NY Jets 'monitoring' a potential Lamar Jackson trade, per report

NY Jets team owner Woody Johnson spoke to reporters this week and insisted that he was willing to spend to fix the team's quarterback position this offseason. Perhaps that fix comes in the form of former MVP Lamar Jackson.

Jackson has been embroiled in a contract dispute with the Baltimore Ravens for the better part of the last year, and as the days go by, it seems more and more likely that he's played his final game with the organization that drafted him.

If Jackson is, in fact, made available this offseason, the Jets figure to be one of the most aggressive suitors.

That was the sentiment shared by NFL insider Benjamin Allbright this week who insisted that the Jets, along with the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers, were "very much monitoring" the situation with Jackson and the Ravens.

Allbright did note that those were "just a few" of the teams that would likely be interested in Jackson if he was actually on the market. The Jets would have no shortage of competition, but they will likely be aggressive in their pursuit.

Could the NY Jets actually trade for Lamar Jackson this offseason?

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that the Ravens' stance on Jackson has not changed. They still view him as their long-term franchise quarterback and will attempt to sign him to an extension as soon as possible.

As Rapoport notes, the Ravens do have the luxury of the franchise tag at their disposal, but resorting to such a decision could further alienate their star quarterback. It's a tricky situation all around.

The hold-up with extension talks this past summer centered around guaranteed money. Jackson is looking for a deal similar to the fully guaranteed contract Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns.

The Ravens have been hesitant to offer him such a deal. They believe that the Watson deal should be an anomaly and an exception to the rule. Jackson believes that a precedent has now been set and that he deserves the deal Watson received. After all, he's accomplished more in his career.

Jackson doesn't seem likely to bend on his demands, so the question comes down to the Ravens. What are general manager Eric DeCosta and owner Steve Bisciotti willing to pay to keep Jackson in Baltimore?

If the Ravens aren't willing to give him the fully-guaranteed deal he's seeking, other NFL teams likely will. The Jets might be among those teams.

It won't come cheap to acquire Jackson. The Jets would have to part ways with significant draft capital and hand Jackson one of the richest contracts in NFL history to make it happen.

Still, the Jets are clearly monitoring the situation. If Lamar Jackson does become available, the Jets won't hesitate to make some calls.