The Baltimore Ravens are said to be among the favorites to land Daniel Jones as a free agent while looking to bring him in as a back-up behind Lamar Jackson until the end of the season… while also having an ulterior motive to sign him.

The New York Giants shockingly released Jones earlier this week after demoting him to fourth-choice, bizarrely making Tommy DeVito the starter ahead of backup Drew Lock. The move came just 18 months after the Giants gave Jones a four-year, $160 million deal to be their long-term starter. Jones now has the opportunity to sign wherever he likes on a short-team deal until the end of the year, likely to become a free agent once again this offseason while hoping to land a starting spot.

And while reports have emerged that Jones is interested in joining the Ravens, knowing that he won’t be their starter, it’s looking like a move that may materialise.

It has been questioned why Baltimore wants to bring Jones in, and while he’d certainly be their backup quarterback, the Ravens signing Jones might be more due to their incredible abilities in exploiting the NFL Draft system.

Because Jones was released by the Giants, the team that signs him will be able to benefit in the draft, with the Ravens knowing that they would not re-sign him after the 2024 season should he agree to join. Jones is likely to sign on a deal that will not be insignificant next offseason, meaning Baltimore would receive a compensatory pick in the 2026 draft for losing him as a free agent.

This is something that the Ravens front office has been excellent with over the last decade, regularly receiving compensatory picks in the draft – sometimes as high as a third-round pick.

Jones would back-up Jackson if he signed with the Ravens

Jones would back-up Jackson if he signed with the Ravens

Compensatory picks are only awarded to teams who lose free agents to other teams, with the caliber of their new deal determining how high their draft pick is. Teams only receive compensatory picks, though, if they sign less players than which they lose in free agency.

The Ravens have expertly assured themselves that they continue to receive as many compensatory picks as they can, limiting their free agency spending while continuing to acquire younger, cheaper players through the draft – with Jones’ signing potentially going a long way towards that once again.

While Jones is unlikely to see the field much, of it all, with the Ravens, he’d immediately be Jackson’s back-up, with Josh Johnson currently in that role – a player with limited playing experience in recent seasons.