What replaces it is a 43-year-old first-time head coach who calls his own defense, a 30-year-old coordinator who will call his first NFL offense from the booth, and a two-time MVP entering Year 9 off the least productive full season of his prime.

Clay’s model grades this the second-best roster in football. The market set the win total at 11.5, tied with the Rams for the highest on the board. The staff has never coached a game together. That combination is why this is the hardest team in the league to project, and why the honest version of this preview contains more open questions than a team with these expectations ought to have.

Minter & Co.

Jesse Minter inherits more pressure than any first-year coach in the league, because the mandate isn’t “make the playoffs.” Baltimore does that. The mandate is to win once they get there.

Minter finished third among all defensive play callers in CBS’s poll of twelve writers — behind only Mike Macdonald and Steve Spagnuolo, ahead of Vic Fangio and Brian Flores. He’ll call it himself, which matters for a reason beyond scheme: the buck stops with him now. One of the more tiring recurring features of the Harbaugh era was how often he absolved himself of his coordinators’ decisions. That option no longer exists. Anthony Weaver handles the front seven, Mike Mickens the secondary.

Declan Doyle drew zero votes in that same poll. He is 30, was Ben Johnson’s coordinator in Chicago last season, coached tight ends in Denver, and came up in New Orleans from 2019 to 2022. His influences are Sean Payton and Johnson, which on paper means pairing Payton’s downhill duo runs with Johnson’s outside zone — a fit for Derrick Henry as clean as anything you could draw. He’ll call plays from the booth, with Weaver and Minter splitting sideline duties.

We left this staff off our top-ten coaching staffs, and we want to restate why, because that’s the sort of omission a Baltimore site gets accused of underthinking. Half a staff isn’t a staff. Minter has never been a head coach. Doyle has never called an NFL offense. They’ve never worked a game together. And being great at X’s and O’s — which Minter unambiguously is — is not the same skill as keeping a room rowing in the same direction after a bad October. A coordinator’s job is scheme. A head coach’s job is everyone pulling the same way when things go sideways. This group could be top-five by December. It hasn’t earned the ranking in August.

What Minter’s Defense Actually Looks Like

This is the part of the preview that got underwritten everywhere, including by us. “Fast, violent, aggressive” is what every new staff says. Here’s what the tape and the tracking data actually say, and it’s more specific and more interesting than the slogan.

Start with the résumé, because it’s stark. The year before Minter arrived in Los Angeles, the Chargers ranked 30th in passing yards allowed at 249.8 per game, 24th in points allowed at 23.4, and 27th in yards per play at 5.5. Derwin James had the worst season of his career. Over Minter’s two years running it, that unit finished fifth in passing yards allowed at 193.4, third in points at 19.9, and seventh in yards per play at 5.2 — back-to-back top-ten defenses by EPA, with James returning to consecutive Pro Bowls.

He runs a 3-4 built on versatility, and the governing idea is to muddy the picture for the offense while keeping it simple for his own players. The tracking data describes something close to the opposite of what “aggressive” usually implies. Per Next Gen Stats, the 2025 Chargers played zone on 80.7 percent of snaps (fifth-highest), used split-safety looks on 49.6 percent (fourth-most, a hair ahead of Macdonald’s Seahawks), rushed four on 72.6 percent, and blitzed on just 21.4 percent — third-fewest in football. The personnel is the tell: nickel only 55.2 percent of the time, eighth-lowest in the league, because they were in dime at the third-highest rate. While most of the NFL pivoted toward heavier personnel, Minter went the other way and dared offenses to run into it.

So the identity is this: Minter isn’t trying to trick you with exotic pressure. He gives you a clean look, rushes four, plays zone with two safeties deep, and bets his defensive backs win. As Russell Street Report put it, that only works if the defensive backs are elite.

The hinge is the hybrid safety. Minter used James near the box on roughly 85 percent of snaps, and when the Chargers blitzed, James was often the one coming — 12.9 percent of his own snaps, and fifth on the team in pressures. Minter’s explanation, from when he arrived in Los Angeles, is the sentence to memorize: the closer he is to the action, the better he is. The flexibility was the point — maybe it’s three corners and he’s the safety, maybe two safeties and he’s the nickel, maybe he’s the dime.

Now consider that Minter, a former Ravens defensive backs coach for four seasons, studied Kyle Hamilton extensively before taking the Chargers job and is now inheriting him. Hamilton graded 86.3 at PFF in 2025, third among all safeties, and has a credible claim to being a more versatile version of what James was asked to do. Baltimore has spent three years arguing about how to use him; the answer just walked in with two years of film on exactly that question.

Two more notes. Minter does keep a change-up: over the Chargers’ final six weeks he called 13 Cover 0 blitzes, and quarterbacks went 3-for-10 for 23 yards with an interception, two sacks and seven pressures — low usage, high leverage, a tendency breaker rather than an identity. And the front he ran was a four-down look with two large interior bodies and stout edges, a near-exact description of what Baltimore is handing him.

The catch, and it’s a real one. A scheme that rushes four, plays two-high zone, and dares you to complete underneath throws requires corners who can cover without help. Clay grades Baltimore’s corner room a 5. The safeties are the best-graded unit at any position on any roster in football; the corners are the position where this defense is most likely to break. Minter’s system will amplify whichever of those two facts turns out to matter more.

There is one happy accident in the fit, though: a defense that plays dime at the third-highest rate in the league doesn’t need four good linebackers. Baltimore’s linebacker room also grades a 5. Minter’s preferred personnel quietly hides that.

Why Did The Defense Fall Off? Is It Fixed?

Baltimore’s defense went from sixth in DVOA in 2024 to 16th in 2025. Zach Orr absorbed most of the criticism and the Ravens moved on, which we supported — not only because we think the new staff is better, but because it lets the fanbase turn the page.

But the diagnosis matters, because it determines whether Minter is fixing a scheme or inheriting an already-solved personnel problem. The 2025 defense played without Madubuike for fifteen games, had no legitimate edge rusher, and got a compromised Wiggins and Humphrey in the secondary. Madubuike is back, Hendrickson is here, Wiggins is healthy. If that was the disease, most of the cure arrived in March, before Minter called a play. That’s the optimistic read and the one we lean toward — with the caveat that bad personnel and bad scheme aren’t mutually exclusive, and we won’t know the split until October.

Mandatory Lamar Talk

Obviously nothing matters more.

The 2025 line: 21 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 2,549 yards, 8.4 yards per attempt, a 103.8 rating, 15th in EPA per dropback, 19th in success rate, 14th in completion percentage over expectation. Perfectly good. Nowhere near what he’d been.

Jackson opened completing better than 70 percent at 9.1 yards per attempt with a 14-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Then he hurt his hamstring. After he returned he was visibly slower, scrambled less, held the ball longer and stopped pushing it downfield. Steven Ruiz’s read at The Ringer was that the decision-making itself looked like a function of the health. He went 6-7 in his 13 starts, averaged 196.1 passing yards a game, and averaged 26.8 rushing yards a game — roughly half his 2024 figure.

That’s an argument for a rebound — which is why the same outlet ranked Jackson the third-best quarterback in football. PFF lands in the same place from the other direction, and suggests the recovery was underway before the season ended: Jackson graded 91.4 over his final four games, a year removed from a 94.0 grade and a 41-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

So the film read and the grades agree. The disagreement is with the third group. What Sando’s voters and the players’ Top 100 are describing isn’t a hamstring — it’s a choice. The opposing coach who said he wasn’t sure how much Jackson still wants to run and take hits is making a claim about a 29-year-old’s willingness to absorb punishment, which no amount of healing fixes and which wouldn’t show up as a bad grade. Sando’s stated reason for the demotion was the halved rushing production, not the missed games. The players’ Top 100 dropped him 67 spots, to 69th, which is peer evaluation rather than a model and stings accordingly.

If the dip was the hamstring, Jackson is a top-three quarterback again the moment he’s healthy and this is a genuine Super Bowl roster. If it was the start of a deliberate recalibration — fewer designed runs, fewer scrambles, more time in a pocket fronted by an interior line that’s still a projection — then he’s good but no longer the player who breaks games open, and Doyle’s work becomes a necessity rather than an enhancement. Both view points look defendable in August. We will see which plays out.

Underneath it is the plainest question, the one we asked three weeks ago and still can’t answer: does he play 16 or 17 games, or 12 or 13? He’s been limited to 13 or fewer in three of five seasons. Clay projects 671 rushing yards on 122 carries. Doyle’s first job is making him a run threat without making him a target.

Here’s the case nobody makes loudly enough. The knock is a rookie head coach and a first-time play caller. But Jackson has won MVP in the first season under each of his last two new coordinators — unanimously under Greg Roman in 2019, only the second unanimous winner in league history, and again under Todd Monken in 2023. Twenty-two teams open 2026 with a new offensive coordinator. No quarterback in football has a better track record with one.

Doyle’s Offense?

Jackson has taken five percent of his career snaps there. His 226 under-center snaps since 2018 are the second-fewest of any quarterback with 50 starts, behind only Kyler Murray. Over those same eight seasons he has posted the highest QBR in the NFL from under center — 81.2, with 20 touchdowns and one interception. It is simultaneously the least-used and most productive part of his game, and Doyle has him there more than any previous camp.

PFF expects Doyle to lean on three-receiver sets with plenty of motion, which is what you’d predict from a Payton and Ben Johnson product. Clay’s model, meanwhile, has Baltimore first in rushing attempts and dead last in pass attempts. Those can coexist — you can run heavily out of 11 personnel, and Johnson did exactly that in Detroit — but they point in different directions, and which one Doyle actually is determines whether the receiver room is a problem or a non-issue. If Baltimore is in 11 personnel on 65 percent of snaps, the fourth receiver matters enormously. If they’re a two-tight-end battering ram, it barely matters at all.

Neither transition has been clean. The offense false-started eight times in one August practice varying cadences, and Jackson spiked his helmet after a two-minute drill ran out of clock. But he attended voluntary spring work to get ahead of the installation, has called Doyle a wizard, and says he’s absolutely ready.

The Roster: What’s Real? What’s Still A Projection?

Clay grades this the second-best roster in football — No. 5 offense, No. 4 defense, 430 points scored and 340 allowed, first in rushing attempts and rushing yards, dead last in pass attempts.

RB

Derrick Henry is projected for 317 carries, 1,482 yards and 13 touchdowns at 32, and the people expecting a cliff should note his 5.2 yards per carry last year was still above his 4.9 career average and tied James Cook for the best mark among backs with 250-plus carries — behind worse blocking and a diminished quarterback. The seven fumbles across two seasons, a third of his career total, reads fluky to us rather than alarming.

The real question is workload philosophy. Justice Hill was limited to ten games and his catches fell from 42 to 21; Adam Randall went to IR during cuts, leaving Henry, Hill and Rasheen Ali. Should holding Henry under 300 carries even be a goal? There’s a version where you protect him for January and a version where the physicality is the plan. Doyle’s answer says a lot about how he sees the offense.

And a loss getting too little attention: Patrick Ricard, a three-time All-Pro, followed Harbaugh to the Giants. Fullbacks are devalued league-wide and Baltimore has long profited from the contrarian position — it’s helped the run game, the quarterback, and the physicality this team is built on.

Receiver and Tight End

Both grade a 5. Flowers got $35 million a year. Everyone likes Flowers. Everyone would like him considerably more as a No. 2.

Here is the number that frames everything else: Flowers was the only Baltimore wide receiver last season to record more than 22 receptions or 330 receiving yards. Not the leading one. The only one.

Flowers was the only Baltimore wide receiver last season to record more than 22 receptions or 330 receiving yards.

Rashod Bateman gave the Ravens nothing in 2025 after ankle injuries, and that can’t repeat in ’26. In 2024 he played all 17 games and averaged 16.8 yards on 45 catches with nine scores. He needs to be available and move the chains. And there’s a complication beyond football: Bateman was arrested in Georgia in June and faces charges of family violence battery, reckless conduct and first-degree criminal damage to property stemming from an alleged incident involving the mother of his child. His attorney has said the situation was taken out of context and that the facts will come out through the court process, and the case is pending. The Ravens have notified the league and say they’re cooperating. Separately from the courts, the NFL’s baseline discipline for a first offense in this category is six games, though circumstances vary. Nobody should be forecasting an outcome. Everybody should understand that Baltimore’s WR2 has a real chance of missing time for reasons that have nothing to do with his hamstrings.

Mark Andrews is 31 and coming off a year where his yards per catch fell from a 12.3 career average to 8.8. We’re glad to have him, though we’d have kept Isaiah Likely if forced to choose, and losing Charlie Kolar stung. Fifty catches and 600 yards wouldn’t surprise us. Neither would a bounce toward his career ypc norms, since a good chunk of last year’s decline tracks with the quarterback throwing him the ball.

Which brings us to the group that has to fill the gap.

Ja’Kobi Lane has been the story of camp, not just in Baltimore but leaguewide. The third-rounder at No. 80 out of USC is 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, wins 50-50 balls, and provides the size-skill combination this offense has spent Jackson’s entire career looking for on the outside. Crucially, he isn’t doing it against backups — a team source told CBS’s Matt Zenitz that within the first week of camp Lane was already a starter in 11 personnel and the club’s No. 3 receiver. The caveat came from the same source, and it’s the right one: it’s camp, and we’ll see what he does when the season starts. August produces a breakout star every year whose September never arrives. The pre-draft knock was his ability to play through contact, and he caught 49 percent of his contested targets at USC — a fine number that isn’t the elite one his highlight tape implies.

Elijah Sarratt, the fourth-rounder at No. 115 out of Indiana, is the one we liked most on tape and the one furthest from contributing. He averaged at least 2.00 yards per route run in all four of his college seasons, which is a genuinely difficult thing to do, and he graded 86.1 at PFF last year – the best mark in Baltimore’s draft class. He also spent camp, by the team’s own description, starting from ground zero. That’s normal for a Day 3 receiver, and why you can only expect so much from him this year.

Devontez Walker is the wild card, in that he’s now in Year 3 and has been targeted ten times in his NFL career. He caught four touchdowns on those ten targets, which is a fun rate and a meaningless sample. The big-play ability has flashed in each of his first two seasons. How many snaps does he get this year? Can he become a reliable target?

The tight ends are deeper than the grade suggests, and this is where Doyle’s Ben Johnson lineage may show up. Durham Smythe was signed to be the traditional in-line blocker opposite Andrews, which matters more than his 44.7 PFF grade or his 13 total receptions across the last two seasons – though he did average 27.5 catches a year from 2020 through 2023, so a modest bump wouldn’t shock. Matthew Hibner is the interesting one: Baltimore traded up in the fourth round for him and believes he’s ready for an immediate role as a pass catcher. Josh Cuevas, the fifth-rounder, graded 69.6 and is the developmental piece. Johnson built his Detroit offenses around tight end usage; Doyle spent last season with him and coached the position in Denver.

The cleanest statement of the problem remains: exactly three players on this roster have ever caught more than ten passes from Lamar Jackson. Flowers, Bateman, Andrews. And one of those three is 31 and coming off his worst year, while another has a pending court case.

Getting Out Ahead Of The Argument

Here’s how this goes wrong, and we’d rather say it in August than in November.

Jackson is going to wear the cape. That’s what he does – he elevates the people around him, and he’ll make three or four throws a month that no other quarterback in football makes to receivers no other team would start. Some of these guys are going to look better than they are because of him. That’s not a criticism; it’s the single best argument for optimism on this roster.

But run the pessimistic branch. Bateman doesn’t rebound, or isn’t available. Andrews stays a 600-yard tight end. Lane is a rookie who has rookie weeks. And Jackson, protecting a 29-year-old body, doesn’t get back to running the way he did in 2024. None of that requires anything to go catastrophically wrong. Every one of those is a reasonable outcome on its own, and together they describe an offense that grinds. A team that wins 20-17 behind Henry and a good defense, converts third-and-4 instead of hitting the 40-yard shot, and looks nothing like the unit that put up 28 to 30 a game in 2023 and 2024.

That offense can still be plenty good enough to win eleven games, but may often feel not good enough. And here’s the thing worth noticing now: even the bull case agrees. Clay’s model – which again grades this the second-best roster in football – projects Baltimore for 430 points. That’s 25.3 a game. Four to five points a game below the 2023 and 2024 versions, from the projection system that likes this team most.

So when the offense looks pedestrian in October, the finger is going to point at Jackson. It always does. The MVP is the most expensive and most visible player on the field, and “he’s not the same” is the easiest column in sports to write. Our question, when it happens, will be a simple one: given the weapons around him, should we have expected more?

Flowers is a very good No. 2 being paid as a No. 1. Behind him is a receiver with a pending court case, a 31-year-old tight end coming off his worst season, a rookie who has been great in shorts, and a third-year player with ten career targets. Set against that, an offense that scores 25 a game and wins the division is not a quarterback failing.  Also, if we’re going to say that Jackson has to again be Superman, than it’s fair to say that this offense fully needs Henry to again be Batman.

Offensive Line

This is where the projection is thinnest, and it got shakier in the last two weeks.

The center job is still open. Danny Pinter suffered a season-ending knee injury in joint practices with Minnesota, and Minter said this week he hasn’t decided between Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn. Gwyn started the final two preseason games; Pocic played 31 snaps to Gwyn’s 15. Pocic turned 31, is coming off a Week 14 Achilles tear, has never played a full 17-game season, and didn’t practice Monday. He’s also graded above 60.0 at PFF in each of the last five seasons, so the floor is real. The ceiling isn’t Tyler Linderbaum, who ranked fifth among all centers last year and is now a Raider.

John Simpson is back at left guard, where league-average would be a win if he can cut the penalties — he graded 56.9 last season but ranked 11th among all guards at 77.3 in 2024. Year 11 of Ronnie Stanley is still something to feel fine about, though his drop-off from 2024 to 2025 came specifically in pass protection, which loops back to whether Doyle can get the ball out faster. Baltimore also hired Dwayne Ledford as offensive line coach and run game coordinator, which given how much of this group is new may matter as much as any individual signing.

Ronnie Stanley is the piece everything else leans on, and the two-year trend is worth being precise about rather than waving through. In 2024 he was excellent: an 80.9 PFF pass-blocking grade, the sixth time he’d cleared 80 in his career, and just two sacks allowed across 535 pass-blocking snaps, which ranked 11th among full-time starting tackles. That season is also why the Ravens’ left-side run game was the best in football – Baltimore led the NFL in yards on outside and off-tackle runs to the left and averaged nearly seven a carry there. Stanley isn’t just protecting Jackson’s blind side; he’s the reason a chunk of Henry’s production exists.

In 2025 that slipped. He graded 70.9 overall, 35th among 89 qualified tackles, with a 72.8 pass-blocking grade and 68.0 in the run game, allowing 28 pressures including four sacks and four hits, with seven penalties. Not bad. Just ordinary, from a player who has been considerably better than ordinary. The encouraging part is buried in the same numbers: he played 857 snaps. For a tackle whose career was nearly derailed by ankle injuries and who missed enormous stretches from 2020 through 2022, availability is the harder problem, and he solved it. He is 32, entering Year 11, on a three-year, $60 million deal with $44 million guaranteed and a manageable $9.9 million cap hit this season.

So: does the pass protection come back? Part of the answer isn’t his. Stanley’s game is built on giving ground while maintaining his mirror, which works beautifully with a quarterback who gets the ball out and less well with one holding it and hunting a play. Jackson held the ball longer after the hamstring injury, and Stanley’s numbers moved in exactly the direction you’d expect. If Doyle’s offense speeds up the release — under center, on schedule, off play-action — Stanley’s grade probably recovers without him doing anything differently. That’s the push-and-pull of it, because Jackson extending plays is also part of what makes him great.

The right side is the interesting part. Olaivavega “Vega” Ioane at No. 14 was the most popular mock-draft pairing of the spring for good reason, and the bar he has to clear is embarrassingly low — both of Baltimore’s 2025 starting guards graded below 60.0 at PFF. He’s 6-foot-4 and 326 pounds, calls himself a mauler, and DeCosta described him as straight from central casting. The scouting consensus had him as the best interior lineman in the class and, for some evaluators, the best offensive lineman in it full stop. He allowed zero sacks in 2025 playing mostly left guard at Penn State, was penalized three times in 2024, and the traits that travel are the ones this offense specifically needs: a stout anchor that stalls bull rushes on the spot, powerful jump sets, and enough short-area quickness to climb to the second level. That last part is the fit with Doyle’s duo-and-outside-zone marriage. Lamar Jackson was sacked 36 times last season; the pick was a statement about that.

Which brings us to Roger Rosengarten, who might be the quietest important player on the roster. A 2024 second-round pick out of Washington who started every game of the Huskies’ national title run, he has spent his first two NFL seasons lining up next to a failed guard experiment in Daniel Faalele, a converted tackle who never took to the position. Rosengarten has never had a real right guard. Now he has a first-rounder there, and the early returns on the pairing have been effusive — he’s called Ioane a stud and said it feels like they’ve played together three or four years, crediting the rookie’s movement skills and balance with making combination blocks and pass protection easier. With Linderbaum gone and so much of the room turned over, Rosengarten and Stanley have also become the leadership of this unit, which is a lot to ask of a third-year player. If he takes a Year 3 step in the run game and the right side becomes a strength rather than a patch, a group we’ve called “not upper-echelon” gets a good deal more interesting.

The Front Seven

Trey Hendrickson grades an 8, had back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024, and the PFF numbers on him are striking: a pass-rush win rate of 20 percent or better in each of the last three seasons, which no Ravens edge defender has managed since PFF began collecting the data in 2006, and a pass-rush grade above 90.0 in each of those years, which no Raven has done since Dumervil in 2013. He is the pass rusher this franchise has lacked for a decade.

He is also 31, missed ten games last season, had core muscle surgery in December, and Clay projects only 9.9 sacks. The March criticism — that he doesn’t set an edge the way Maxx Crosby does, after Baltimore’s failed pursuit of Crosby — is fair, and it’s the reason second-rounder Zion Young matters more than a typical Day 2 pick: Young posted an 86.6 PFF run-defense grade in college and could take real early-down snaps precisely to cover that weakness.

Edge still grades a 5, which should worry people more than it does. Behind Hendrickson it’s Mike Green, our breakout pick, coming off 3.5 rookie sacks with a 4.7 projection; double digits from him is the swing outcome for this defense. Inside, Madubuike and Travis Jones grade 8 and Calais Campbell a 7, entering Year 19 and turning 40 this week after an awful personal summer. Keeping him available for January is the whole point of the signing.

Tavius Robinson is the third rusher. The 2023 fourth-rounder out of Ole Miss broke his foot in the Week 6 loss to the Rams, went on injured reserve, missed seven games, and returned in Week 15 against Cincinnati – where he immediately produced a sack that pushed the Bengals out of field-goal range and the pressure that forced Burrow into a game-sealing pick-six. He finished with 4.5 sacks in ten games across 447 snaps, the second-most sacks on the roster.

Travis Jones is the one certainty here, and that’s new. For three years he was a run-stuffing nose who flashed. In 2025, with Madubuike gone, he became the best defensive lineman on the roster and one of the best in football at the position. He graded 79.2 at PFF, second on the entire defense behind only Hamilton, and led every Ravens defender in pressures (47), sacks (five) and run-defense grade (81.1). He set career highs in tackles (47), tackles for loss (nine) and quarterback hits (nine) while playing 16 games. PFF called him a secret superstar. Baltimore signed him to a three-year, $40.5 million extension in December, and he’s 26. He is also coming back from a pectoral injury that put him on PUP in July, which is worth monitoring but isn’t the concern of this group.

Madubuike is. And nobody is sure what the Ravens are getting here. That leads to a wide range of possible outcomes.

From the start of 2023 until he went on injured reserve in September 2025, Madubuike’s 21.5 sacks were the most of any defensive tackle in the NFL. He had 13 in 2023, which led all interior linemen and earned him a four-year, $98 million extension. He followed it with 6.5 sacks and 56 pressures in 2024 – third among all defensive tackles — and a second straight Pro Bowl. He has a team-high 69 quarterback hits since entering the league in 2020. He had played 55 consecutive games. Paired with Hendrickson, that’s an interior-plus-edge combination Baltimore hasn’t had in a decade, and it’s most of the reason Clay grades this the top interior line in football.

The uncertainty is genuine and it is not the usual injury boilerplate. Madubuike hurt his neck in Week 2 of 2025, against Cleveland on September 14th. The injury was described as potentially career-threatening, and there were real retirement rumors attached to it. He played 102 snaps last season. He did not have surgery until mid-April more than seven months after the injury which is an unusual timeline and one nobody has fully explained. He was cleared to return to football activity by independent spine and cervical specialists, which is a meaningful hurdle cleared rather than a formality. He opened camp on PUP for conditioning. And per Minter, he did not take a single 11-on-11 rep during training camp.

So the range runs from “an All-Pro interior rusher walks back into a front that already has Hendrickson, Jones and Campbell, and this defense is top-five” to “a 28-year-old works his way back on a snap count, is a rotational contributor into October, and is never quite the same explosive player.” Both are plausible right now. The Ravens’ one real signal is that they kept him off injured reserve at cuts, which would have cost him four games — Minter said he doesn’t see Madubuike missing anything like that. That’s a vote of confidence with money behind it.

What makes this the season’s quietest swing factor is the scheme fit. Minter doesn’t blitz; he rushes four on nearly three-quarters of snaps and asks his front to win one-on-one so the coverage can stay intact behind it. Unlike a traditional 3-4 where the ends funnel the quarterback outward, Minter wants active hands and feet inside, getting free and into the backfield — which is precisely what a healthy Madubuike does better than almost anyone. A four-man rush that generates pressure without help is the load-bearing assumption of the entire defense. Madubuike at his 2023 level makes that assumption safe. Madubuike at 60 percent makes it a question, and pushes more of the burden onto a corner room that grades a 5.

The rest of the interior is deeper than people realize, which is the hedge. Campbell grades a 7 entering Year 19, turning 40 this week after an awful personal summer; keeping him available for January is the whole point of the signing. And John Jenkins, 37, quietly had a fine 2025 — he didn’t miss a game and logged 523 defensive snaps, more than any Baltimore lineman except Jones. Broderick Washington adds beef. Baltimore can survive a slow Madubuike ramp. It just can’t reach its ceiling without him.

Roquan Smith was voted the second-best off-ball linebacker in football by NFL executives, coaches and scouts. The position group grades a 5. Both can be true if the depth behind him is thin, and it is. It’s Year 4 for Trenton Simpson, who has an opening and hasn’t yet taken it. Teddye Buchanan was kept off injured reserve as he works back from a December ACL tear — worth watching, because after taking over as a starter in Week 2 as a rookie he graded above 60.0 in five of his final six games and ranked 31st among linebackers in run-defense grade. As noted above, Minter’s dime-heavy tendencies reduce how much this matters. It doesn’t eliminate it.

Secondary

Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Jaylinn Hawkins. The best-graded unit at any position on any roster in the league, and the exact profile – long, versatile, zone-friendly, football-smart – that Minter has built defenses around his entire career. Hawkins arrived in free agency off a 74.9 PFF grade.

Nate Wiggins is in Year 3 after playing most of last season’s second half through a groin injury, and has reportedly had a strong camp with added strength. He doesn’t have to lock down half the field; he does have to take the opponent’s best receiver each week. Marlon Humphrey, in Year 10, got targeted relentlessly in 2025. He’s a two-time All-Pro who no longer has to lead the group, but a rebound would raise the ceiling of this group. Chidobe Awuzie starts outside, T.J. Tampa is depth a lot of people are excited about, and Keyon Martin and rookie Chandler Rivers are competing for the slot.

The Specialists

Jordan Stout made a Pro Bowl and followed Harbaugh to New York. Sixth-round rookie Ryan Eckley replaces him.

And then Loop. Context first: before 2025, kicking balls were kept under lock and key by officials and were stiff. A rule change now lets teams break in 60 balls before the season, and league-wide distance and accuracy jumped accordingly. Loop arrived as a rookie in that new environment, replacing the greatest kicker who ever lived.

He went 30-for-34, 8-for-9 from 40 to 49, and 1-for-3 from 50-plus with two missed extra points, and often looked uncomfortable. The one that got away was the 44-yarder in Pittsburgh on the last play of the season. He then went 5-for-8 across the preseason with two misses in the finale, and the Ravens signed Jake Moody to the practice squad Monday – the first time all offseason they’ve carried a second kicker. Minter reiterated Loop is his kicker in Indianapolis and that he just wants every scenario covered.

Part of us extends the benefit of the doubt; replacing Justin Tucker was impossible and Year 2 should be better. The other part notes that a league converting from distances nobody used to attempt will ask more of him, not less. The fanbase being incredibly skeptical, doesn’t make his job any easier.

The Division

We have Baltimore winning the AFC North at 11-6. That deserves more scrutiny than it usually gets, because the defending champion is still there and the division was decided on the final play last year.

Pittsburgh won it at 10-7 and returns Clay’s No. 3 defense, headlined by the best edge group in football. Their problem is an offense Clay ranks 26th, run by a 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers who posted the league’s  lowest average depth of target while finishing 23rd in EPA per dropback. If Rodgers is merely league-average, that’s a division threat, and our 8-9 projection for them is the AFC North call we’d most expect to be wrong.

Cincinnati we have at 10-7 with the second-easiest schedule, Clay’s No. 3 offense and a defense rebuilt around Dexter Lawrence. They don’t need a good defense, just an average one – which they haven’t had since 2022.

Cleveland has drafted well the last two years and might be beginning to put something together, but they’re starting the season with Deshaun Watson at QB. Every indication 2026 will be another long-year for the Browns.

Eleven wins should take this division.

The Schedule

Fifth-easiest in the league by Sharp’s model, behind only Detroit, Cincinnati, New Orleans and the Jets. The front half is genuinely soft: at Indianapolis, New Orleans, Dallas in Rio de Janeiro, Tennessee, at Atlanta, at Cleveland, then Cincinnati in Week 7 and at Buffalo in Week 8.

Two notes. An international game in Week 3 is a strange wrinkle for a staff installing two new systems before it has established any routine. And a soft opening means a slow start would be genuinely alarming. If Baltimore is 3-3 through six against this slate, the pressure mounts.

Our Number

We published 11-6, AFC North champions, the No. 2 seed in the AFC — and an under on 11.5.

The over is priced at +115 and the under at -140, an implied 46.5 percent chance of twelve wins or more. Baltimore has the highest total in the AFC and the second-highest in football. SI’s projection lands on the under as well.

We’re also not alone at eleven. Nate Tice and Robert Mays both landed there, with Tice making the point we’d endorse: twelve wins is a lot of wins in any season, new offenses take four or five weeks to settle, and eleven is technically the under and still a very good year for a team built to peak in January.

Buffalo is our AFC favorite, with Baltimore close behind.

Week 1: Ravens at Colts

Sunday, September 13, 1:00 PM, CBS. Baltimore is a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 48.5, and given a 61.4% chance of winning by ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor. Clay’s model lands almost identically at 61%, projecting 24.5–21.4.

Two debuts at once: Minter’s first game as a head coach, Doyle’s first calling an NFL offense — from the booth, on the road, against Lou Anarumo.

Doyle vs. Anarumo

Anarumo earned the nickname “mad scientist” in Cincinnati for schemes that changed week to week, and the reputation is built on two specific things: disguise in the secondary, and manipulating an offense’s protection plan to create favorable matchups for his rushers. There’s an irony there — one of the rushers he did that for was Trey Hendrickson, who is now Baltimore’s.

The numbers are less extreme than the reputation. Anarumo blitzed on 28.6 percent of opponent dropbacks from 2019 through 2024, 18th in the NFL. He is not Flores or Bowles or Wink Martindale. What he does instead is vary what the pressure looks like — simulated pressures where four rush but you can’t tell which four, linemen dropping into coverage, and a signature “Tango” concept he began leaning on in 2023.

The wrinkle that should concern Baltimore most is what sits behind the pressure. Anarumo’s Bengals finished fourth in the league in Quarters usage behind a blitz and third in two-high coverage rate when blitzing at 36.1 percent — meaning he sends five and still keeps a two-deep structure behind it. That is the exact call designed to punish a quarterback who assumes pressure means single coverage and takes the shot. It’s also the call that punishes a young play caller whose hot routes are built on a pre-snap read that turns out to be a lie.

Anarumo’s Colts finished 2025 with 41 sacks, five more than the year before. And this is his second year in the building, which matters: the shape-shifting works better once the personnel knows the system.

How Doyle should attack it. Play-action from under center with Henry as the threat forces a two-high defense to commit a safety. Doyle’s best counter to simulated pressure is the thing Baltimore is built to do anyway: run it.

Indianapolis

The Colts are trying to answer whether they’re the team that looked like a contender for two months or the one that lost its final seven games. Daniel Jones was excellent early — top ten in passing yards, yards per attempt, completion percentage and touchdowns — before tearing his Achilles in December. He was a full participant in camp. Whether the injury takes anything off his movement is the question they can’t answer until Sunday, and it’s a live one, because Jones has always been an underrated runner who throws well outside the pocket. Anthony Richardson is behind him.

The infrastructure is good. Jonathan Taylor grades a 9 and got paid at two years, $44 million; Quenton Nelson and Bernhard Raimann anchor a line some outlets have inside their top five. That’s the matchup Baltimore’s interior has to win, and it’s the reason Shane Steichen’s play-action game works.

The receiver room got rebuilt in a hurry after Michael Pittman Jr. was traded to Pittsburgh. Keenan Allen signed a one-year deal last month, was arrested early Sunday morning on misdemeanor OVWI charges, and Chris Ballard said flatly on Tuesday that he will play — internal discipline won’t cost him snaps, and the NFL will likely wait for the legal process, though its alcohol policy allows for a suspension of up to three games. Allen at 34 is still a precise route runner who wins underneath and over the middle. That’s exactly the throw Indianapolis wants for a quarterback in his first game back, and exactly the area a two-high zone defense concedes by design.

The Colts are banged up around him. Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and tight end Tyler Warren are all questionable, and Indianapolis already lost Coleman Owen, D.J. Montgomery and Will Mallory to injured reserve.

On defense, Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward are both questionable — and it’s worth knowing how thin that room has been. Last season Indianapolis lost rookie Justin Walley to a torn ACL in the preseason, Jaylon Jones to a hamstring in Week 1, Ward to three concussions, and Gardner played just two full games. The clearest path to a better Colts defense starts with availability they still don’t have. Up front, Laiatu Latu doubled his sack total to 8.5 last year and is the reason Indianapolis felt comfortable letting Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam walk; DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart hold the interior.

Ravens Defense Will Focus On Taylor

Steichen’s offense is built outward from the run. Taylor is the engine, the play-action game is the payoff, and the reason Indianapolis was productive for two months last year is that Jones was excellent throwing off it Play-action from under center depends on a quarterback who can carry out a fake, reset his feet and throw on the move. If Jones is even slightly compromised there, the whole structure loses its teeth and Indianapolis becomes a dropback offense with a rebuilt receiver room and a quarterback in his first game back.

Baltimore’s plan will be to stop Taylor with the front. Clay’s top-graded interior line in the NFL against Nelson and Raimann is the matchup that decides whether Indianapolis gets to play the game it wants. If Madubuike, Travis Jones and Campbell hold up on early downs, the Colts are throwing on second-and-8 into a two-high zone, and Hendrickson gets to rush against a line that has to slide toward help.

Minter’s defense will concede the underneath throw by design. Maybe Keenan Allen and Jones have some success with that?  If the Ravens aren’t afraid of being beat over the top, there will be a lot Hamilton near the line.

Ravens Availability

Madubuike stayed off injured reserve. We will see if he’s ready to go. Either way, snap count figures to be limited.
Buchanan was also kept off IR. Same thing there.  Ready to go? Limited snap count if so.

Randall went to IR, leaving Henry, Hill and Ali as the backs.

What happens at Center? Will Pocic be available?

Matchups To Watch

Whoever wins the Center job against DeForest Buckner.  Need the Center to help with the scheming, and also to avoid consistently getting pushed back into Jackson. Don’t want a game where the Ravens are consistently facing 3rd and long.

Kyle Hamilton, wherever Minter puts him. First real look at the James blueprint applied to a better player. What percentage of snaps is he up on the line? How often is he blitizing?

Keenan Allen over the middle.  Who is covering him in the slot?

Our call: Ravens get the road W to start the year, but maybe less comfortably than some think.  Would like to avoid this game coming down to kicking.

The post Previewing The 2026 Ravens Season And Week 1 At Indianapolis appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

The biggest change, of course, was the ouster of longtime head coach, John Harbaugh. Once Harbaugh got settled with the New York Giants, he proceeded to raid his former team by bringing in several Raven free agents; guard Daniel Faalele, fullback Patrick Ricard, tight end Isaiah Likely, safety Ar’Darius Washington and punter Jordan Stout.

Out with the old, in with the new.

To state the obvious, the task at hand for new head coach Jesse Minter is to lead the Ravens to the 3rd Super Bowl title in franchise history. However, his job will be a bit more nuanced than it appears.

As training camp ramps up, there will be plenty of discussion about position battles, what the new offense and defense will look like, how player X, Y or Z performs in this drill or that drill and how the roster will shape up come early September.

While discussion of those matters is certainly warranted, there’s a larger issue at hand for the Baltimore Ravens than the X’s and O’s and the Jimmy’s and Joe’s.

The Baltimore Ravens need to be mentally tough again.

For 4 quarters a game, for 17 games (or more), the Baltimore Ravens need to learn how to finish.

John Harbaugh had a successful tenure in Baltimore but ultimately lost his job because of his team’s tendency to come up small in the biggest moments. Blown leads, bizarre play calling and bone headed mistakes at critical times had become the norm in Baltimore. These struggles would happen in the regular season and then rear their ugly head at crucial moments in January.

Perhaps it could be said that Harbaugh’s firing wasn’t solely due to not reaching the Super Bowl again but rather in how his teams failed to do so. They didn’t simply play competitive football and fall short, they found spectacular ways to shoot themselves in the foot, time and time again, leaving the entire fanbase collectively shaking their heads.

It is in this vein, that Coach Minter must find a way forward. To get a talented group to play their best football when the lights are the brightest and to no longer come up small in the biggest moments.

It’s a touch ironic that the Ravens’ neighbors across the parking lot at Camden Yards underwent a somewhat similar turnover in their off season; bringing in a new staff, headed by Craig Albernaz, with the hopes of getting a group of young, talented ballplayers to get out of their own way and break through in the postseason.

Unfortunately for Baltimore’s Baseball Birds, their new era has not yielded great results thus far.

For the beleaguered fan base of Baltimore sports, we can only hope that Jesse Minter and his staff can break through. Unfortunately, none of our curiosity will be satisfied anytime soon. Perhaps it’s unfair to heap this much pressure on a first time head coach but the lingering doubts about the Ravens will only be quelled by postseason success.

On that ill fated January night in Pittsburgh, when Tyler Loop’s field goal attempt sailed wide, it marked the end of one era and the beginning of a new one.

Hopefully.

The post A New Era appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

On the verge of another season, some things are new.  John Harbaugh had served as the Ravens Head Coach since 2008.  He is now gone, and replaced by first-time Head Coach Jesse Minter.

That transition of leadership – accompanied by Minter’s incoming staff – has some things feeling fresh as a new year begins.

Some things haven’t changed.  The Ravens are entering the season as one of the prohibitive favorites to win the Lombardi Trophy next February.

There are expectations for this team to perform, and pressure for the organization to get over the proverbial hump and do significant post-season damage with Lamar Jackson under Center.

Here we look at the roster, and give some thoughts on what we like and currently question.

Like – Starting with the most obvious, we like #8.  Somehow we’ve reached Year 9 of Jackson’s career, and liking or believing in Jackson is still a discussion point for some.  You can wish that Jackson and the Ravens had accomplished more in the post-season during his career to-date. You can rightfully point out that 2025 was the third time in five seasons that Jackson was limited to 13 games or less. But it has to be acknowledged that the 2x MVP is inner-circle elite when talking about the games best QB’s. When available, Jackson elevates those around him, and gives the Ravens an opportunity to win any game he plays.

Question – Is this a year where Jackson plays 16 or 17 games, or is he limited to 12 or 13?  Jackson has had high praise for new Ravens OC Declan Doyle so far in camp.  Under this new system, and with hopefully better health than he experienced in ’25; do we see Jackson’s numbers rebound closer to his astounding 2024 production?  If the lower-body aliments are behind him, will Jackson run more in 2026?

Like –  Let’s get another obvious one out of the way – Derrick Henry is still a monster.  I know RB’s have a short shelf-life, and at 32 years old; I know some are expecting this is the year he falls off.  I’ve seen people point to his Yard Per Carry average dropping from 5.9 in ’24, to 5.2 as an indication of a precipitous drop coming for Henry in ’26, but that seems silly to me. That 5.2 ypc was still above his 4.9 ypc career average, and it tied James Cook for the most ypc of any RB in the league with 250+ carries for the year. Jackson wasn’t as good in ’25 as he was in ’24, and the blocking in-front of Henry wasn’t as good either. I’d be highly surprised if Henry wasn’t again excellent. I know some are concerned that Henry has 7 fumbles ( 1/3 of his career total ) over the past two seasons, but I can’t get there.  Feels more fluky to me vs. something to worry about.

Question – Justice Hill was limited to 10 games last year. That reduction in availability led to his catches dropping from 42 in ’24, to 21 last year.  Are Hill and Rasheen Ali only on the field on 3rd down? Are they productive enough in their time where the Ravens could potentially give Henry less than 300 carries? Should holding Henry to under 300 carries even be a goal for the Ravens? Or is the team best served vs. using Henry’s physicality over extended carries? Better to continue to feed Henry and have him eat at the will of opposing defenses?  Does 5th rounder Adam Randall push Ali?

Question – Are the Ravens going to miss Patrick Ricard more than some think? The 3x All-Pro, 6x Pro Bowler followed Harbaugh to the Giants. I understand a salary cap exists in the NFL and you can’t keep everyone. I understand FB’s are generally not in-vogue around the NFL and have been devalued. I think the Ravens have long-benefited by taking a contrarian view compared to most of the NFL, and continuing to feature a traditional blocking FB. Think it’s helped not only the running game, but the QB’s as well. And of course further accentuated the physicality the Ravens like to play with. Lucas Scott is in camp trying to earn a spot. FB is his 5th position in 5 years. I’m rooting for Scott to make the roster, and hopefully be good enough to contribute.

Like – I liked the selection of Vega Ioane. The 14th overall selection of the 2026 Draft checks all the boxes in-terms of bringing immediate strength, power, and young legs to the Ravens O-Line. I’m hopeful that Roger Rosengarten is ready to take a bit of leap in his 3rd year. Ethan Pocic was a pretty good late addition at Center, at-least in-terms of upside. He was a College All-American, and a 2nd round pick of Seattle in 2017. He had earned a contract extension with Cleveland in 2023. If he stays available, he should help.  I also like that in Danny Pinter they have a decent option behind Pocic. John Simpson was brought back to the Ravens, and will take over at LG.  Simpson stays on the field, is strong, and plays with an edge. Those are all positives. If he can be league average at Guard, that’s probably a win for the Ravens.  Year 11 is arriving for Ronnie Stanley, and you can generally still feel good about him at LT.  Emery Jones and Andrew Vorhees with Pinter is some solid line depth.  This group might not be an upper-echelon O-Line, but I generally like what Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has been able to accomplish here. I expect Ioane to be good immediately. If Rosengarten is stronger, and better in the run-game this year; that would go a long way to this being a productive unit.

Question – I liked the addition of Pocic. But he did turn 31 earlier this week, and is coming off of a Achilles suffered in Week 14 last year. He’s also never played in all 17 games of a season, though he has been pretty durable the last few years in Cleveland before the injury last year. While I generally feel pretty good about him, there has to be some question of if he will stay available. It also needs to be said that even in a best case scenario from Pocic, he doesn’t figure to be as good as the departed Tyler Linderbaum. Simpson brings some positives to the table at LG, but there also issues. He typically has graded as slightly below average at Guard, and has previously accumulated a lot of penalties. Can he curb the amount of flags he typically sees?   Stanley’s 2024 Pro Bowl season was really good. The biggest difference between Stanley’s ’24 and his ’25 season, is that Stanley’s production in pass-protection dropped. Can Doyle get the ball out of Jackson’s hands a bit quicker more often? That would figure to help Stanley and his fellow lineman in-general. Of course Jackson being able to extend plays, and create opportunities for the offense is part of his greatness so it’s a push-and-pull situation.

Like –  In the Draft the Ravens added WR Ja’Kobi Lane in the 3rd round, and WR Elijah Sarratt in the 4th round. They also added TE Matthew Hibner also in the 4th round, and fellow TE Josh Cuevas in the 5th. Lane is having a big Training Camp, and that reduces some of the anxiety which would otherwise exist. I liked Sarratt at Indiana. We’ve seen the big play potential of Decontez Walker in his first two years in the league. Durham Smythe should get a lot of time as a more traditional blocking TE opposite of Mark Andrews.  Obviously Zay Flowers is a quality weapon, and I thought he was deserving of the contract extension he just signed. Glad he will continue to be in the fold. Andrews is coming off a rough year (for him), but I’m still glad to have him. Don’t expect him to get the 113 targets he had in ’22, but won’t surprise me if his 8.8 yard per catch average in ’25 goes back up near his 12.3 yard per catch career average in ’26. The ankle injuries Rashod Bateman had last year resulted in a completely lost season for him. There is still ability there.

Question – There is still ability there with Bateman, but there are major questions too. The ankle injuries Bateman had last year were real, but there can’t be another season where he gives the Ravens nothing. That lost year also came after he signed a contract extension last Summer. In ’24, Bateman played in all 17 games, and had 72 targets. He averaged 16.8 years per catch on his 45 grabs, and had 9 TD’s. Can he match that production? I’d don’t need him to match the ’24 ypc average. I’d be happy if he stays available weekly, and can consistently help move the chains. Become a threat on 3rd down. Make some contested grabs. I like the Walker, Lane, Sarratt trio. I think there is potential there for them to help. I’d like to slow the breaks on the camp hype from Lane a bit.  It’s good that he’s opening eyes, and that it looks like he can give you something immediately. Going into the Draft, the ’25 Honorable Mention Big Ten WR saw a lot of scouting reports which questioned his ability to play through contact. My question overall with the WR’s is that outside of Flowers, who can you rely on? Who is going to show-up consistently? Given what exists around them, I’m glad to have Andrews back. Had it been a choice of one or the other, I would have liked to have been able to retain Isaiah Likely over him though. Won’t surprise me if Andrews has 50 catches and 600 yards; but I wish I wasn’t going into the year with lingering questions about why his production dropped so much last year. There were lots of weeks he was basically invisible last year. Does that happen again in ’26, or can he again be a presence? I was disappointed that the Ravens weren’t able to keep Charlie Kolar.  Smythe is coming off back-to-back seasons where he had a total of 13 receptions. He did have a four year stretch (’20-’23) where he averaged 27.5 receptions per year. Maybe he gets a bit more involved with the Ravens than he has the last two seasons with Miami and the Bears. As long as he can block as advertised, I’ll be happy there. Everyone likes Flowers.  I think everyone would like him that much better if he was your 2nd WR.

Like – One of my favorite likes so far – Welcome back Nnamdi Madubuike!  It was feared his career was over, and instead the All-Pro is back available. That’s huge. Travis Jones earned the contract extension he signed last December. Calais Campbell is back with the Ravens, and entering Year 19 in the NFL. The future Hall of Famer endured horrible personal tragedy this Summer with his family, and we feel horrible for him with that. But keeping this with the Ravens, I was excited about his addition. Maybe that excitement sounds a bit much considering Campbell turns 40 September 6th, but the 6’8 300 lb has long been known not just as a great talent, but also a fantastic individual that adds to any roster. Another adult in the room. Another coach as a player. That’s a quality add, that can help situationally. Keep him healthy and available for games in January. After the Maxx Crosby saga, the Ravens pivoted to Trey Hendrickson. All of the talk in March was that Hendrickson doesn’t set the Edge like Crosby. Okay, that counts, that’s fair.  He can rush the QB. He had back-to-back 17.5 sack seasons in ’23 and ’24.  Tavius Robinson has flashed the last two years as a pass rusher. Zion Young was the Ravens 2nd round pick out of Missouri. John Jenkins and Broderick Washington give the DL additional beef and depth. Mike Green had 3.5 sacks as a rookie. In Year 2, it feels like he could really emerge with the attention Hendrickson figures to command. I’ve seen a lot of complaints about Roquan Smith from Ravens fans the last two years. NFL Executives and Coaches recently ranked him as the 2nd best Off-Ball LB entering ’26.

Question – Hendrickson missed 10 games during ’25, and had a core muscle surgery in December. Obviously the Ravens need him consistently available. Madubuike being back at all is a win. The question right now is what level is he at? He was awesome in ’23. ’24 was a bit of a step back. In ’25 he was limited to 2 games. Can he stay available? How good is he right now? How many snaps a game is realistic?  It’s Year 4 for Trenton Simpson. There is an opportunity for him to step-up, will he take it? Teddye Buchanan had a very nice Rookie season last year, and then suffered an ACL tear in December. The Ravens seem to be very enthusiastic about Buchanan getting back sooner than later, but we will still need to see it.

Like – The Ravens starting Secondary is Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, Nate Wiggins, Chidobe Awuzie, and Marlon Humphrey.  Hamilton is the best there is. Starks and Wiggins both have pedigree and upside.That’s a strong group, which will only be better if there is a more consistent pass rush in-front of them as expected. Jaylinn Hawkins, and TJ Tampa are good depth. Keyon Martin, and Chandler Rivers will fight for time at the Slot Corner.

Question – Humphrey struggled often during ’25, targeted often by opposing QB’s and he was picked on. Part of that was nagging injuries, and part of that was him just being that much older. This is year 10 for Humphrey. Generally, I feel like he’s been under appreciated. He’s a 2x All-Pro (the last being ’24), and a 4x Pro Bowler. He doesn’t have to lead this group at this point of his career, but he can really elevate this group overall if he rebounds from last year. Year 2 for Starks, I want to see him fully emerge this year.  Similarly it’s Year 3 for Wiggins. In ’25, his snap count went way up, and he had moments where he looked good. He also had times that like Humphrey he was picked on. Came out after the season that he spent most of the 2nd half of ’25 dealing with a nagging groin-injury. By all accounts, he’s having a quality Training Camp. He’s supposedly added some needed strength. He doesn’t have to be Deion Sanders or Darrelle Revis locking down half the field; but you need him taking the challenge of matching-up against the best opposing WR each week.

Question – Prior to ’25, game-day kicking footballs were kept under lock and key by game officials and handed to special teams units right before kickoff. Those balls were stiff. Before the ’25 season, a rule change allowed for teams to get 60 balls before the season to break in. This created a ’25 season where kickers had the average distance of field goal makes rise considerably. This will continue in ’26.  Basically there is a before and after in evaluating kicking from ’25 on.  Tyler Loop joined the Ravens last year as a Rookie, having to replace the greatest ever Kicker in the pre 2025 environment. That was hard enough. During his rookie campaign, he generally looked uncomfortable. He was 30 of 34 on FG attempts, and made 8 of 9 attempts from 40-49 yards, but was just 1 of 3 from 50+.  The miss from 40-49 was the 44 yard attempt vs. Pittsburgh in Week 18. Beyond the misses, after years of watching Tucker hit attempts down the middle, it was a bit eye-brow raising to see Loop look less accurate. He also missed 2 extra-points. Part of me wants to give Loop the benefit of the doubt. Believe he was in a tough position replacing someone that was historically great. Figure he will be better going into Year 2.  The other part of me thinks he’s one bad miss early in the year from completely losing the fanbase.  That’s not a great situation. Also, when the entire league is now attempting and hitting from greater distances; more needs to be asked of him this season.  We will see how he responds. At Punter, Jordan Stout had a Pro Bowl season and left to join Harbaugh in New York. The Ravens replaced him with their 6th round selection Ryan Eckley.  How good Loop and Eckley are will directly influence multiple games.

Like – In 2024 the Defense finished 6th in Defensive DVOA, and in ’25 they finished 16th. Even coming off of that ’24 ranking, there weren’t a lot of local backers for former Ravens DC Zach Orr. As the team production dropped in ’25, Orr absorbed most of the criticism. Fair or not, I like that the Ravens moved on. Not just because I think the new staff will be better, but because it allows the fanbase to turn the page as well. Minter is going to be the primary defensive play-caller. So, not only are you getting his strengths as a Coach – the buck falls on him.  Harbaugh had / has his strengths, but it was tiring over the years to hear how many times he absolved himself from the decision making process of his Coordinators. Minter has a great reputation as a defensive coach. The Ravens saw that first hand when he was here during his first stint as an Assistant. What he did at Michigan, and with the Chargers as their DC speaks for itself.  Bringing on Anthony Weaver (former Raven player and Coach) as the DC, with a focus on the Front 7 seems like a win. As does bringing on Mike Mickens for the Secondary.  Everything you read says the Ravens Defense is going to be ‘fast, violent, aggressive.’  Their going to be hunting turnovers. Their going to be more advanced schematically. And they have the players to be versatile.  On Offense, Doyle was the Coordinator last year for Chicago and had success. Love seeing the reports about how players are raving about his attention to detail.

Question – I’m excited about the Coaching changes.  But the flip-side does have to be mentioned. You went from long-term stability to a first time NFL Head Coach. Being great at X’s and O’s (which Minter is regarded as) doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be great at leading men.  A Coordinator’s job is more about scheme.  A Head Coach’s job is more about keeping everyone rowing in the same direction. When it’s Training Camp, and everyone is excited about a new season, it’s relatively easy to stand in-front of the Press.  When you’ve had a tough loss, that job will become harder.  When/if the team faces real adversity, how do you respond? My sense is that 43 year old Minter will handle things well. I expect he will be able to connect with the locker-room. But there will be questions that are unanswerable until you see them unfold. I’m not going to be rooting for the Ravens to lose 4 of 5 games, or for Minter to make a poor decision with the clock. But if something like that happens, and the public becomes a bit antsy; is Minter able to keep the team focused?

The post Ravens: Likes And Questions As The Season Nears appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

The devil or the raven is in the details, a new matte black helmet, and black talon stripes are nice touches but overall, the shirts and pants don’t look that different from the changes they made almost twenty-seven seasons ago. I have a feeling that with all eyes on Eric DeCosta to have a superb draft class he will lean more on the team’s history for the kind players that they will add this week, although I wouldn’t mind a few more risks.

Best Player Available vs. Biggest Needs

For years, Baltimore has trusted their board and often let the draft come to them. It’s a philosophy that has served them well over the years, but the question isn’t if it works, it’s is that that works now for this draft.

DeCosta has stated that he feels that the talent level falls off midway through Round One, so that could make Baltimore’s pick a sweet spot to land a blue-chip prospect at number 14.

Most experts and mocks are predicting the team will prioritize interior lineman or pass catchers for Lamar Jackson. While Connor Lew (Auburn) is the top-rated Center, many believe that the team will go instead with Vega Ioane the huge blocker from Penn State, or Spencer Fano (Utah), a versatile blocker who could fill multiple roles up front.

There have also been some sites that have linked offensive weapons like Makai Lemon (USC) who could be paired with Zay Flowers or Tight End Kenyon Sadiq (Oregon)who has 4.39 speed and would help solidify a depleted Tight End room with the losses of Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar.

Of course, there is always the possibility of trading back to gather more draft capital but with Baltimore holding eleven picks in the draft I don’t think that seems likely.

I think the Ravens stay on brand here and select Vega Ioane who seems to be the most frequent projection, has a bit of a mean streak and has the most plug and play potential available. Sometimes the best player out there fits a glaring need, as well.

Building Around Lamar – What’s missing?

The structure around the two-time MVP has been the focus and will continue to be so in Baltimore if they are to return the playoffs and make a run.

The team still has holes on the Offensive line especially with the departure of Tyler Linderbaum. A possible replacement could be Logan Jones, a Rimington trophy winner who attended the same school also is a possibility to play right away.

With Rashod Batman’s inconsistency issues returning and the need for more depth aside from Devontez Walker Baltimore could look to add to the receiving corps. The second and third rounds could offer some help there with Germie Bernard (Alabama) being a popular selection with 4.48 speed as well as Tai Felton (Maryland) who also could be a dangerous alternative. The Ravens also could find their Tight End here too. Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt) has had a formal combine with the team and is a favorite of Mel Kiper, while Mason Taylor (LSU) may also be a possibility.

Plenty of Needs

With 11 picks, DeCosta is expected to be aggressive and with multiple fifth round picks at his disposal he should be. He could look to package picks to trade up if one of the Ravens main targets is in danger of being snapped up.

I mentioned earlier about the strategy of best player against need. I feel like the Ravens will lean more into needs due to so many players leaving due to free agency. Having cost-controlled talent that can help you will be important in 2026.

I expect during the first several rounds for Baltimore that they reinvest in both lines. It was a sign of weakness last season when it came to protecting Lamar and being able to get penetration on the defensive side. Jesse Minter’s defense relies on getting pressure with the interior and being able to drop the rest into coverage and doesn’t blitz much.

Here’s how I see it:

First Round (14) -Vega Ioane (OG) (Penn State) – He did not allow a single sack in 2025 and is a mauler type that reasserts a physical presence along the line.

Second Round (45) – Caleb Banks (DT) (Florida) – 6’6” Game wrecker with a quick first step and a ton of potential.

Third Round (80) – Connor Lew (IOL) (Auburn) – The Ravens have a history of drafting Centers and he’s the best option available there.

Fourth Round (115) – Chris McClellan (DL) (Missouri) – Added depth piece to a rebuilding Defensive Line.

That’s much of the early draft capital being devoted to the lines. In the latter rounds, there is a need for coverage at Running Back, Corner, and a starting Punter. Jeff Yurk was an All-American Punter at Elon and is a rising prospect that the Ravens may draft in the seventh round to eliminate a bidding war with other teams such as Minnesota. Yurk had a private workout with Baltimore and the interest in him in reported to be significant.

The post Third And Short: Draft Week Edition appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Before getting into where the Ravens might be looking on draft day, which positions are deepest, and guessing who they will ultimately select, here are a few indicators from drafts past.

Baltimore’s last five 1st-round picks were safety Malaki Starks, cornerback Nate Wiggins, wide receiver Zay Flowers, safety Kyle Hamilton, and wide receiver Rashod Bateman.

Baltimore’s last five second picks (not necessarily 2nd rounders) have been edge defender Mike Green, offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten, linebacker Trenton Simpson, center Tyler Linderbaum, and edge defender Odafe Oweh.

In the last five drafts, Baltimore’s first pick was a defensive back or wide receiver, and 80 percent of their second picks have been an edge defender or offensive lineman.

It’s no surprise to see that, because when you look at the way the NFL is going in terms of game flow, it’s becoming more and more about passing and, of course, defending the pass.

Like I said it’s no surprise, but just because a pattern is out there doesn’t mean teams have discipline to stay consistent like the Ravens do. It’s also worth noting that just because a player is drafted early does not in any way mean he will be a productive player in the NFL.

In other words, knowing what to do and having the plan and ability to execute on what to do are two different things.

I can’t help but think of the Ravens making multiple picks at offensive line and one at every defensive position. Baltimore’s average sacks allowed over the past five seasons comes in at 41. For reference, league leaders generally allow sacks in the low-20s, and the worst teams allow sacks in the low 50s. There’s so much to that number, but it still screams draft offensive linemen, early and often!

In that same time span, the Ravens have allowed an average of 349 points per season. They also had three different defensive coordinators (Martindale 2021, Macdonald 2022-23, Orr 2024-25). In fact, Baltimore has never made the playoffs when they’ve allowed more than 361 points in a season. Last year (398 points allowed) was no exception.

Who can step in, then, and help the Ravens right away? I think Trey Hendrickson is going to be the Ravens’ version of Pete Alonso. Somehow, this all-star specialist came available—at a position of need, no less—and Baltimore got him. Still, the Ravens should draft another edge rusher given recent injury and turnover at the position.

Looking ahead to where the Ravens might go in this year’s draft, I wanted to present to you all my Top 5 list at the Top 5 most important positions for the Ravens. As we know, Baltimore rarely drafts based on need, but when Lamar Jackson is in his prime and the offensive line is in desperate need of rejuvenation, they might just be forced to bypass their customary wide receiver selection in favor of a stud offensive lineman.

Here are top prospects at each of the most critical positions:

Offensive Guard

• Vega Ioane, Penn State, 6’4”, 320 lbs., 32 3/4″ arm, 10 1/2” hand
• Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon,  6’4”, 314 lbs., 33 5/8” arm, 11” hand, 1.82 second 10-yard split
• Gennings Dunker, Iowa, 6’5”, 319 lbs., 33 1/2″ arm, 10” hand, 1.83 second 10-yard split
• Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M, 6’5”, 315 lbs., 31 3/4″ arm, 9 3/4” hand, 1.76 second 10-yard split
• Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech, 6’4”, 316 lbs., 33 1/4″ arm, 10” hand, 1.81 second 10-yard split

Wide Receiver

• Makai Lemon, Southern Cal, 5’11”, 192 lbs., 30 1/2” arm, 8 3/4″ hand, 4.46 second 40-yard dash
• Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, 6’2”, 203 lbs., 30 1/4″ arm, 9 1/8” hand
• Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee, 6’4”, 198 lbs., 32 3/8” arm, 9” hand, 4.37 second 40-yard dash
• KC Concepcion, Texas A&M, 6’0”, 196 lbs., 30 1/4″ arm, 9 1/4″ hand
• Omar Cooper, Indiana, 6’0”, 199 lbs., 30 1/4″ arm, 9 5/8” hand, 4.42 second 40-yard dash

Cornerback

• Mansoor Delane, LSU, 6’0”, 187 lbs., 30” arm, 8 7/8” hand, 4.35 second 40-yard dash
• Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, 6’1”, 188 lbs., 31 1/4″ arm, 9” hand, 4.37 second 40-yard dash
• Keith Abney II, Arizona State, 5’10”, 187 lbs., 30” arm, 9 3/4″ hand, 4.46 second 40-yard dash
• Keionte Scott, Miami (FL), 5’11”, 193 lbs., 31 3/8” arm, 9 5/8” hand, 4.33 second 40-yard dash
• Avieon Terrell*, Clemson, 5’11”, 186 lbs., 31” arm, 8 5/8” hand

*He was my No. 2 corner before his recent hamstring injury

Linebacker

• Sonny Styles, Ohio State, 6’5”, 244 lbs., 32 7/8” arm, 10” hand, 4.46 second 40-yard dash
• Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, 6’1”, 231 lbs., 30 7/8” arm, 9 1/4″ hand, 4.57 second 40-yard dash
• Anthony Hill Jr, Texas, 6’2”, 238 lbs., 32 3/8” arm, 9 5/8” hand, 4.51 second 40-yard dash
• Josiah Trotter, Missouri, 6’2”, 237 lbs., 32 1/4″ arm, 10 1/4″ hand
• Deontae Lawson, Alabama, 6’3”, 226 lbs., 31 7/8” arm, 9 1/4″ hand

Defensive Line

• Rueben Bain, Miami (FL), 6’2”, 263 lbs., 30 7/8” arm, 9 1/8” hand
• Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, 6’2”, 326 lbs., 32 1/4″ arm, 9 3/4″ hand
• Peter Woods, Clemson, 6’2 1/2″, 298 lbs., 31 1/4″ arm, 9 1/8” hand
• LT Overton, Alabama, 6’3”, 274 lbs., 33 1/4″ arm, 10 5/8” hand
• Caleb Banks, Florida, 6’6”, 327 lbs., 35” arm, 10 7/8” hand

The good news is that the Ravens, though coming off of a losing season, are in good overall shape personnel-wise. That said, they need to “hit” on their first three picks if they want to maximize the totality of talent on their roster. Meaning, they don’t need a lot of depth, but they do have a few pressing needs at the top of their depth chart.

Given all of that, and without factoring any more free agent moves, here’s my best guess of what the Ravens should do come April 23-25, courtesy of Stick to the Model:

Round 1, Pick 18 (projected trade with Minnesota—14 overall for 18 and 49 overall) Jermod McCoy, Cornerback, Tennessee

Round 2, Pick 45 Gennings Dunker, Guard, Iowa

Round 2, Pick 49 (via Minnesota) Elijah Sarratt, Wide Receiver, Indiana

Round 3, Pick 80 Logan Jones, Center, Iowa

Round 4, Pick 115 Oscar Delp, Tight End, Georgia

Round 5, Pick 154 Bryce Boettcher, Inside Linebacker, Oregon

Round 5, Pick 162 Skyler Gill-Howard, Defensive Tackle, Texas Tech

Round 5, Pick 173 Louis Moore, Safety, Indiana

Round 5, Pick 174 Keagen Trost, Tackle, Missouri

Round 6, Pick 186 (projected trade with New York Giants—250, 253 overall, and a 2027 6th-round pick for 186 overall) Trey Moore, Outside Linebacker, Texas

Round 7, Pick 211 Luke Altmyer, Quarterback, Illinois

Bottom line: if Lamar Jackson stays healthy, Derrick Henry gets the ball inside the 10-yard line, Kyle Hamilton does his thing, and Mike Green takes the next step, Baltimore should be in great shape.

The post Ravens 2026 Draft Strategy & 7-Round Mock Draft appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Harbaugh out, Minter in…  thoughts on the change?

KA: It was about timing, messaging getting stale and the game plan not being up to snuff. Harbaugh was at the end of his rope as a head coach of the Baltimore Ravens and all things must eventually come to an end. His tenure included a Super Bowl, a 180-113 overall record and 13-11 playoff record. There were a ton of coordinators, assistant coaches and vast amount of players that walked through the doors in Harbaugh’s tenure and he’s now taking many of them to the New York Giants. With all of this being said, Minter should bring a fresh and hopefully fair (for the organization’s sake) assessment of what the Ravens have missed out on the past few years. Defensively, it’s obvious that the team missed out on having a dominate pass rush. The development of talent in the front seven will become a key talking point during Minter’s tenure. Also, figuring out the defensive backfield, depth to surround Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks and Nate Wiggins with quality players will be at a premium.

MF: Before Minter was chosen, I said I thought it was a mistake. I think change needed to happen, but changing a head coach is code for restarting an entire franchise. I don’t think Harbaugh was nearly as much to blame as many think. He’s likely going to the Hall of Fame, but that said, I do like Minter. I actually met him once when I shadowed some defensive meetings in 2019. It was just a matter of time before he became a head coach in this league. He will do just fine, but the issue now seems to be all the players he’s losing in free agency. Perhaps that’s a good thing? We’ll see.

MJ: It isn’t hyperbole to say that John Harbaugh is a Hall of Fame Coach. His accomplishments speak for themselves. He’s 14 th on the all-time list with regular season wins (180-113), 12 playoff
appearances, 6 Division titles, Named Coach of the Year in 2019, and won a Super Bowl in 2012. However, after 18 seasons at the helm it was time for a change. While successful in the regular
season, Harbaugh’s teams struggled to advance in the post-season with Lamar Jackson as quarterback with only 3 post-season wins in 8 years. Harbaugh’s teams also blew 17 double digit second half leads, which is the highest of any NFL coach since 1991. Many factors contributed to those losses, but I’d cite his game management over the years and in game decisions over this past season that sealed his fate.
Harbaugh may continue to have a great career at his next stop in New York. But if he does well maybe he needed a change too. Jesse Minter becomes the franchise’s fourth head coach, and his appointment follows the league wide pattern of hiring young football minds who have proven to have expertise on one side of the football. His ties to the franchise run deep and his familiarity with the front office made him a
front runner early in the hiring process. The Ravens have been defined by defense for decades, so it was no surprise that they wanted to re-establish that by hiring Minter. He also needs to connect with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson who is coming off an injury riddled year and get the most out of him as he sits squarely in his prime.

JS: I wrote back in December that the Patriots game and the mismanagement of the 4th quarter, along with another blown lead would be the end of the Harbaugh era. Apparently, Steve Bisciotti agreed with me and expressed a similar sentiment. After 18 years, it was time for Harbaugh and the Ravens to go their separate ways as the team had become somewhat stagnant under his leadership.

Minter’s staff

Another wonder is about Baltimore’s defense, that added Anthony Weaver as the defensive coordinator. He won’t be in control of the play-calling, but his experience working in Baltimore with the defensive line will be important.

MF: Unfamiliarity tends to breed doubt in life, but if I had to describe Coach Minter throughout this process, I’d use the words steadfast. I think he’s made solid addition after solid addition. It’s apparent he’s been preparing for this opportunity by presumably networking and keeping tabs on who he’d like to add when this opportunity came about. My favorite hire is running backs coach Eddie Faulkner. Not only does it feel good to grab a good coach from the Steelers, but Faulker’s experience in special teams, running backs, tight ends, and full backs is exactly what this offense will need under Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle. Similar to the Harbaugh/Minter situation, I didn’t like seeing Willie Taggart go, but it’s nice to get Faulkner in the fold, especially when Derrick Henry is showing no signs of slowing down.

MJ: Minter’s staff are characterized by youth and close ties to the organization as well. Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle (29) was a fast-rising strategist with the Bears who spent time in New
Orleans with Sean Payton. It will be interesting to see how he modernizes the offense with Jackson under center. Former Raven Anthony Weaver returns to Charm City for the third time as
Defensive Coordinator and even though Minter will call the plays he will certainly have a large role. Anthony Levine Sr. (Co-Cap) is elevated to position as Special Teams Coordinator that he
knew a lot about as a player. While some may be worried about an overall lack of experience Minter has balanced that out with other additions that lean heavy in that direction. Notably, his father, Rick Minter has
coached for over 40 years, and Joe Lombardi with be Senior Offensive Assistant who has a wealth of knowledge he can impart to the young group.

JS: My biggest concern with the new crop of assistant coaches is offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. While he’s received high praise for his offensive prowess from his previous bosses like Sean Payton and Ben Johnson, he’s yet to call plays on gameday. Not only will Doyle have to go through the growing pains and learning curve of being an autonomous OC for the first time but he also has to connect with quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Ravens go as Lamar goes and there’s arguably nothing more important than Jackson thriving in Doyle’s system. How the new OC and former MVP QB work together will be watched closely throughout the spring and summer.

Losses in Free Agency… Linderbaum, Likely, Gilman not a surprise…   did you expect anyone else (Jones, Kolar, Ricard, Washington, Stroud, etc) to be back?

KA: I personally expected Jordan Stout to be back, but he is a special teamer and that’s Harbaugh’s forte. Other than that, Baltimore had a lot to lose, but the price being paid was too high for the team and it became more cost-effective to address these positions through the draft and potentially any cuts coming down the line. 

MF: I had a feeling Likely, Linderbaum, and Kolar would go. I did not expect Keaton Mitchell, Jordan Stout, or Pat Ricard to depart, but I can’t blame them. Fortunately, there seems to be a plan in place (formation adjustments, depth, draft capital) to dress these new needs, but there are a lot of new needs. Lamar Jackson deserves the money he’s getting, but I’m sure that when that contract was offered, Eric DeCosta was assembling a subsequent plan for this batch of free agent departures.

MJ: I wasn’t really surprised with any of the players the Ravens lost. Linderbaum got overpaid by a lot and truly re-set the market. Likely was expected to be gone once they re-signed Mark
Andrews. Stoudt became the league’s highest paid punter. The only mild surprise was not tendering Keaton Mitchell. Though it seems like his whole time here he’s been odd man out There are concerns over his blocking but that speed is hard to have on the bench. This happens all the time to the Ravens and it is a testament to their player development that so many players they draft or trade for are seen as valuable around the league.

JS: Running the risk of being a little bit boring here, virtually nothing has surprised me about free agency; outside of Jordan Stout. While he had a great season, most fans were ready to run him out of town prior to 2025. Harbs and the Giants made him the highest paid punter in the game, god bless. Linderbaum has had 1 foot out the door for quite a while. Once Eric Decosta told the media that they made a “market setting offer” to Linderbaum, I knew his other foot was out the door. Likely’s and Kolar’s tickets were punched when Andrews was extended late last year. I can’t quite understand why the organization went that way (most expensive, lowest upside option) but it is what it is at this point. Ricard’s departure wasn’t a surprise either, as Doyle’s offense wasn’t going to use a fullback. As for the remaining departures, they’re mostly role players, that could’ve come back if the price and circumstances were right but it didn’t work out. Keaton Mitchell staying would’ve been a nice bonus but with the money tied up in Henry, you couldn’t pay a back-up 4-5 million. 

Crosby deal falls apart, Hendrickson signed… 

KA: This situation was the best case scenario for the Ravens following the debacle that came with Tuesday evening’s news that the Crosby trade fell through. At the same time, the Ravens still ended up with Hendrickson, who has had 61 sacks in five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. You’re killing two birds with one stone here – stealing away a productive member of a rival and getting a win-now pass rusher that addresses a position of need. You can’t fault the Ravens for a lack of trying to fix the front seven because according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team wanted both players.

“They actually had conversations with Trey Hendrickson about teaming him with Maxx Crosby,” Schefter said on last Wednesday’s edition of Get Up. “And when the conversations first started, Trey Hendrickson was of the mind that he would be in Baltimore with Maxx Crosby. But alas, that didn’t happen.”

MF: Raiders fans complaining about something they were not privy to. Shocker. I’d consider a healthy Crosby an A, and a healthy Hendrickson an A-. Getting Hendrickson, from a division rival no less, and maintaining your 1st-round picks for the next two years while not having to allocate as much money to him as you would have to allocate to Crosby is a no-brainer.

MJ: The cost of two number one draft picks is pretty steep and you need to be certain about what you’re getting when you pay that price. The Ravens were not comfortable with what they found and backed out of the deal. League-wide people are upset as well as media pundits but as we know these deals aren’t final until pen is put to paper. The team quickly pivoted to Hendrickson who has injury concerns of his own coming off of hip surgery. Hendrickson was the route I figured they’d take and they got their man. They need to keep draft picks to replenish from all the losses to free agency.

JS: I was ready to take the leap with Crosby, he’s an every down game wrecker. Whether the Ravens really got scared off by the medicals or something else went sideways, we’ll never know. Either way, the Ravens quickly pivoted to Hendrickson. While we may need to reflect on this moment 5 years from now to see the overall impact of the organization’s choice, they still filled their need at edge but at a lower cost in both salary and resources. 

The post Ravens Roundtable appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

In the wake of the Week 18 defeat in Pittsburgh that left the Ravens out of the postseason after back to back division titles, many fans clamoring for John Harbaugh’s ouster. But then, “Black Monday” came and went with no news out of 1 Winning Drive. It appeared that Harbaugh would be returning to the Ravens for the 2026 season, maybe with a new coordinator or two.

Little did we know that Steve Bisciotti was contemplating a shakeup that would not only dramatically change things in Baltimore but would send shockwaves around the NFL.

During a phone call in the late afternoon of January 6th, the Ravens owner would relieve John Harbaugh of his head coaching duties and end their 18 year partnership. In spite of the overall success enjoyed during Harbaugh’s tenure, the lack of January breakthrough in the Lamar era, the lost 4th quarter leads and questionable in-game decision making had grown too egregious for ownership to bear.

After Harbaugh’s exit, the Ravens undertook an exhaustive 16 day process of Zoom calls and face to face interviews before hiring former defensive assistant Jesse Minter as the 4th head coach in franchise history.

Minter has a coaching pedigree. His father Rick (who’s now on the Ravens staff) was a college coach. The new Ravens head coach cut his teeth as an assistant under both John and Jim Harbaugh; spending time with the latter at both the collegiate and pro ranks.

Even though Minter sat under the Harbaugh learning tree, his demeanor displayed thus far seems much less “old school, ball coach” and much more relatable to the modern professional player, which will be a breath of fresh air in Baltimore.

The hiring of Coach Minter, along with coordinators Anthony Weaver, Declan Doyle, Anthony Levine and other assistants from the college ranks is bold but not without a degree of risk. The coaching staff has gotten much younger and much shorter on experience; particularly with regards to new OC Doyle. While he’s lauded as a brilliant offensive mind, Doyle has yet to call plays on gameday. Needless to say, there will be a learning curve for sure.

While there is there is some trepidation that comes with the new hires, Jesse Minter will bring something to Baltimore that has been sorely lacking at the top for nearly 2 decades; an expertise on one side of the ball. Rather than deferring and delegating to lieutenants on gameday, Minter revealed during his introductory press conference that he will be calling defensive plays on Sundays (and Mondays, and Thursdays, and Saturdays in December).

Calling the defense just got a little bit easier and a lot more fun for Coach Minter as news broke on March 6th that the Ravens had agreed in principle to send their 2026 and 2027 1st round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for defensive end Maxx Crosby.

In Crosby, the Ravens are getting a 5 time Pro Bowler that plays with aggression and a relentless motor. Since he entered the league in 2019, Crosby is amongst the top 5 defensive linemen in tackles for loss, solo tackles, QB pressures, QB hits, total tackles, batted passes and QB sacks.

For a team that has struggled to close out games on defense and watched 4th quarter leads evaporate, all the while failing to get to the opposing quarterback with any kind of consistency, Maxx Crosby is just what the doctor ordered.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the cost. There’s no way around it; two 1st round picks is a steep price to pay. In another out of character moment, the Crosby trade marked the first time in Ravens’ franchise history that they’ve ever dealt any 1st round pick(s) for a player.

Alas, this was the cost of doing business. News has leaked since the deal was announced on Friday evening that the Ravens, Cowboys and Jaguars were in on discussions with the Raiders. The Jaguars didn’t have the draft capital, so they dropped out of talks early but reports were that the Cowboys offered Las Vegas a 1st and 2nd round pick for Crosby.

DeCosta and the Ravens did not want to miss out on the opportunity to add an impact player at a position of desperate need so they left their comfort zone and acted boldly. Time will tell if the aggressive move to obtain Maxx Crosby’s services was fruitful or foolish. Regardless of the price paid, the 2026 Baltimore Ravens got significantly better on Friday night.

Other than the cost in draft picks, Maxx Crosby carries a 2026 salary cap hit of around $30 million. Before the trade can be executed and ahead of the new league year, the Ravens will need to clear approximately $10 million in salary cap space. This leads us to proverbial elephant in the room.

It goes without saying that former MVP Lamar Jackson and his $74 million cap number has to come down. It’s been widely discussed that there are essentially 2 options to reduce Jackson’s number in 2026.

One, is a simple restructure by converting salary to bonus to clear space under the 2026 cap. While this avoids the discomfort of negotiations, it essentially kicks the can and just makes Lamar’s 2027 cap number even more untenable than his current one.

The other and much more palatable option would be for DeCosta to work out a new extension with his otherworldly signal caller. This would free up cap space in 2026 and beyond, while also rewarding Jackson with additional money and years on his deal.

Running the risk of being too speculative, one can’t help but wonder if the Ravens and Jackson haven’t already hammered out the parameters of an extension. Then, with that knowledge, DeCosta forged ahead with the uncharacteristic and expensive move to bring Crosby to Baltimore.

The winds of change have brought a new head coach and staff to the Charm City, along with a game wrecker on the defensive line. The same winds have carried away the franchise’s top pick in each of the next 2 drafts. Will the break from tendency for the Ravens prove to be a blessing or a curse

The post Winds of Change appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

As I watched I had to wonder in a sport that is often called a “copycat” league (aren’t they all?) how Seattle’s victory would impact not only the rest of the teams chasing Lombardi glory but of course the Baltimore Ravens.

In 2000, the Ravens used what was widely considered the most statistically dominant defense in league history to bully their way to their first Super Bowl title. Due to rule changes and the league’s desire to feature offense and high scoring games many thought that the success generated by that unit would never be replicated.

However, “The Dark Side” has just made a clear case that defenses can still dictate championship glory. Even though they are from different eras they do have several similarities to Brian Billick’s Ravens.

Both had defensive coaches that were the architects of their style of play. Marvin Lewis used unique blitzing packages and employed huge interior lineman to keep Ray Lewis free to wreak havoc sideline to sideline. Mike MacDonald used a “Fangio-centric” style that used disguise and complexity to slow down modern offenses. Both groups used a dominant front seven to stifle the opposition with Seattle blitzing much less and getting pressure with their front four to allow the remaining players to zone-match to receivers.

MacDonald’s leadership and skill in leading Seattle to the championship after only his second season as Head Coach is important to note. At the time he was hired he was the youngest Head Coach in the league when he took over for Pete Carroll. But the youth movement at the head position has been evolving since Sean McVay was hired at 30 in 2017. More teams than ever have been entrusting their franchise’s futures with young innovative minds from both sides of the ball to lead.

The hiring of Jesse Minter is already following the trends. Baltimore now has a young defensive mind that will be tasked with reviving the swagger of a unit that was one of the league’s worst in 2025.

The Chargers defense was comparable in several defensive metrics to MacDonald’s Seahawks such as points per game allowed (18.9) and total defense (285 ypg). They also held opponents to the lowest success rate in the red zone (45%) while blitzing at the same rate as Seattle (21%).

Many analysts and fans feel that Minter can be the next MacDonald for several reasons. First, is the four years that they worked together in Baltimore crafting this disguise heavy system now dominating the NFL. Second, is their shared reputation for developing talent and for getting the most out of players. Odafe Oweh being a prime example as he finished the season with ten sacks after starting with none in Baltimore over the first five weeks of the season.

While Minter has schematic knowledge, his primary challenge for 2026 is going to be retooling the defensive side of the ball to resemble more of the roster that MacDonald led in 2023. That means that he and Eric DeCosta will have some work to do as there will be several questions to answer.

Will Nnamdi Madubuike return to the field? Is it time to move on from Marlon Humphrey? Will the team draft an edge rusher or trade for one? Overall were the Ravens struggles last season a lack of talent or lack of leadership by Zach Orr?

That last one may be the most important question to answer as it may be the difference between retooling and rebuilding for the Ravens on defense.

The offense is a different problem. This is a group that traditionally goes the way Lamar Jackson does and, in a season, where he dealt with numerous injuries to his back and leg while missing four games. His passing performance despite all of that was solid as he threw 21 touchdowns in 13 games with a 103.8 passer rating. The bigger concern with his health was his decline in rushing production as he ran for a career low of 349 yards, which is a massive drop-off from previous seasons.

Lamar’s future with the team has been the subject of a lot of speculation among the media. I don’t think the team has ever thought about moving on from the former two-time MVP and this was just an angle invented by talking heads to get attention and instead the team will look for an extension to get a more friendly cap number so they can get to work with constructing a better roster for next season.

I do have concerns about Jackson’s health and his ability to be a consistent running threat. But he may not need to be to be good enough to win a championship.

The reclamation of Sam Darnold was another important piece to Seattle’s success. The free agent was in the same draft class as Jackson and was very good during the regular season even though he led the league with twenty total turnovers. He was great when it counted as during the playoff run Darnold threw five touchdowns and did not turn the ball over once during the post-season. That piece has been a struggle for Lamar although he was improved under Monken in 2023-24.

For the final piece in the championship formula, we focus on Eric DeCosta. In my opinion he needs to have an excellent off-season to make up for a variety of failures that contributed to such a disappointing 2025.

The offensive line strategy of trying to go cheap at both Guard positions proved costly as both Daniel Faalelee and Andrew Vorhees regressed and overall, the production of the that unit was simply not up to par. The pass rush was underwhelming as they continue to rely on “right player, right price” as the philosophy instead of acquiring premier talent at the position. Trading for Dre’mont Jones instead of making a run at Micah Parsons is a prime example for me. The Parsons move is one that a team with Super Bowl aspirations makes to go all in.

Seattle made a quick turnaround with General Manager John Schneider hitting on blue-chip talent like Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori in the draft and then supplementing with shrewd veteran additions like DeMarcus Lawrence and Ernest Jones VI.

DeCosta will need to have a solid draft class in April and then make some clear choices to address the Ravens most pressing needs. It will be important that DeCosta and Minter are on the same page as the season approaches when it comes to roster construction and how best to achieve the new head coach’s vision.

There are still a ton of questions to answer before Training Camp begins in July but if done the right way Baltimore could be right back where it wants to be sooner rather than later.

The post Can Baltimore replicate Seattle’s Championship Success? appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, given the tremendous 18 years we have spent together and the profound respect I have for John as a coach and, most importantly, as a great man of integrity,” Baltimore owner Steve Bisciotti said in a statement via the Ravens team website.

“Throughout what I firmly believe is a Hall of Fame coaching career, John has delivered a Super Bowl championship to Baltimore and served as a steadfast pillar of humility and leadership. He and his family have deeply embedded themselves in this community. For these profound contributions, on and off the field, we should all be forever grateful.”

Harbaugh was the second-longest tenured head coach in the league, ironically behind Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin (19th season). It’s safe to say that Harbaugh’s time in Baltimore was a success – finishing with an 180-113 record ( a .614 winning percentage) in the regular season and a 13-11 record (.542) in the playoffs. While the numbers speak for his coaching successes, they also speak for his mistakes. The 63-year old went 58-77 (.430) on challenges, often ranking first or second in the league throughout his time in Baltimore – 1.9 on average. 

Baltimore had high hopes heading into the season. The Ravens were coming off of consecutive seasons in which they won the AFC North Division title and at least one playoff victory. There were ton of heartbreaking moments along the way – a fumble over the goal line by wide receiver Zay Flowers in the AFC Championship Game in 2024, along with a dropped two-point conversion by tight end Mark Andrews in the AFC Divisional Round in 2025. 

There were issues at both offensive guard positions throughout the season with Andrew Voorhees and Daniel Faalele struggling with small appearances by rookie Emery Jones. Lamar Jackson ran for his life on a consistent basis and yet still a 103.8 passer rating with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 13 games. Harbaugh’s quarterback was banged up all year and yet their was a lack of change to the offensive line. Even with the absence of Jackson, the struggles of Cooper Rush, who signed with the team on a two-year, $6,2 million deal and the resurgence of Tyler Huntley, in his third stint in Baltimore, Todd Monken’s offense ranked 11th in points.

On the flipside, Baltimore’s defense under Zachary Orr struggled in the first six games of the season, allowing 32.3 points per game – even with Malachi Starks being drafted to upgrade the safety position, even with  the injured Ar’Darius Washington and allow All-Pro Kyle Hamilton to line up in the nickel. Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike missed the rest of the regular following a neck injury suffered during the Browns game. Safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick was acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers for defensive end Odafe Oweh and a 2027 seventh-round pick on Oct. 7, changing Baltimore’s defense for the better. Baltimore allowed 13.4 points over the next five games. The number jumped up to 22.8 points per game over the last six contests.

With mixed results, Baltimore went 8-9 on the season and missed the playoffs. Changes needed to be made and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini explained in a Tuesday post on X with Harbaugh being unwilling to make a change at the offensive coordinator position. The team went 3-3 in divisional play, featuring a 32-14 home Thanksgiving loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in primetime on Nov. 27 and being swept by the Steelers on Dec. 7 and on Sunday by scores of 27-22 and 26-24 respectively. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that the team’s brass felt that Harbaugh had lost the locker room, including but not limited to Jackson. Rapoport reported on Wednesday that the team wants their next head coach to “reach” and “invigorate” Jackson. With those sentiments in mind, along with a laundry list of coaching candidates and Bisciotti’s 20-day search for a head coach in 2008 — Baltimore has a great deal to process before making its next move.

There will be questions for most of Baltimore’s candidates that Bisciotti and general manager Eric Decosta would love to have answered. First, would they consider themselves a scheme specialist as a coordinator and how have they proven themselves to be a leader of men? Secondly, how will they mesh with the front office? What type of staff will they put together? Is this person a good communicator and how? Are they good at handling the media and what type of relationships do they have with players and other staff members in their buildings? How does this person handle adversity?

Here are a few names that may be on Baltimore’s radar:

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator

Baltimore has requested to interview Brady following Buffalo’s AFC Wild Card game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, per a Friday post on X by Rapoport.

The 36-year-old has already been discussed heavily as head coaching candidate in years past. He’s coached since 2013, beginning as a linebackers coach for William & Mary (2013-2014). He immediately moved up to Penn State, joining the program as a graduate assistant under James Franklin (2015-2016) before moving on to the New Orleans Saints as an offensive assistant (2017-2018). Brady stayed in the state of Louisiana as LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2019 — where Joe Burrow led college football with a 76.3% completion rate, 5,671 passing yards, 60 touchdowns and six interceptions, with Ja’Marr Chase leading all receivers with 1,780 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns and Justin Jefferson putting up an Football Bowl Subdivision-high 111 receptions to go with 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns and winning a national championship.

He’s since moved on to the NFL, spending two seasons as the Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator (2020-2021) and moved on to the Bills to become the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2022, prior to being named the team’s offensive coordinator in 2023 — a role he’s held ever since. Brady’s first offense in Carolina was the No. 23 scoring offense in 2020 and ranked 26th in 2021. His offenses in Buffalo have fared much better, ranking fourth, third and fifth respectively from 2023-2025. The Bills were third in the NFL in expected points added per play (0.12), per Sumer Sports. However, Buffalo is 25th in average depth of target (7.54), which measures how far the ball goes downfield from a passer to a pass catcher.

Matt Burke, Houston Texans Defensive Coordinator

The 49-year-old defensive coordinator has coached at the high school, college and NFL levels since entering into the profession in 1998, following his time as a safety at Dartmouth. Burke first earned a spot as a defensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins under Adam Gase in 2017. In two years with the Dolphins, Burke’s defenses ranked 29th and 30th in scoring. His fortunes took a turn for the better when he began working with the Texans in the same role with his defenses ranking 12th, 16th and sixth in scoring from 2023-2025.

While Burke isn’t the most well-known name, he has worked with a ton of head coaches including Jeff Fisher, Jim Schwartz for his entire tenure as his linebackers coach with the Detroit Lions (2009-2013), becoming the linebackers coach under longtime former Bengals head coach and Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator with the Ravens, Marvin Lewis (2014-2015), moving on to take on the same role with the Dolphins under Gase in 2016 before being promoted, working with Doug Pederson (2019-2020) as the defensive special assistant in his first season, then being moved to defensive run game coordinator and defensive line coach in 2020. He was under Robert Saleh as the game management coach, moved to work with Kliff Kingsbury in 2022 as the Arizona Cardinals defensive line coach before coming to the Texans under DeMeco Ryans, who has a 32-19 record (.627).

It’s a mixed bag of success and failure with Burke, but his ability to stay in the league and work with coaches who are vastly different may make him a candidate to look out for. The question becomes, how can he use his league-wide connections to build his staff if he were to be hired by the Ravens?

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings Defensive Coordinator

Baltimore has requested an interview with Flores, per Pelissero.

Flores is a case of a coach that may have been stuck with in neutral with a struggling organization. The former Miami Dolphins head coach went 24-25 (.490) in three seasons with the club and posted winning records of 10-6 and 9-8 in 2020 and 2021 respectively. In spite of his back-to-back winning records, he was dismissed following the 2021 season. Former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who at 43 years old is just a year younger than Flores, explained on Dec. 2024 episode of Fitz & Whit that Flores became “a dictator” during his tenure with the Dolphins.

“The further removed we get from his tenure in Miami, the more people kind of forget about how that ended and the better his name becomes,” Fitzpatrick said… “I think he’s gonna have a really hard time if you’re interviewing for him as a head coach. I think in the interviews he’ll be likable, he’ll be relatable. But when people say ‘okay, gimme somebody from Miami that coached under you as a reference so we can talk to them.’ I think he burned a lot of bridges there. I think he alienated himself from the entire staff. … I think by the end of his time there he became a dictator. He ruined a lot of those relationships that he built up through the NFL.”

Prior to his head coaching tenure, he spent 2004-2018 with the New England Patriots in a variety of roles including scouting assistant, pro scout, special teams assistant, offensive and special teams assistant, defensive assistant, safeties coach and linebackers coach — winning Super Bowl XXXIX, XLIX, LI, LIII with the Patriots. Following his time with Miami, he worked under Tomlin as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in 2022, prior to moving on to the Minnesota Vikings as the defensive coordinator in 2023. The Vikings had the No. 13 scoring defense in 2023, prior to moving up to the No. 5 mark in 2024 and they had the No. 7 defense this season. Minnesota had the fourth-ranked defensive EPA per play of -0.11 and total EPA -111.09, per Sumer Sports. By comparison, the Ravens had the 20th-ranked EPA per play (0.01) and total EPA (16.06).

With Flores’ focus on improving the defense, previous experience as a head coach in the NFL and no nonsense attitude, maybe Flores could be a good fit. The question is if he can adjust his coaching style to fit Baltimore?

Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator

Joseph will be interviewed by the Ravens on Thursday, per a post by NFL reporter Josina Anderson X. The 53-year-old previously served as a head coach with Denver in 2017 and 2018, posting an 11-21 record with the team. He left Denver to take over the Cardinals defense from 2019-2022 and returned to the Broncos in 2023 to become Sean Peyton’s defensive coordinator.

Denver’s defense started out in a state of disarray, placing 27th in points allowed in 2023. He quickly turned the unit around with two consecutive No. 3 scoring defenses in 2024 and 2025. Denver outside linebacker Nik Bonitto produced 14 sacks this season, along with outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper’s 8.0 sacks, defensive end John Franklin-Myers’ 7.5 sacks and defensive lineman Zach Allen’s 7.0 sacks. The Broncos sacked opposing quarterbacks 68 times, leading the league. The Ravens were tied for 28th in sacks with 30.

Joseph was accused of sexual assault by two athletic trainers while serving as the defensive backs coach of the Colorado Buffaloes from 2003-2004. The allegations were looked into by a state task force, Joseph was placed on administrative leave, but he wasn’t charged nor interviewed in the investigation, per a 2017 Jeff Legwold article for ESPN. The Broncos former head coach and current defensive coordinator has maintained that the claims were “false.”

Who would Joseph bring to his coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball? It could be Broncos quarterbacks coach Davis Webb, who is a big name in NFL coaching circles among candidates. Is Joseph ready for a second shot with the Ravens and more importantly, is Baltimore willing to make a decision that will generate harsh questioning from the media with the team’s “zero-tolerance policy”? Joseph’s name is clear, but questions will swirl.

Kliff Kingsbury, former Washington Commanders Offensive Coordinator

Kingsbury was requested to interview for Baltimore’s head coaching vacancy, per a Thursday post on X by Rapoport.

The former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator was relieved of his duties on Tuesday, following a season where the team finished 22nd in the NFL with 318.8 yards per game and 20.9 points per game. His offense was ranked No. 5 in the NFL in points scored in 2024 with Jayden Daniels at the helm.

Kingsbury has coached both at the collegiate level and the NFL as a head coach. His offenses have been known to follow the free-wheeling form of the Air Raid system — quick passes as an extension of the running game to open up the deep passing attack and simplified play calls. While Kingsbury’s Texas Tech teams weren’t particularly successful and went 35-40 (.466) from 2013-2018, his offensive innovation convinced the Arizona Cardinals that he’d be a good fit to pair with then-rookie quarterback Kyler Murray in 2019. Kingsbury finished with a 28-37 record from 2019-2022 and made the playoffs once in 2021, losing to the Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round.

One thing that works Kingsbury’s favor is his time developing quarterbacks, having worked with Case Keenum with the Houston Cougars, Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, the aforementioned Murray, Caleb Williams at USC and Daniels with the Commanders, the latter two were the No. 1 and No. 2 selections in the 2024 NFL Draft. The question is can he get the most out of Jackson and maximize his passing abilities? If he isn’t hired as Baltimore’s head coach, could he be a name to watch for offensive coordinator?

Klay Kubiak, San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator

The Baltimore connections are strong with Klay Kubiak, as his father, Gary Kubiak, served as the Ravens offensive coordinator in 2014. Klay Kubiak’s brother, Klint, is the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. While Klay Kubiak doesn’t have the experience that his brother does, he has worked under offensive mastermind Kyle Shanahan since 2021.

The former high school coach spent seven seasons with Strake Jesuit College Prep in Houston, Tx., serving as an offensive coordinator from 2013-2015, before taking over as the head coach from 2018-2020. Klay Kubiak went on to become San Francisco’s defensive quality control coach in 2021, then served as the assistant quarterbacks coach for two seasons, before becoming the pass game specialist in 2024.

2025 was his first season as the 49ers offensive coordinator and it has been successful so far. The 49ers are seventh in yards and 10th in points scored. Brock Purdy and Mac Jones have combined for 4,157 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions for a passer rating of 98.8, good enough for the league’s fifth-best offense in passing yards and the fourth-best offense in passing touchdowns. San Francisco had 481 carries for 1,817 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.

The biggest question is how much is it attributed to Shanahan’s West Coast offense? Has the 37-year-old Klay Kubiak shown that he’s ready to step outside of the shadow of his father like Shanahan once did? The same could be said about the next candidate.

Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday that the Ravens have formally requested to interview Klint Kubiak.

Klint Kubiak became the Seahawks offensive coordinator in 2025, becoming an assistant to former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Macdonald has since compiled a 24-10 record since leaving the Ravens for greener pastures as Seattle’s head coach.

Back to Klint Kubiak. He’s served as an offensive coordinator with three different teams — first with Minnesota in 2021, then in New Orleans in 2024 and Seattle this season. His offenses have ranked 14th, 24th and third in points scored respectively with Sam Darnold being selected to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. Klint Kubiak’s Seahawks offense went under center for the majority of their snaps and had the second-lowest percentage of shotgun snaps, per Sharp Football Analysis. Kubiak’s offense was eighth in EPA per pass (0.11).

His father is a Super Bowl winning head coach with the Denver Broncos and put together an 82-75 record (.522) in 10 seasons between his stops in Denver and Houston. With Jackson at the helm and a phone call away from his father who had experience with the Ravens, both Kubiak brothers have a chance to put together a strong offense in Baltimore.

Which Kubiak is more likely to land with the Ravens?

Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams Offensive Coordinator

Mike LaFleur has a coaching pedigree that includes his brother Matt LaFleur, who has put together a 76-40-1 record as Green Bay’s head coach, along with stints under Kyle Shanahan as his his passing game coordinator rom 2017-2020, along with his time as the Jets offensive coordinator (2021-2022) and now as the Rams offensive coordinator (since 2023).

The 38-year-old has seen his fair share of struggles — the Jets had the 31st and 18th-ranked scoring offenses during his time with the team. Mike LaFleur, under the tutelage of Sean McVay, has seen a jump in productivity with the Rams, who posted the 11th, 17th and second-ranked scoring offenses in his three seasons. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is playing at an MVP level with a league-leading 4,707 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns. Los Angeles’ running game is No. 7 in yards (2,152) and No. 14 in scoring (17 touchdowns).

If LaFleur can aid Stafford in reaching these heights in 2025, can he do the same for Jackson in 2026?

Dan Lanning, Oregon Head Coach

Baltimore has only had three head coaches in team history. Lanning would be the first to be hired from the collegiate ranks. Lanning has a 48-7 record with  No. 5 Oregon in four seasons and his team is gearing up for their College Football Playoff Semifinal matchup against No. 1 Indiana on Friday evening. He’s won the Big Ten title game against Penn State in 2024 and has two wins in the College Football Playoff this season.

Oregon has transitioned from a Pac-12 powerhouse to a Big Ten juggernaut, ranking sixth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards allowed per game (267.4) and ninth in touchdowns allowed this season (25). Lanning is a defensive-minded coach, having served as the Georgia Bulldogs outside linebackers coach in 2018, before taking on the defensive coordinator position from 2019-2021 — his final season with the program culminating in a 33-18 victory over Southeastern Conference rival Alabama.

Lanning has zero experience at the NFL level. However, fresh ideas may come from the mind of a coach that has seen the variety of offensive and defensive schemes that are coming from the college game. Creative ideas have come from the collegiate level including the higher use of shotgun and motions in the NFL, the structures of the offense, how plays have been simplified, etc. Lanning could be the one to combat the offensive game plans and put his focus on fixing a broken defense.

Is it time for Lanning to make a leap to the NFL ranks?

Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers Defensive Coordinator

Minter has been Jim Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator for two years with the Chargers now and may finally get his shot. The 42-year-old has had one of the top-flight defenses in the league, ranking No. 1 in scoring defense in 2024 and No. 9 this year. He’s also been among the oft-discussed hot coaching commodities within the league.

Minter was a defensive assistant with the Ravens from 2017-2019 and took on the defensive backs coaching job in 2020. The former Ravens assistant became Vanderbilt’s defensive coordinator in 2021, before moving onto Michigan in the same role under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan (who played for the Ravens by the way) for two seasons (2022-2023).

Will Baltimore trust a former John Harbaugh assistant to push the team to new heights?

Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator

The Ravens are reportedly bringing in Nagy for an interview for their head coaching role, per Rapoport.

The Chiefs are one of the NFL’s most creative offenses. Kansas City went under center with tight end Travis Kelce plenty of times through Andy Reid’s tenure, the team lined up in the flexbone formation — an offense that is a feature of the service academies and Nagy has been touted as a creative football mind as Kansas City’s offensive coordinator. The Chiefs had the sixth-ranked scoring offense in his first season as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2017. He took over the Chicago Bears as their head coach — overseeing a No. 9 scoring offense, but never got over the No. 22 ranking in the following three seasons of his tenure with the Bears. After returning to Kansas City in 2022, he returned to the offensive coordinator role in 2023. The Chiefs had the No. 15 scoring offense for two straight years and declined to the No. 21 spot in 2025.

The second time could be the charm for Nagy. Multiple coaches had their struggles and successes in their first time as the leading man,. and boy, did Nagy have both with the Bears. Nagy took over the Bears with Mitchell Trubisky at the helm at quarterback in 2018. Trubisky actually took a step forward in his first season with Nagy as his guide, leading the team to a 12-4 record and a Pro Bowl selection for his 24–touchdown, 12-interception performance. Then, Nagy’s teams went 8-8 in 2019 and 2020, before dropping down to 6-11 in 2021 — resulting in Nagy’s dismissal.

Things could change for Nagy with more knowledge and experience as a head coach and as an offensive coordinator under Reid.

“I didn’t know how it was going to go, but it was one of the most profound things in five hours I’ve ever done in my entire life. It was revealing, just powerful,” Nagy said to CBS Sports. “I mean, anybody that’s going to sit here and listen to everything that 40 people are saying that you could have done better or also things that you did well.”

Robert Saleh, San Francisco 49ers Defensive Coordinator 

Baltimore has requested an interview with Saleh, per a Thursday report by Schefter.

Saleh took over the New York Jets in 2021 as the head coach with his tenure lasting five games into the 2024 season. He had a 20-36 record (.357) before being fired by the Jets, but he may get another chance to take over as the head coach with a different organization. In his second time around as the 49ers coordinator. following his first tenure from 2017-2020, he used sub packages 81% of time on defense in 2026, trailing the just the Seahawks (92%), the Ravens (87%) and the Bears (85%). The 49ers only blitzed 21.7% of the time, ranking 24th out of 32 teams, per Sharp Football Analysis. The 49ers finished 13th in scoring defense, allowing 21.8 per game.

The 46-year-old could get a second shot at becoming a head coach without having the likes of Zach Wilson at quarterback. He’s proven that he can salvage the defensive side of the football with talent being provided — having his biggest success during the 2019 season, where the 49ers played in Super Bowl LIV. San Francisco ranked sixth in forced turnovers (27), fourth in sacks (48), second in total defense (281.8 yards per game) and first in passing defense (169.2). San Francisco went from the 25th-ranked scoring defense in 2017, to the No. 8 scoring defense at their peak in 2019.

Can Saleh look past his Jets tenure and move the Ravens forward?

Jim Schwartz, Cleveland Browns Defensive Coordinator

There is a lot of history in Baltimore, the state of Maryland and the area at-large when it comes to Schwartz. First and foremost, he was born in Halethorpe, Baltimore County on June 2, 1966. He graduated from Mount Saint Joseph High School in 1984, where he was a standout linebacker, going on to play college football with the Georgetown Hoyas for four seasons and becoming a Division III CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-American and team captain. 

Schwartz spent time as a graduate assistant with the Maryland Terrapins in 1989, then went on to Minnesota in the same role the following year, spending the 1991 season at then-Division II North Carolina Central as the secondary coach and becoming the linebackers coach at Division I-AA Colgate in 1992. 

Annapolis native Bill Belichick hired Schwartz in 1993 as a personnel scout with the Cleveland Browns – spending time in the role for three seasons. Schwartz moved with the Browns to Baltimore, where he worked with the Ravens from 1996-1998 as a defensive assistant under Ted Marchibroda – who previously spent time with the Baltimore Colts as the head coach from 1975-1979. 

Schwartz later became the Detroit Lions head coach in 2009 and held a 29-51 record (.363) in five season with the team. His best year was the 2011 season – the lone year that his Lions team made the playoffs. Since then, he’s served as a defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2014, the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016-2020, where he won a Super Bowl in 2017, a senior defensive assistant with the Tennessee Titans (2021-2022) and he’s spent the last three seasons as the Browns defensive coordinator. 

Is this Schwartz’s opportunity to take over his hometown team?

Chris Shula, Los Angeles Chargers Defensive Coordinator

Just like Schwartz, Shula has a connection to Baltimore. His grandfather was Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula, who was the head coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1963-1969, winning an NFL championship in 1968. Shula’s father, David, played one season for the Colts in 1981 where they were housed at Memorial Stadium. 

Chris Shula has spent the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams in his current role with his defense ranking 17th in points allowed per game in 2024 and 10 in 2025. The 39-year old is a football lifer, having spent time coaching at Ball State, Indiana and John Carroll before moving to the NFL ranks.

Will Shula get the call over fellow Rams coordinator Mike LaFleur?

Kevin Stefanski, former Cleveland Browns Head Coach

Before getting into Stefanski’s tenure with Cleveland, he was a long-time Vikings assistant from 2006-2019. He worked under Brad Childress (2006-2010), Leslie Frazier (2010-2013) and Mike Zimmer (2014-2020). Stefanski paid his dues since the time he was 24 to age 38, where the Browns hired him as their head coach.

He had a tall task ahead of him for the 2020 season — fixing a culture in Cleveland that had just two playoff appearances since 1990 prior to him getting there. The Browns finished 11-5 in his first season and they beat the Steelers on the road in the AFC Wild Card Game, prior to losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round and the team went back to the playoffs in 2023, posting an 11-6 record and finishing second in the division behind the Ravens. Ultimately, he couldn’t get Cleveland back to the playoffs, going 3-14 in 2024 and 5-12 this season.

Stefanski’s offenses have ranked No. 14 (2020), No. 20 (2021), No. 18 (2022), No. 10 (2023), No. 32 (2024) and No. 31. While he’s been touted as an offensive-minded head coach and his featured unit hasn’t been the greatest, he has proven that he can turn around a franchise in flux. He hasn’t had a Jackson-sized weapon at the quarterback position. Could that be the difference?

Anthony Weaver, Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinator

Pelissero reported that the Ravens have requested to interview Weaver, who spent time with the team as both a player and coach. The 45-year-old Weaver has been a defensive coordinator in three seasons (2020, 2024-2025) with mixed results. His defense was No. 27 in points allowed, though he improved the Dolphins defense to No. 10 in scoring defense, but the Dolphins regressed to the No. 26 scoring defense in 2025.

Weaver was drafted by the Ravens in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft and played with the team for the first four year of his career and started 54 games. He then signed with the Houston Texans and played three seasons with them before calling it a career in 2008. Weaver went on to join the Florida Gators in 2010 as a defensive graduate assistant and moved on to North Texas as the team’s linebackers coach in 2011.

He moved onto the NFL in 2012 as the Jets assistant defensive line coach under former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan and spent time as a defensive line coach with the Browns (2014-2015), the Texans (2016-2019, prior to being promoted to defensive coordinator with Houston in 2020. He came back to Baltimore as the defensive line and defensive run game coordinator in 2021 and was promptly promoted to associate head coach for the 2022 season. With Orr receiving the nod at defensive coordinator, Weaver moved to Miami as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2024 — where he’s served since.

Will the former Raven take over Baltimore and return its defense to its old glory?

Davis Webb, Denver Broncos Quarterbacks Coach

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that 30-year-old Broncos offensive pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb will interview with Baltimore on Thursday. Webb was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played five more seasons — one with the Jets (2018), three with the Bills (2019-2021) and another year with the Giants (2022). Sean Payton immediately scooped him up as the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2023, where Russell Wilson had a 66.4% completion rate, 3,070 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Bo Nix took over the starting spot at quarterback in 2024. He’s since passed for 7,706 yards, 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

Pelissero reported that Webb will be interviewed for the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching position as well. While Webb is a sought after head coaching candidate, is he ready to take on the role despite being relatively inexperienced at coaching?

This article has been updated to include Flores, Kingsbury, Nagy and Saleh’s interview request. Baltimore has since completed interviews Joseph and Webb.

The post John Harbaugh Exits, Some Possible Replacements appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened.

Inexplicably, after a swift, dominant opening drive of the game last night, Baltimore let its foot off the gas and allowed the Steelers back into the game. Aaron Rodgers was uncharacteristically inaccurate and flustered, yet the Ravens couldn’t adjust to simple pass concepts. Running backs into the flat and tight ends down the seam was about the extent of Arthur Smith’s wheelhouse last night. But hey, it worked just enough.

Think about this: Baltimore’s defense allowed 23 points in the 2nd half to an offense that only scored six points in an entire game last week against the Browns. Maybe that had something to do with key Ravens defenders missing routine tackles and getting walled off at the point of attack.

There are too many guys that make tens of millions of dollars per year that made rookie mistakes, while the actual rookies played like $20 million veterans. Bottom line: it’s embarrassing to lose that game to that team when so much was going your way, despite the stakes being as high as possible. How often do teams lose a lead on the road and then revert the entire flow of the game? Rarely, but the Ravens did that. They were right there. But it wasn’t enough.

When Baltimore did have the ball, Pittsburgh eventually forced the Ravens out of their run game and away from Derrick Henry. Actually, never mind, the Ravens did that themselves.

Henry by the half:

• 1st half: 15 for 112 yards, 7.5 ypc
• 2nd half: 5 for 14 yards, 2.8 ypc

Do you think that maybe a Hall of Fame running back is worth investing carries in? Do you think that maybe, though it may take a few carries to get him going, he’s your best offensive option? It’s almost as if Henry didn’t out-gain all other Ravens on the ground by 11.5x (126-11). In his last four games, Henry rushed for an average of 143 yards per game and scored six rushing touchdowns.

In what world, with your season on the line, do you watch that game unfold and say to yourself, “You know what we need? Less of Derrick Henry.”?

Truly, truly unbelievable.

Thank goodness for Jordan Stout and the coverage and return units, otherwise this game might have been a blowout. Give credit to Pittsburgh. They played poorly too, but they made less mistakes than Baltimore.

The Ravens had every chance to set themselves up for a lengthy playoff run this year, but overwhelmingly, they weren’t able to get the job done.

So, the question now is how does the team move forward?

Firing John Harbaugh is not the answer. So many people—self-proclaimed fans of the Ravens, mind you—want “their” team to fail because they equate the team losing to an increased chance of Harbaugh being fired. Okay, fine. You don’t like him? Fine, you don’t have to. But don’t call yourself a fan of the Ravens while at the same time rooting for their demise because Harbaugh made some decisions you didn’t agree with.

By the way, firing a head coach and cutting a player are not one in the same. Those moves are massively different. Cutting a player is essentially a like for like switch, where you let one go in favor of a backup currently on your team or in favor of a veteran you’re about to sign or trade for. Firing a head coach is code for resetting the franchise. You’re not just firing him, you’re firing an entire staff, and you’re risking all the progress you’ve made with your core players.

Many people are salivating at this prospect without the slightest clue of who could tangibly replace him. It’s beyond dumb to complain about a problem and not offer a solution. Don’t forget, either, Harbaugh was there for Lamar when many others weren’t. He’s been in Lamar’s corner since Day 1, so if you get rid of Harbaugh, you risk losing Lamar.

All that said, I do think changes need to be made. For one, the team needs to heavily emphasize the lines of scrimmage in the offseason, as opposed to their traditional best player available approach. The Ravens were below average in sacks allowed (45, 20th) and sacks recorded (30, T-28th). The identity of Ravens football does not compute with numbers like that.

If I’m Eric DeCosta, I’m looking to draft one offensive lineman at each position (tackle, guard, center), and even explore the free agency market. Baltimore’s run blocking was excellent, but when…Henry “slows down” (i.e., doesn’t get the ball) and Baltimore migrates to a passing offense, their offensive line productivity plummeted.

Names to watch in the upcoming draft are: ·

• Ola Ioane, Guard, Penn State ·
• Emmanuel Pregnon, Guard, Oregon ·
• Chase Bisontis, Guard, Texas A&M ·
• Carter Smith, Tackle, Indiana ·
• Caleb Tiernan, Tackle, Northwestern ·
• Gennings Dunker, Tackle, Iowa ·
• Logan Jones, Center, Iowa *2025 Rimington Award winner (nation’s best center) ·
• Peter Woods, DT, Clemson ·
• Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State ·
• Caleb Banks, DT, Florida ·
• Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State ·
• Zane Durant, DT, Penn State ·
• David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech ·
• Kenyatta Jackson Jr., EDGE, Ohio State ·
• Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee ·
• Anthony Lucas , EDGE, Southern Cal

On the free agency front, Baltimore’s best approach would be to retain their own. According to Over the Cap, Ravens starting linemen/edge defenders that are set to become unrestricted free agents in March are: Tyler Linderbaum, Daniel Faalele, Dre’Mont Jones, Kyle VanNoy, and Brent Urban. That’s 60 percent of your starters at those positions. Between the deep draft class and the lengthy free agent to be list, as well as the most basic fundamental part of football, refreshing the front lines on both sides of the ball should be priority one.

After that, the usual suspects come to mind: wide receiver and cornerback. And now, suddenly, inside linebacker is a worry. Teddye Buchanan was probably the best of the group this year, and Trenton Simpson really came on strong over the last month of the season. Roquan Smith had a pretty good season, until last night when he left plays on the field, and Jake Hummel is primarily a special teams contributor. One player to keep your eye on is Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, winner of the following major accolades:

• Lombardi Award (nation’s top player)
• Nagurski Award (defensive player of the year)
• Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year)
• Butkus Award (outstanding linebacker)
• 5th in Heisman voting · The highest-graded player in college football (Pro Football Focus)

All this without changing a single coach (which Eric DeCosta, Sashi Brown, and Steve Bisciotti will surely discuss doing).

This isn’t a stump speech for John Harbaugh. It’s an imploration for the Ravens organization to get back to basics, learn from last night, and remember how fruitful investing in the lines of scrimmage can be. Five of Baltimore’s nine losses were by one score. If they even turn two of those five losses into a win, they’re AFC North champions for the 3rd consecutive year and preparing for a home playoff game.

From 2023-24, the Ravens had a combined record of 25-9 and an average point differential of +10.6 points per game. This year, their record was 8-9 and they finished with an average point differential of +1.5 points per game.

What was the great, big change? Nothing really, except for Nnamdi Madubuike’s devastating injury. While he’s a tremendous talent, losing his production isn’t an excuse for such a precipitous drop in performance. In fact, everyone on the team should’ve been better, given one more year together and the collective resolve to avenge last season’s gutting playoff loss in Buffalo.

Instead, the 2025 Ravens were, in a word, mindboggling.

Make no mistake: what happened this year cannot happen again. The 2025 season is over and done with. It’s time to move on to draft season.

Remember, you win and lose football games up front. Period.

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