Does Lamar Have Baltimore in a Stranglehold?

Or Will He Accept a Team-Friendly Deal to Create Cap Space?

According to many observers far and wide, the Ravens roster is loaded. And the level of play during their undefeated preseason suggests that they have quality depth as well. Yet despite the talent, there are a few question marks, most notably at right guard, edge and inside linebacker. Could GM Eric DeCosta strengthen those areas before the trip to Orchard Park to face the Bills on September 7?

Well, we know from experience that EDC and his staff are constantly examining the rosters of the other 31 teams, so anything is possible, within reason. But let’s not forget the governing body of NFL rosters league-wide – the salary cap.

Currently the Ravens have $14.6M in cap space and while that may seem like an ample amount to sign someone like Jadeveon Clowney or a quality veteran guard who fell through the cracks of this afternoon’s Grim Reaper cutdown, a significant portion of cap space must be set aside for future expenses.

The Rule of 51 comes to an end and that will cost the team $1.68M. The practice squad rings the register for $4.2M. There’s also a cost associated with weekly Practice Squad elevations ($1.2M) that must be considered and then there’s that rainy-day fund which needs to be set aside in the event of injuries ($6M).

While these numbers are estimates, RSR capologist Brian McFarland often reminds us that these are real expenses that need to be accounted for now before EDC can consider spending more on free agents or absorbing more cap space via a trade. Essentially, as things stand today, these expenses leave DeCosta with about $1.5M to use for free agent spending. Brian refers to this figure as “Effective Cap Space”.

What can $1.5M of cap space get you in terms of free agents and are said free agents any better than what the Ravens already have?

Perhaps the more important question, given the championship caliber roster that occupies the team locker room, is what can be done to create more effective cap space?

McFarland has pointed out during recent discussions that there are three restructure candidates shown below with the corresponding cap savings in 2025 if restructured:

• Lamar Jackson: $16M
• Roquan Smith $9M
• Nnamdi Madubuike $5M

These savings on a per player basis is the result of converting 2025 salary into bonus money and then amortizing the bonus over the remaining life of the player’s contract. And while these restructures create space in 2025, they increase the burden on the team’s cap in future years.

Lamar’s cap number for 2026, already an eye-popping $74.5M, would increase to approximately $80M. So that is nowhere near ideal. Roquan had a substandard season in 2024 and to kick the can down the road with him by inflating his cap number in future years makes no sense if in fact he is a player on the downside of his career. And that brings us to Madubuike.

At age 27, Nnamdi is in the prime of his career. He’s a dedicated, team-first professional whose current contract runs through 2027. The bump in his cap number would be about $1M in 2026 and 2027 and then $2M in 2028 when the current contract voids.

If things go the way the Ravens think with Madubuike, he’s likely to get an extension and then the $2M in the void year is nullified. A Madubuike restructure seems to be the most palatable option and could give the team enough to acquire a player like Clowney and/or a veteran guard with the right structure.

All that said, a solution better than any restructure is simply to extend Lamar.

The Ravens are on record saying that they are willing to make Lamar the NFL’s highest paid player. Any extension will give the Ravens ample cap space in 2025 to add that edge rusher, to trade for a Pro Bowl caliber guard before the deadline or sign a very solid backup should one become available following the Tuesday afternoon roster massacre.

Jackson’s 2026 cap number is close to unmanageable. It was probably structured this way to force an extension. But this contract gives Lamar all the negotiating leverage. If that $74.5M cap number wasn’t enough, (which is the same as his 2027 cap number), his deal includes a provision that prevents the Ravens from using the franchise tag to retain him. A Super Bowl win this February sends his leverage skyrocketing. A 100% guaranteed deal could then become Lamar’s contract negotiating end game.

But shouldn’t the real end game be to win the Super Bowl? Does Lamar have to ratchet up his leverage against a team that embraces him like no other player in team history? The game’s all-time great, Tom Brady, regularly accepted sub-standard deals (although admittedly Brady had supermodel perks along the way) to give his team more cap space and help the Patriots field the best team possible. Patrick Mahomes’ contract behaviors are similar.

How much money does one player need? Lamar’s last deal earned him guarantees of $185M. The next one might nearly double that.

Why not structure it in a team-friendly way in the manner that the game’s greats have on their way to multiple rings?

I don’t walk in Lamar’s shoes. I don’t know what kind of pressure he might be feeling from the NFLPA to max out his leverage. I don’t know what his financial goals are. What I do know is that Brady and Mahomes have been lauded for their willingness to make financial concessions in order to field the best teams possible.

Is it too much to ask Lamar to do the same?

Is it too much to ask him to do what’s necessary to complete the pledge he made on Draft Day 2018?

Is 2025 the year Lamar Jackson delivers upon his pledge? pic.twitter.com/QitjaEn9CS

— Lombardi Party of One (@RSRLombardi) August 26, 2025

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Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2025/08/26/lombardis-way/cap-space-needed/