The Baltimore Ravens may have an opportunity to upgrade at the backup quarterback position.
The Ravens’ backup quarterback situation has been of some concern this offseason. Besides Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have 38-year-old Josh Johnson and sixth-round rookie Devin Leary.
There was some concern in the preseason that the Ravens didn’t have the manpower to overcome Lamar Jackson’s injury.
If the Ravens want to bolster the position, they could consider Bailey Zappe.
Zappe was released by the New England Patriots in somewhat surprising fashion on Tuesday.
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Zappe, 25, has started eight of 14 games in two seasons with the Patriots and completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for a career completion percentage of 78.5.
Zappe’s career stats have been mediocre, but he did have some impressive moments in his short career, including briefly taking over the starting role from Mac Jones in 2022 and completing 74.5% of his passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns with one interception to help the Patriots win back-to-back games.
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Zappe was a bit up and down last season, but had a strong three-game stretch from Week 13-15, going 2-1 for 676 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 72% of his passes.
The Ravens trust Johnson to be ready if called upon, but he struggled to move the ball in the preseason. He was playing without the Ravens’ regular offensive starters and mostly against the backup defense. Zappe has the better shot and might be able to lead the Ravens to a win or two if Jackson gets injured.
The question is how much the Ravens want to invest in a backup quarterback. If Jackson suffers a major injury, it would likely derail the Ravens’ season anyway. If Jackson suffers a minor injury that causes him to miss two or three games, he would be vital to Baltimore’s rise. They might believe Johnson can do that, especially if he can rely more on Derrick Henry and the run game to carry the offense.
Zappe is likely to have plenty of buyers as he is a quality backup in a thin market for other players. It’s unclear if the Ravens would be interested in or able to afford to upgrade their backup quarterback, but Zappe is an option worth considering.