Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Ravens Rumors: Lamar Jackson Will Get Snaps as a Rookie

Posted by Doc Fantasy
Wednesday, July 25, 2018 | 0 comments

Baltimore Ravens News and Rumors

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Lamar Jackson Will Get Snaps as a Rookie
Date: July 25th | 2018

Reports out of Ravens camp are that Lamar Jackson is looking great. Head Coach John Harbaugh told John Kryk of the Toronto Sun, “One way or another he is going to be out there taking snaps.” Marty Mornhinweg, the Ravens offensive coordinator, has said that Jackson is “Way ahead of the curve.” Jackson has shown the ability and rare athleticism to be the quarterback that the Ravens have hoped.

Despite our previous Ravens news blurb about ESPN reporter, Jamison Hensley who said “There is no quarterback controversy in Baltimore because Flacco is throwing the ball at a different level than (Lamar) Jackson” it seems the coaches are either using Jackson to motivate Flacco or they are in fact looking to install some sort of package for Jackson to get on the field.

My Take:

While other teams passed on Jackson, the Ravens traded up with the Philidelphia Eagles to grab their quarterback of the future. The Ravens want to find a way get Jackson on the field in some way shape or form this season. Baltimore views Jackson as a weapon that can help them win games this year. Joe Flacco who is still the projected opening day starter will have his work cut out for him if he wants to keep his starting job. Flacco who threw for 3,141 passing yards and 18 touchdowns with 13 interceptions in 2018 will be turning 34 years old in January.

As always, I like to include a little fantasy football take in all my NFL news. Lamar Jackson is the late round quarterback that I am trying to grab in all of my dynasty leagues. Jackson is a player that can score with his arm or his legs, and that makes him a very dangerous fantasy quarterback. When drafting in redraft leagues, however, Jackson is almost non-draftable. Although he may not be draftable in redraft’s, you need to keep an eye on him in case the Ravens do decide to start Jackson over Flacco.

The Source: chicago.suntimes.com
Written By: Chris Nalls | @CNalls83

Is a Career Year Expected from Joe Flacco?
Date: July 23rd | 2018

Baltimore Ravens ESPN reporter, Jamison Hensley, recently wrote while breaking down the quarterback competition in Baltimore: “There is no quarterback controversy in Baltimore because Flacco is throwing the ball at a different level than (Lamar) Jackson and Robert Griffin III.”

Ravens safety, Eric Weddle, also had Flacco’s back in a recent interview, stating: “I expect Joe to have a career year this year and him to lead our team to the playoffs.”

Hensley also went on to note: “The optimism surrounding Flacco in this year’s training camp stems from his health and performance. He’s showing more mobility than he has the past three seasons, and he’s pushing the ball downfield.”

Fantasy Spin

Flacco has been one of the leagues least productive quarterbacks in recent seasons. The team drafting Lamar Jackson at the end of the first round was an obvious suggestion that Flacco may be on his way out. Jackson still has a lot to prove however to show he is ready to be an NFL caliber quarterback. The Ravens overhauled their receiver core this season with the additions of Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead. They also spent a first and third round pick on pass-catching tight ends, Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, respectively. Flacco has more weapons now than he has in quite a long time and all the motivation in the world with Jackson breathing down his neck. Flacco was also able to come on strong at the end of last season, finishing as a top-10 QB in three of the last five weeks. The quarterback position seems deeper this season than it has in others with newcomers like Jimmy Garoppolo and Pat Mahomes expected to make a big push. Flacco is worth a shot at the end of drafts in two QB leagues and may have some streaming value in DFS formats. It’s hard to argue selecting him in standard redraft leagues however until we see he is really ready to take his game to the next level.

Source: ESPN.com
Written By: John Ferguson | @FantasyFerguson