NFL draft: Ravens deal Marquise Brown to Cardinals and Lamar Jackson's not happy — 'Wtf'
To the dismay of Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens traded wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown to the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 23 pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday. The Cardinals also received the No. 100 pick in the draft from the Ravens.
The Ravens then traded the No. 23 pick to the Buffalo Bills for the No. 25 pick and the No. 130 pick in this year's draft. They took Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum at No. 25.
Linderbaum was a unanimous All-American, an Outland Trophy finalist and the winner of the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center. Baltimore previously selected Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton with its own first-round pick at No. 14.
Brown, 24, was Baltimore's second-leading receiver behind tight end Mark Andrews last season with 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. The trade reunites Brown with his college quarterback from Oklahoma Kyler Murray. Murray was quick to respond to news of the trade.
Let’s run it back! Hollywood to the desert… Y’all welcome my boy! @Primetime_jet 🔥🥋🚀
— Kyler Murray (@K1) April 29, 2022
Lamar Jackson not happy
Jackson, meanwhile, was not pleased with the deal. He retweeted a NSFW message lamenting the loss of his No. 1 wide receiver.
Lamar Jackson learning of the Hollywood Brown trade... pic.twitter.com/2A7QmbCFA4
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 29, 2022
He likewise didn't seem happy with the Linderbaum selection.
Wtf
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) April 29, 2022
Though he later clarified that his displeasure wasn't with the Linderbaum pick, whom he called "my new center."
It’s not about my new center🙄 stop that bs https://t.co/meRpOw4zD0
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) April 29, 2022
Regardless, Jackson's not happy with Baltimore's draft night that exiled his top receiver, and he's approaching the last season of his rookie contract without an extension in place. We'll see where this goes.
Brown, meanwhile, delivered a message to his now ex-quarterback on his way out of Baltimore.
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) April 29, 2022
The Ravens returned similar value in the deal to the No. 25 pick they spent on Brown in the 2019 NFL draft. His 1,000-yard campaign in 2021 was his first in the NFL after he tallied 1,353 yards and 15 touchdowns combined in his first two seasons.
How does Brown fit with Cardinals?
Brown joins a Cardinals receiving corps that features five-time All-Pro Deandre Hopkins and 33-year-old seven-time Pro Bowler A.J. Green. He's poised to leapfrog last year's second-round pick Rondale Moore on the wide receiver depth chart.
Pleasing Murray is an added bonus in the deal as the fourth-year pro is in the midst of a contract dispute, pressuring the Cardinals for an extension to the rookie contract he signed as the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft. Though the trade obviously won't satiate Murray's contract desire.