Lamar Jackson’s leadership gestures spark unneccessary criticism

Stop the presses if you have heard this before. Rarely does Lamar Jackson participate in the voluntary portion of the Baltimore Ravens' offseason workout schedule. Does that sound familiar? It probably should. It has been a talking point for years. That has been debated, dissected, and at times overanalyzed. Again, stop us if you have heard this before. This time, however, Jackson did something different. He showed up.

That alone should have been the story. Instead, it became a segueway to something else entirely.

Former Ravens assistant and ex-NFL head coach Eric Mangini took issue with Jackson's presence, offering a critique that felt as unnecessary as it was confusing. He did so on FS1's highly popular First Things First show. Be forewarned, you were told that this is a head-scratcher.

“I don’t like [Jackson showing up]. I really don’t like it. It’s just like, ‘Okay, what was wrong with the last X amount of years.’ Why suddenly are we now at OTAs? Were they not important last year? … I just feel like it’s a little problematic when you haven’t been there in the past… Now that they’ve transitioned coaching staffs, you’re suddenly all in?”

It's a curious stance, one that makes it easy to ask why someone would be bothered by this. If Jackson had skipped voluntary workouts again, criticism would have followed. Because he showed up, that also became a problem. Somewhere in the middle of that contradiction lies the flaw in Mangini's argument.

Lamar Jackson should be praised for taking the extra step to show leadership.

Baltimore is entering a new era. With a new head coach and offensive coordinator in place, the Ravens are installing fresh ideas, new terminology, and likely subtle shifts in identity. Franchise quarterbacks are often expected to set the tone in those moments, not just with their play, but with their presence. Jackson did exactly that. Mangini, whose lone connection to Baltimore came as an offensive assistant in 1996, is far more known for his time under Bill Belichick and his stint as a head coach with the New York Jets than anything tied to the Ravens organization (his staff blew the whistle in the New England Patriots' Spygate mini-scandal). That makes the critique land even softer.

Leadership isn't always loud. Sometimes it's as simple as showing up when you don't have to. Jackson didn't create a problem by attending voluntary workouts. If anything, he removed one. Still, in doing so, he sent a clear message about his commitment to what comes next in Baltimore.

If there's criticism to be had, it should probably be aimed elsewhere, but as is often the case, it wasn't. Ladies and gentlemen, you are again welcome to join us for another NFL offseason.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Eric Mangini slams Lamar Jackson for showing up to offseason workouts