Falcons Owner Differentiates Watson, Jackson Situations; Not Planning To Pursue Ravens Star

The NFL offseason has been headlined by the free agency of Lamar Jackson and after recent revelations from the Baltimore Ravens star of him asking for a trade out of the franchise, teams are not exactly lining up to engage.

One such franchise is the Atlanta Falcons, which were named in rumors linking them to then-Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson when he was up for trade.

Pro Football Talk put forward that the Falcons were not rushing to nab Jackson as he continues to find a resolution to his current standing–whether it be with the Ravens or on another franchise.

Many were surprised by this development, and Falcons owner Arthur Blank sought to set the record straight on Tuesday, March 28.

"Looking at it objectively, I'd say there's some concern over how long can he play his style of game. Hopefully a long time..., but he's missed 5, 6 games each of the last two years. Each game counts a lot in our business," Blank said as quoted in a tweet.

According to Blank, the 2019 unanimous NFL MVP's current predicament is "very different" from that of Watson's.

However, he gave props to the dual-threat quarterback from Pompano Beach, California by stating that "there's no question he's one of the top quarterbacks in the league."

Jackson's situation does have its parallels with Watson's since both players are considered two of the top quarterbacks in the league today, though Jackson has the slight edge as he has made two appearances in the Divisional Playoffs.

In that same vein, Jackson has been criticized for not being able to lead the Ravens to postseason success despite having guys like Mark Andrews, Justin Tucker, and a bevy of different receivers throughout his career.

Because of Jackson's dual-threat capabilities under center, Baltimore opted to retool the roster around him and is currently hosting Odell Beckham Jr. in the hopes of potentially signing him.

Should they convince him to sign, the Ravens will have a wide receiver group of Beckham, Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay and recently signed Nelson Agholor–all of whom are expected to bring the Ravens' offense to the next level.

Though there is still no information on which teams are speaking with the Ravens on a trade for Jackson, the New England Patriots is a destination that he wants, at least according to rap star Meek Mill.

It certainly has been a frustrating offseason for Ravens fans because of the Jackson saga and with no light at the end of the tunnel seemingly coming any time soon, the fanbase has no choice but to ride out the storm.