Should the Carolina Panthers risk it all for Lamar Jackson?

Should the Carolina Panthers risk it all for quarterback Lamar Jackson as things turn increasingly sour with the Baltimore Ravens?

The Carolina Panthers are examining all available options to finally get the right quarterback on board. This was a riddle Matt Rhule couldn’t solve and played a huge role in his eventual demise, which is a mistake the franchise cannot make again.

General manager Scott Fitterer is now in charge of personnel, which represents a step in the right direction. Frank Reich and others will have their input, but team owner David Tepper clearly feels confident enough in the front office figure to make the correct choices as part of his more traditional approach.

While Fitterer’s preference obviously centers on drafting and developing a rookie quarterback, all possibilities should be on the table right now. This also includes monitoring carefully the ongoing situation between Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

Carolina Panthers should monitor Lamar Jackson developments

Jackson and the Ravens are on a collision course due to his contract demands. Baltimore can use the franchise tag on their former NFL MVP, but the chances of him signing such an agreement are slim at best considering the potential risks attached.

Should Jackson get injured at any stage on the tag in 2023, his hopes of a bumper new deal evaporate. And every everything he’s poured into the organization, the Louisville product clearly knows his worth and is refusing to budge.

A recent report from Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports cast another cloud on Jackson’s future in Baltimore. The respected insider claimed that the Ravens did not fully integrate the dual-threat weapon into their hiring process for a new offensive coordinator, which saw Todd Monken switch from Georgia to the NFL.

Josina Anderson – also of CBS Sports – did state that Jackson offered input before the process began, which was considered. Another report from Jordan Schultz of theScore.com added that potential offensive coordinator candidates were not given guarantees that the player would be around in 2023.

There are so many different factors to this equation that need ironing out before anything is confirmed. From the Panthers’ point of view, they need to figure out whether the whopping draft compensation and lucrative contract extension are worth the risk in the event Baltimore did start taking calls.

Carolina went all-in for Deshaun Watson last spring before the player’s contract demands eventually saw Tepper withdraw his interest. But this sort of bold move cannot be ruled out given how desperate the billionaire is to find a marquee figure under center.

If the Panthers are serious about winning immediately, then they’ll shoot their shot. Carolina’s salary-cap situation isn’t the best, but as the New Orleans Saints prove every year, it’s something that can be manipulated in their favor.

Giving up multiple first-round picks and more is a gamble for any player – no matter how much Jackson could move the needle. Fitterer stated he’d be ‘in on every deal‘ when taking the job, but this might be a step too far when one factors everything into the equation.

It’s been an outstanding start to Carolina’s off-season plans. The coaching staff is accomplished and arguably the best in franchise history already, so swinging for the fences in pursuit of Jackson rather than taking their chances with a college prospect might not enter the team’s train of thought.

Acquiring Jackson would instantly propel the Panthers from irrelevancy and into the national spotlight once again. In truth, that’s all Tepper has wanted from the moment he bought the franchise from Jerry Richardson.

However, there is more than one way to accomplish this. That’s why trading for Jackson is nothing more than a pipedream until proven otherwise.