Louisville Football: Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson Q&A

Most Louisville football fans aren’t too familiar with the current situation with the Baltimore Ravens as it concerns first round draft pick, and former Louisville star Lamar Jackson. Let’s check in with a Ravens expert!

The Baltimore Ravens traded back into the 2018 NFL Draft’s first round in order to take their “Quarterback of the Future” in former Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson. But how many of us really know what to expect when Jackson puts on the black and purple for the Ravens? I’d say not many.

We sat down with Chris Schisler who covers the Ravens for FanSided’s Ebony Bird to talk about the future for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Chris has been a Baltimore fan since the team moved their when he was young, and is extremely credible when it comes to anything and everything Ravens.

We talked about what Louisville fans can expect this season for Jackson, what the future might look like for the Ravens, if there’s a chance the Heisman winner could play this season, and much more!

Here’s what he had to say.

BRL: How does Lamar Jackson fit into the Baltimore Ravens offense?

CS: That’s a good question, because the Baltimore Ravens have had the same quarterback for 10 years. Marty Mornhinweg isn’t exactly a popular offensive coordinator, however he has worked with Michael Vick, a player people compare Jackson to. Jackson is incredibly talented and because he can make something out of nothing, he should be able to adapt to whatever kind of offense the Ravens employ.

Things are going to be very very different once Jackson takes over the job. It will actually be very interesting because Ravens fans will learn if they’ve been dealing with a Flacco problem or a Mornhinweg problem. The Ravens look to be building a two-tight end offense with a heavy dose of Alex Collins and the running game. That’s certainly what you want to give a young quarterback.

BRL: What will be the long-term plan for Jackson? 

CS: Well the long-term plan is for him to be the starting quarterback. The Ravens traded up to get him. There is no doubt that Jackson is the future of the franchise. A lot of the Ravens’ success will be determined by how well Jackson does in the future. Jackson seems to be a boom or bust prospect. He has a special set of skills. If the Ravens are right, and it looks like they are, Jackson will be the Ravens quarterback for a decade or more.

The short-term plan is to get him ready for that bright future. John Harbaugh and company don’t have to rush Jackson onto the field. He will presumably sit behind Flacco for the 2018 season. After that, the Ravens could easily end up cutting ties with Flacco. The veteran quarterback has no guaranteed money in 2019 and it will be tempting to look to the future. Flacco is not part of the puzzle for the Ravens down the road.

BRL: How has Harbaugh done at developing QB’s in the past?

CS: This is a complicated question. On one hand he has a great deal of experience with a young quarterback leading his team, but he’s never really developed Flacco. One of the problems with Flacco is that he never really developed the way that the Ravens were hoping for. He has shown flashes, and to Flacco’s credit those brilliant spurts came in the playoffs. However Flacco hasn’t grown as a quarterback since his first few seasons. The argument can clearly be made that Flacco has regressed, which is why we’re having the discussion in the first place.

Harbaugh was a rookie head coach in 2008, with a rookie quarterback. Flacco has always been Harbaugh’s quarterback and Harbaugh has always been Flacco’s head coach. The Ravens went 11-5 in 2008 and reached the AFC Championship game. Baltimore ended up seeing the playoffs for five years in a row, with two AFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl victory.

Based on his resume, you would think that Harbaugh was the perfect coach for a young quarterback. In reality he isn’t exactly an offensive guru and his team has always had their struggles offensively. Flacco is the only quarterback Harbaugh has “developed” and that’s a mixed bag. Flacco is the greatest quarterback the Ravens have ever known but he is also the only real franchise quarterback they have ever had.

More from Louisville Cardinals alumni

• Louisville football: Mekhi Becton ‘the most excited he’s ever been’
• Louisville basketball alumni: Edgar Sosa leads AI Naft to League Championship
• Louisville baseball alumni: Will Smith and Bobby Miller play pitch and catch in the big leagues
• Louisville football alum YaYa Diaby is “a load to handle,” good things to come for the Bucs
• Lamar Jackson Becomes Highest-Paid Player in NFL History

BRL: Could Lamar see playing time this season? Could he supplant Flacco if he struggles?

CS: The answer here is yes. Lamar Jackson could see playing time in 2018, however it would need the right circumstances. If the season is slipping away from the Ravens, I think they would be desperate enough to make a switch to Jackson.

The Ravens are desperate to get back to the postseason. As long as they think they can win with Flacco, they will stick with the current order of the depth chart. Jackson is the future and the Ravens don’t want to spoil that by putting him in too early. Without Flacco stumbling completely out of the gates or Flacco getting hurt, Jackson is going to be waiting in the wings for a while.

BRL: Would the Ravens use Jackson as a WR or in another position as he develops?

CS: The Ravens think Jackson is a quarterback. Trust me, if the Ravens saw Jackson as a wide receiver they wouldn’t have traded up to get him. The Ravens aren’t going to do anything with Jackson that could knock back his progress at the quarterback position. He’s not going to play wide receiver while he waits to take over the offense.

Will the Ravens go with a wild-cat package? Maybe, but that’s about as much experimenting they’ll do with Jackson. If they do use a wild-cat formation they will use it sparingly. The only thing that will accomplish is adding fuel to the quarterback drama that is already heating up.

BRL: What has been the reaction from the fans after the drafting of Lamar Jackson?

CS: Even Joe Flacco’s biggest supporters are ready for a change at quarterback.The reaction has been mostly positive. One thing a faction of fans are pointing to though, is that the Ravens are finally investing in the offense. It feels to a lot of fans that the Ravens did Flacco. They see a situation where they invested in the quarterback and they didn’t give said quarterback any weapons.

Between free agency and the NFL Draft the Ravens have added five wide receivers. The Ravens drafted two 6’5″ tight ends and drafted two offensive linemen with a chance to start. It shows you that the Ravens can’t please everyone no matter what they do. It’s also a little hilarious that Flacco has been the center of vitriolic complaint for years and now that his successor is on the roster he didn’t have a fair shake. Fans are mostly excited but this is one negative way some fans are taking it.

Next: Louisville Football: 2018 NFL Draft Recap

The Ravens rookie camp opens up this weekend, which will give the coaching staff and fans their first chance to see Lamar Jackson as a member of the team.