Will the Cleveland Browns be better off if Lamar Jackson leaves the division?

The Cleveland Browns may not have to deal with Lamar Jackson this year.

The Baltimore Ravens are a mess. They’re no longer drafting players as well as they did when Ozzie Smith was in charge. They just signed mid-tier and injury-prone Odell Beckham to a $15 million deal and their former MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, wants a trade.

The Ravens are prime for the picking. A team may want to trade for Jackson, but the former Lousiville product has a huge price tag attached to his name. Not only are we talking dollars, but the draft picks needed to acquire him are going to be astronomical.

Yet, some teams, like the Indianapolis Colts, are rumored to be interested in Jackson. At least to some degree. Jackson is a former MVP and has a history of posting big runs against the Browns. Including the one time he and Baker Mayfield had a Monday Night duel to remember.

To say the Browns know how irritating Jackson can be is an understatement. But those days are gone. In Jackson’s last three games against the Browns, he’s completed 33 of 52 passes (63%), throwing for 302 yards, with one passing touchdown, four interceptions, five sacks, and 29 rushes for 132 yards with zero rushing touchdowns.

On a per game, Jackson is averaging 11 for 17, for 100.7 yards per game, one-third of a touchdown, over one interception, over one sack per game, just about 10 rushes per game, and only 44 rushing yards per game. Is anyone scared of those numbers?

So, it may seem pretty obvious what the answer is, but are the Cleveland Browns better off without Jackson in the division? Simply put, no.

Lamar Jackson has been a non-factor for the Cleveland Browns

The Ravens and Jackson are 2-1 against the Browns in the last three outings that Jackson has played, and 2-2 over their last four. The Ravens clearly can beat teams without Jackson, so while it may seem like the Browns are certainly better off without Jackson in the AFC North, the truth is that Jackson isn’t the player the media makes him out to be.

He’s only had one great year and that was four years ago. His passing numbers have fallen, his rushing numbers have fallen and the numbers you hope don’t rise, turnovers, most certainly have risen. Jackson isn’t a great passer and the Browns aren’t going to have any harder of a time with him than without him.

It’s a wash. The Browns are just as capable of beating the Ravens with Jackson as they are without Jackson on the team. It may seem terrible to admit that, but the reality is the Ravens are well-coached. The team can play and when you take away Jackson’s running lanes, it turns out he isn’t a great passer. Couple that with his history of injuries and you can see why so many in the NFL worry about him.

So the Ravens are going to pose the same kind of threat with or without Jackson. Assuming the Colts acquire Jackson, the Ravens aren’t going to be any less tough.

Ironically, when the Jackson talks broke down, the Ravens and Baker Mayfield had a conversation about coming in. Of course, Mayfield chose Tampa Bay over Baltimore. A wise idea.