The justifications are operating skinny for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens within the eyes of three-time Tremendous Bowl champion Mark Schlereth. The previous Broncos nice turned NFL analyst not too long ago put Jackson within the crosshairs, particularly dismissing the concept the Ravens haven’t given him weapons all through his profession.
Whereas highlighting what number of weapons the Ravens have introduced in all through Jackson’s tenure, he additionally famous that it is on the two-time NFL MVP to assist develop these gamers into viable contributors.
“I don’t need to hear from all of you on the market which can be telling me that Lamar Jackson, ‘Nicely, they do not get him weapons,'” Schlereth stated on The Stinkin Fact podcast. “What number of first-round broad receivers do that you must draft? ‘Nicely, they don’t seem to be drafting the precise one.’ Nicely, you are not growing them. How do you develop them? Your quarterback has a protracted technique to go in growing broad receivers, so I do not need to hear that bullshit from you anymore or any of you Baltimore followers. I am uninterested in it.”
Baltimore drafted Jackson within the first spherical again in 2018. Together with that offseason when it additionally introduced in tight finish Hayden Hurst within the first spherical (No. 25 total), it has invested closely on the pass-catching place. In 2019, the membership drafted wideout Marquise Brown. Then, it added fellow receivers Rashod Bateman in 2021 and Zay Flowers in 2023. Brown was a stable contributor throughout his tenure with Baltimore however did not precisely reside as much as his first-round billing and in the end was traded to Arizona. By three seasons, Bateman has but to interrupt out. Flowers confirmed promise as a rookie final yr, however that was just one season.
“They’ve drafted first spherical on expertise, they drafted tight ends within the first spherical, they drafted three completely different broad receivers since 2018 within the first spherical,” Schlereth continued. “I imply, Aaron Rodgers went 16, 17 years with the Inexperienced Bay Packers they usually by no means drafted a man within the first spherical whether or not it was a good finish or a large receiver for him. So do not inform me about it. … Produce within the playoffs.”
That final bit is the rub on Lamar Jackson’s story within the NFL thus far. Regardless of successful two MVPs and producing as one of many high duel-threat quarterbacks in NFL historical past, it has but to translate to wins within the postseason. Jackson is 2-4 within the playoffs in his profession, which has put him beneath the microscope, particularly with the group making an attempt to present him weapons. As long as he’s unable to get them over the hump, he’ll open himself as much as private scrutiny and questions of whether or not or not the Ravens have accomplished sufficient to permit him to succeed.