Cam Newton Says Lamar Jackson Is Greatest Dual-Threat QB Ever
Cam Newton is one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks in NFL history, but he doesn't believe he's the greatest. That would be Lamar Jackson, Newton said on his “4th & 1 With Cam Newton” YouTube show.
Newton, who was the 2015 MVP and played 11 seasons, ranked himself as the third-best dual-threat quarterback behind two-time MVP Jackson and former star Michael Vick.
"Lamar's style is different than mine," Newton said. "He got big play, any play. He got speed that I never had, and he's just electric. … I played the game more powerful. I can run, but I might probably get caught. Vick, Lamar, they ain't getting caught."
A to Z Sports’ Wendell Ferreira agreed with Newton's assessment that Jackson is the superior player.
"Even though Cam Newton had a shiny career with an extremely high peak in 2015, Lamar Jackson in fact has shown special abilities," Ferreira wrote. "According to Adjusted Career Elo, a useful stat to fairly measure quarterbacks from different eras, Jackson is on a path to clearly surpass Newton as the more productive player."
Ferreira noted that Jackson had a passer rating above 100 twice (his MVP seasons), while Newton never had one.
"Moreover, to Newton's point, Jackson's ability to create explosive plays is impressive," Ferreira wrote. "He has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards twice in his career (the only quarterback to ever repeat that). Only Michael Vick and Justin Fields also had a 1,000-rushing yard season for a quarterback."
Three Bargain Free Agents Who Could Interest Ravens
The Ravens love signing veteran free agents late in the offseason, and there are several available who could be a fit for Baltimore and its "right player, right price" mantra.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox identified three bargain free agents the Ravens should target:
S Jamal Adams
"Safety Jamal Adams probably won't return to the Pro Bowl form that he last exhibited in 2020. Injuries have limited the 28-year-old to 22 games over the past three seasons, and he was largely inconsistent in coverage during his Seattle Seahawks tenure. However, Adams can still make an impact as a rotational box safety and hybrid linebacker. In nine games last season, he tallied 48 tackles and seven tackles for loss. In 2020, he recorded an impressive 9.5 sacks.
"The Ravens have also shown interest in Adams and met with the three-time Pro Bowler in May, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network."
LB Kwon Alexander
"Kwon Alexander was a late addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers defense in 2023. He proved to be a capable rotational player through nine games before suffering a torn Achilles.
"Alexander finished the 2023 season with 41 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. He allowed an opposing passer rating of only 76.3 in coverage.
"Injuries have been an issue for Alexander throughout his NFL career. He played all 17 games in 2022, but he's missed at least four games in every other season since 2017. However, he's a seasoned vet who can provide leadership and be an effective second-level coverage option. Due to his injury history and age — he'll turn 30 in August — Alexander should be available at a team-friendly price. A return to Pittsburgh is unlikely, as the Steelers signed Patrick Queen and drafted Payton Wilson to bolster their linebacker corps. However, the rival Baltimore Ravens could potentially use Alexander to help replace Queen."
EDGE Carl Lawson
"Carl Lawson should be available at a cap-friendly price point after barely seeing the field with the New York Jets in 2023. After missing the 2021 season with a torn Achilles and then rebounding in 2022, Lawson played only 24 percent of the Jets' defensive snaps in the six games in which he appeared last season. While Lawson didn't show much last season, he recorded seven sacks and 24 quarterback pressures in 2022. He also just turned 29 at the end of June.
"The Ravens should also be interested in Lawson after losing Jadeveon Clowney in free agency. Baltimore recorded an impressive 60 sacks last season but has yet to replace Clowney in its pass-rushing rotation."
Kyle Hamilton Makes Top 10 Players Under 25 Rankings
It was noted in yesterday’s Late for Work that the Ravens are No. 3 in ESPN's rankings of every team's under-25 talent, with All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton being one of the main reasons for the lofty ranking.
The 33rd Team’s Jeff Diamond ranked the top 25 players under 25, and Hamilton landed at No. 10.
"In his second season since being Baltimore's first-round pick in 2022 (when he was selected All-Rookie), Hamilton was a dominating defender with four interceptions, 13 passes defensed, three sacks, 81 tackles, and 10 tackles for loss in 15 games," Diamond wrote.
Hamilton, 23, was the third-highest-ranked defensive player on the list, behind Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Micah Parsons (No. 2) and New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (No. 4).
