyone in the 2023 free-agent class. Javon Hargrave will be rewarded for a career season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Prediction: Smith signs two-year deal with Seahawks. That may seem like a wild goal given the high standard the 49ers set, but it is possible if improvements are made from the team that reached the Wild Card Round this past season. The Seattle front office could do some fantastic work in the offseason to support Smith, and that may lead to a challenge to the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC West crown. They also have two second-round selections as part of their nine picks. 5 overall pick from the Wilson trade and the No. If Seattle's impeccable scouting translates to the 2023 draft, it could have a loaded roster of young talent to support Smith. Kenneth Walker III turned in a 1,000-yard season at running back and Tariq Woolen broke out as one of the best cornerbacks in the league. The Seahawks have proved previously they can mine the NFL draft for potential stars. Seattle would be wise to keep things going with Smith instead of refreshing the quarterback position with a younger player who may take some time to get up to speed with the offense in the regular season. The 32-year-old put up career numbers for the Seahawks, as he threw for 4,282 yards and 30 scores. Rapoport reported in January that Geno Smith "is expected to be back" with the NFC West franchise. The 2022 Comeback Player of the Year should be back with the Seattle Seahawks in 2023. Prediction: Baltimore uses franchise tag on Jackson. Multiple first-round picks may be required to pry Jackson away given his status as one of the NFL's best signal-callers. The standard for major deals could rise in that span, but that is a risk the Ravens may have to take.Ī trade is always possible after the franchise tag, but Baltimore needs to be blown away by any offer. The Ravens can then wait one more year to pay Jackson a large salary. The franchise tag seems the best option from a team perspective. A case could be made for the Ravens to win the AFC North over the Cincinnati Bengals this season if Jackson was on the field after Week 13.īaltimore's decision is tough because it does not want to lose a franchise quarterback to the free-agent market, but ownership may not be able to justify a large deal for a player who got hurt in 20. The signal-caller missed vital games down the stretch in both campaigns. When healthy, Jackson is one of the most electric quarterbacks in the NFL, but he played in just 12 games in each of the last two seasons. The reporters mentioned there could be a trade element to the franchise tag as well, which would give Baltimore "a windfall of draft picks." NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on Saturday that the Ravens will use the franchise tag on Jackson if a long-term deal is not reached by the two parties. And the franchise tag could be the best option chosen by the AFC North side. The Louisville product has every right to get the best deal possible so that he can secure his long-term future in one spot.īaltimore must make a smart business decision regarding the injury-prone quarterback, though.

Smith and the Seattle Seahawks should run it back for at least another year after the franchise made a surprise playoff appearance following the Russell Wilson trade.Įvery option you could imagine should be on the table for Jackson and the Ravens. Geno Smith's free agency seems like it will be a lot easier to figure out than any potential Jackson move. 1 free agent in the NFL this offseason, but he may not move anywhere outside of Baltimore if the Ravens have their way.īaltimore could use the franchise tag on Jackson to avoid paying him for one more year or to get some type of return in a trade.įree agency is scheduled to begin on March 15, so the Ravens have a month to figure out their best approach to the situation.

The 26-year-old will be aiming to receive some sort of megadeal that two-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes has, but that may be hard to get after he went through another season with injury issues. Lamar Jackson will be the center of most NFL offseason discussions because of his free-agent status. The NFL spotlight will shift from one star AFC quarterback to another starting on Monday morning.
