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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/Naholian on 2023-07-29 03:18:58.
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Division: AFC North
Subreddit: r/ravens
2022-23 Regular Season Record: 10-7, 5-3 Home and 5-4 Away, 2nd Place in the AFC North
Postseason: 6th seed, lost to Bengals in Wildcard Round
Introduction:
Hello Ravens Flock! Welcome to your 2023 offseason review! I am not a Ravens fan myself (I have the misfortune of being a Bears fan and have no connection to the Ravens or the Baltimore area), so expect a hopefully fair and unbiased examination at the moves the Ravens made this offseason and how this new season looks to be shaping up.
All in all, the 2022-23 season for the Baltimore Ravens was not too bad. Improving from a record of 8-9 the previous season, the team’s 10-7 record was enough to earn a spot in the wildcard round. While the Ravens suffered a first-round exit to their division rivals, the team put up a pretty good fight and had the misfortune of being on the wrong side of a historic fumble return touchdown. The majority of the Raven’s key pieces are returning this year, and combined with some new additions, this team looks to be a serious contender in the AFC once again.
For the past couple years, a crucial problem for the Ravens has been injuries. Key offensive players like Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins, and Rashod Bateman all missed significant time in the 2022-23 season, and the team lost 3 out of their last 4 games, sliding from 9-4 and the 3rd seed in the AFC to 10-7 and the 6th seed. As the new season approaches, hopes of the Ravens making a serious playoff run and having a potential shot at the Super Bowl certainly ride on maintaining the health of their stars.
Coaching Changes:
It will be John Harbaugh’s 16th season at the helm, as he looks to bring another Super Bowl to Charm City. Underneath him, though, there have been some changes in leadership.
Todd Monken - Offensive Coordinator
The Baltimore Ravens parted ways with their former offensive coordinator Greg Roman in January and hired Todd Monken around a month later. Monken was formerly the offensive coordinator of the University of Georgia, where he helped the Bulldogs win two national championships. Before that, Monken was with the Browns in 2019 (during Odell Beckham Jr.’s most recent 1000-yard receiving season!), the Buccaneers from 2016-18, and head coach of Southern Mississippi from 2013-15. His background is mostly in the receiving room, marking a fresh change from his predecessor’s run-heavy playstyle. For a team that only managed 3040 total passing yards last season (28th in the league), this new hire will ideally open up the passing game and create new opportunities for Lamar Jackson and his receivers to move the ball downfield and score touchdowns. My grade: A
Tee Martin - Quarterbacks Coach
Promoted from his role as wide receivers coach with the Ravens, Martin has been with the team already for 2 years. Beforehand, he had roles with University of Tennessee, USC, and Kentucky. He replaced quarterbacks coach James Urban. Under Martin’s wide receivers coaching tenure, he didn’t have a lot of superstar talent to work with, and his receivers often struggled to even stay on the field due to injuries. He lacks professional quarterback-coaching experience at the NFL level, but his experience with the Ravens so far has evidently meant that they believe he is ready for the task. My grade: B
Willie Taggart - Running Backs Coach
His first season at the NFL level, Taggart has previously held roles as head coach of Florida State, Oregon, and most recently Florida Atlantic University from 2020-22. Under his helm, FAU was ranked 38th in rushing yards per game with 184.3 yards. His overall experience at the college level has been mixed, with FAU firing him after an overtime loss to his alma mater, Western Kentucky, in 2022. Before that, he led Florida State to their first losing season in 40 years, then was fired before the end of the next season. Despite this, Harbaugh has confidence in Taggart’s abilities. Hopefully, he is able to lead the Ravens running backs to success this upcoming season. My grade: C-
Greg Lewis - Wide Receivers Coach
Lewis replaces Tee Martin as wide receivers coach. Before, he was coach of the Chiefs’ running backs and wide receivers from 2017-22. The Chiefs have had significant success during that time, and Lewis will ideally bring that success with him to Baltimore. Over the years, Lewis has guided the development of players like Tyreek Hill, Isiah Pacheco, Mecole Hardman, Brandin Cooks, and Tyler Boyd. He will look to provide that same mentoring to young receivers like Zay Flowers in the Ravens receiving room. My grade: A
Chuck Smith - Outside Linebackers Coach
Smith was a 2nd-team All-Pro pass rusher with the Falcons in the 1990s, and he once even had a 5-sack game (one of only 19 players to ever do so). He has not coached in the NFL, however, since a pass-rush specialist stint in 2009 with the Jets. The majority of his coaching experience has been as a private pass-rush trainer, where his trainees have included Aaron Donald and Carlos Dunlap. Replacing Rob Leonard, Smith will look to build on the 48 team sacks recorded last season (5th in the NFL). My grade: B+
Dennard Wilson - Defensive Backs Coach
Wilson helped coach the Eagles’ defensive backs in 2021 and 2022, working with players like Darius Slay, and James Bradberry. Before that, he worked with the defensive backs room on the Jets from 2017-2020. The strength of the Eagles’ secondary in the past two years gives Wilson credibility as he enters a defensive backfield that gave up 229.4 passing yards per game (23rd in the league) and caught 14 interceptions (16th in the league). My grade: A-
Scott Elliott - Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
The previous strength and conditioning coordinator, Steve Saunders, was a controversial figure for both fans and Ravens players. He was criticized for the team’s high number of injuries by players like Matthew Judon, Derek Wolfe, and Rashod Bateman. Scott Elliott’s promotion to head strength and conditioning coordinator will hopefully mark a new era of fewer injuries, allowing the Ravens to succeed in the later stretch of the season and into the postseason. Before his tenure with the Ravens started in 2018, Elliott ran a training performance facility in Kansas. Elliott must focus on injury prevention and recovery in his new role. My grade: A-
Free Agency:
Players Lost/Cut:
|Player|Position|New Team|
:–|:–|:–|
|Calais Campbell|DE|Atlanta Falcons|
|Trystan Colon|OG|New York Jets|
|Josh Oliver|TE|Minnesota Vikings|
|Ben Powers|OG|Denver Broncos|
|Marcus Peters|CB|Las Vegas Raiders|
|Tony Anderson|S|Retirement — joining Ravens as a scout|
|Andy Isabella|WR|Free Agent|
|Mike Thomas|WR|Free Agent|
Major Departures:
Calais Campbell: Campbell has been around the league for a while—he’s actually the oldest active defensive lineman in the NFL at 36 years old. He signed with the Ravens in 2020 and has been a solid veteran player on the line, recording 5.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 2022. Unfortunately, though, Campbell was a casualty of the Lamar Jackson payday, and was sacrificed for $7 million in freed cap space. On the Ravens, Campbell was a solid piece of the defense. His veteran presence and good sportsmanship (he won the 2019 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award) will be welcome in Atlanta.
Ben Powers: Powers had a breakout season in 2022, notching elite pass block and run block win rates. When it came time for free agency, the Broncos offered him $52 million for 4 years, $28.5 million of the total sum guaranteed. This price was evidently incompatible with a new Lamar Jackson contract and other signings. Whether Powers can continue to perform at a high level is now Denver’s problem. But losing Powers will be a sting to the capabilities of the Ravens’ offensive line.
Marcus Peters: A three-time Pro Bowler, Peters has 32 career interceptions—but only one of those came from 2022. Last season was a clear down year after a season-ending ACL injury in 2021. The Raiders have been in need of cornerback improvement, and they signed Peters for that role, hoping he can return to Pro Bowl form. As for the Ravens, the impact of a loss of a veteran pass defender will have to be determined during this upcoming season.
Unrestricted Free Agents:
|Player|Position|
:–|:–|
|Vince Biegel|OLB|
|Kenyan Drake|RB|
|Kyle Fuller|CB|
|Justin Houston|OLB|
|Ja’Wuan James|T|
|Steven Means|OLB|
|Jason Pierre-Paul|OLB|
|Demarcus Robinson|WR|
|Sammy Watkins|WR|
Players Signed:
|Player|Position|Old Team|Salary|
:–|:–|:–|:–|
|Rock Ya-Sin|CB|Las Vegas Raiders|1yr / $6 million|
|Odell Beckham Jr.|WR|Free Agent|1yr / $15 million|
|Nelson Agholor|WR|New England Patriots|1yr / 3.25 million|
|Lamar Jackson|QB|Re-signed|5yr / $260 million|
|Tyler Huntley|QB|Re-signed|1yr / $2.67 million|
|Kevon Seymour|CB|Re-signed|1yr / $1 million|
|Tarik Black|WR|Re-signed|1yr / $750k|
|Kristian Welch|LB|Re-signed|1yr / $1 million|
|Trayvon Mullen|CB|Re-signed|1yr / $1.2 million|
|Del’Shawn Phillips|LB|Re-signed|1yr / $1.1 million|
|Justice Hill|RB|Re-signed|2yr / $4.5 million|
|Nick Moore|LS|Re-signed|2yr / $2.5 million|
|Geno Stone|S|Re-signed|1yr / $1.8 million|
|Sam Mustipher|C|Chicago Bears|1yr / $1 million|
|Josh Johnson|QB|San Francisco 49ers|1 yr / $1.1 mil…
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