General manager Eric DeCosta on Friday questioned a report that asserted the Ravens had “conversations” with the San Francisco 49ers about trading for quarterback Trey Lance.

The Athletic, citing anonymous sources, reported Saturday that the Ravens, along with the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, had “early discussions” about a deal for Lance, the No. 3 overall pick in 2021. Lance, who played just eight games over two injury-marred years in San Francisco, was ultimately dealt Saturday to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.

“Yeah, I would say that’s just bad reporting,” DeCosta said at a preseason news conference. “If somebody calls you and asks about if you’re interested in the player, and you say no, does that mean you’re interested in that player? You know, it’s just one of those things. I think there’s a Latin term, ‘Cui bono?’ — who does it benefit? ... We’ve got good quarterbacks. We love our quarterbacks. We weren’t looking to add any quarterbacks at all this training camp. That’s what I would say on that.”

The Ravens will enter the regular season with three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster for the first time since 2020. Lamar Jackson is expected to start in Week 1 against the Houston Texans, but the battle for the backup job was a source of intrigue through training camp. Tyler Huntley, Jackson’s backup the past two seasons, had a strong performance in the Ravens’ preseason opener, but he hasn’t practiced since the Aug. 12 win because of a hamstring injury.

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Josh Johnson, 37, who finished strong in the preseason, did not make the team’s initial 53-man roster but re-signed Thursday after the Ravens cleared space with some roster moves.

Under a new NFL rule, teams can dress an emergency third quarterback this season in addition to the 48 players typically activated on game days. That quarterback can enter the game only if the first two quarterbacks on the active list leave because of injury or disqualification.

“I think every team is adjusting to the new rule this year,” DeCosta said. “I think every team is going to attack that differently. I think, in our situation, it’s complicated a little bit by the health of our quarterbacks this training camp. That being the case, we’re trying to keep all of our good players. You all saw the games. Josh had an excellent preseason, played very, very well in the games. ‘Snoop’ [Huntley], in the one game that he played, played very well in that game. So we think we’re dealing with a position of strength at the quarterback position, with three guys that have shown they can play winning football for us, and we’re excited about that.”

jonas.shaffer@thebaltimorebanner.com

Jonas Shaffer

jonas.shaffer@thebaltimorebanner.com

Jonas Shaffer

Jonas Shaffer is a Ravens beat writer for The Baltimore Banner. He previously covered the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun. Shaffer graduated from the University of Maryland and grew up in Silver Spring.

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