The Ravens hired Todd Monken from the University of Georgia as their offensive coordinator on Feb. 14, capping a nearly monthlong search for Greg Roman’s replacement.
Roman left the Ravens organization after the season to pursue other opportunities and thus began a search that spanned the pro and the college ranks before head coach John Harbaugh settled on Monken, who has experience as an NFL offensive coordinator with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-18) and Cleveland Browns (2019).
Harbaugh said in a statement that the organization conducted 21 interviews with 14 candidates for the job, and Monken’s “leadership and coaching acumen were evident from the beginning. He has a proven track record for designing and teaching offensive systems that allow players to succeed at the highest level.”
Monken, 57, takes over a Ravens offense that, under Roman, became the most prolific run offense in NFL history but never found a balance between the rushing and passing attack. The Ravens led the league in rushing in 2020 but finished dead last in passing, with receiver Marquise Brown ultimately asking to be traded. This past season, the Ravens ranked No. 2 in rushing and No. 28 in passing.
Injuries played a significant role in the offensive struggles of the past couple of years, with quarterback Lamar Jackson missing extensive time in each of those seasons. Running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards both missed the entire 2021 season and also missed some time in 2022 as well, and top wide receiver Rashod Bateman missed the final nine games of this past season.
The Ravens finished 10-7 and earned a wild-card berth to the postseason, losing in the opening round of the playoffs to the Cincinnati Bengals. Roman and the Ravens parted ways a few days later.
Monken’s hiring generally drew praise on social media. Former Ravens tight end Ben Watson, who played at Georgia, tweeted, “Y’all got a good one! Can’t wait to see Todd’s ingenuity on display with the talent on this roster. Perfect fit.”
Here are five key questions as Monken takes over, becoming the seventh offensive coordinator in Harbaugh’s 16 seasons:
1. Will Lamar Jackson be his quarterback?
This is the No. 1 offseason storyline in Baltimore, and really, the entire league. Jackson’s rookie contract is up, and the team and their former league MVP quarterback have not been able to reach an agreement on a contract extension.
The two sides got nowhere in talks last year, then shelved negotiations until after the season. Speaking at his season-ending news conference, general manager Eric DeCosta said a long-term extension with Jackson was a top priority, but there has been nothing to suggest that the sides are any closer than they were a month or a year ago.
If no deal is reached by March 7, the team figures to put a franchise tag on Jackson. If the Ravens opt for the non-exclusive tag, which would cost roughly $32 million against the cap, Jackson would be free to entertain offers from other teams, and the Ravens would have the chance to match any offer sheet. If they didn’t, the Ravens would receive two first-round picks as compensation.
The Ravens could also use the exclusive tag, at a cost of about $45 million, which would keep any other team from negotiating with him, but would eat up an extra $13 million in cap space. There is increasing speculation, reiterated by NFL Network on Super Bowl Sunday, that the Ravens might entertain trade offers for Jackson if he is tagged.
Jackson could opt to skip OTA workouts and part of training camp if he is on the franchise tag, which would be less than ideal with a new offensive coordinator implementing a new system.
Harbaugh said after the season that Jackson would “be involved” in the search for a new coordinator, but it’s unclear when Jackson will be on the field for him. Monken didn’t shy away from the job despite Jackson’s uncertainty, though, and he has proved in the past to be successful molding his philosophy to the available talent.
2. How different will the offense look?
Based on the Ravens’ pool of candidates for this job — several of whom had titles such as passing game coordinator — a philosophical shift to a more balanced attack seems to be in order, and Monken has the pedigree for that.
He has roots in the “Air Raid” philosophy, and his Tampa Bay offense in 2018 ranked No. 1 in the league in passing and No. 3 in total offense with Jameis Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. He has also had the running backs more involved as receivers than the Ravens did under Roman.
At Georgia, Monken pivoted based on his personnel, increasingly relying on tight ends and heavy personnel groups that played to the team’s strengths. That will be good news to Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard and emerging tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Monken will want to pound the ball with a physical, bullying rushing attack that has always been a cornerstone of Harbaugh’s philosophy as well.
But Monken is likely to open up the passing game and attack more downfield, and Harbaugh and DeCosta have already vowed to rebuild the wide receiver room. If healthy, Rashod Bateman figures to benefit from any advances in the downfield passing game, and the Ravens now can look to revamp that receiver corps with players whose skill sets most marry with what Monken wants to accomplish.
3. Aside from Jackson’s uncertainty, what other personnel issues does Monken inherit?
Harbaugh noted after the season that the offensive line, tight end and running back positions are fairly well solidified already heading into 2023. That’s an enviable position for any offensive coordinator to walk into. Jackson’s contract uncertainty hovers over all, and Monken has essentially been handed a blank slate with the receiver room — Bateman and TBA.
Devin Duvernay figures to be back as well, but his cap hit has jumped to $4.5 million with a Proven Performance Escalator. James Proche and Tylan Wallace can’t be feeling much job security, and Demarcus Robinson — who led Ravens receivers this past season with 48 catches for 458 yards — is a pending free agent.
The Ravens are also expected to lose starting left guard Ben Powers, a pending free agent who probably played his way into nice offers elsewhere that the Ravens won’t be inclined to match. Other than that, though the Ravens’ offensive line is expected to return intact.
Dobbins is back to anchor the Ravens ground game, and after Tyler Huntley’s disastrous playoff fumble at Cincinnati, Dobbins made clear that he expects to be a No. 1 back with the ball in his hand at key points.
The Ravens also return Edwards, but his cap number is up to $5.6 million this season. Dobbins and Edwards were the ideal duo for Roman’s system, though injuries the past two years prevented them from fully showing it. Do the Ravens part ways with Edwards, which would clear $4.4 million in cap space? Do they try to extend him and lower that cap number this year?
4. Will there be a shakeup on the offensive coaching staff?
The Ravens reportedly interviewed tight ends coach George Godsey and quarterbacks coach James Urban as internal candidates, but with Monken getting the job, it’s fair to wonder whether those coaches or others would look for other opportunities.
Monken likely has a short list of coaches he’d like to work with, and the coaching carousel moves at a dizzying pace this time of year, especially with assistants and position coaches. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see some degree of change on the Ravens’ staff.
5. Will the Ravens take a flyer on Stetson Bennett now?
Bennett is one of the more intriguing names in the draft, if only because the quarterback went from college walk-on to Heisman Trophy finalist at Georgia, where his offensive coordinator was Monken.
Bennett is viewed as a late-round or rookie free-agent prospect. He’s undersized for an NFL quarterback at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, and after a six-year college career, which included two stints at Georgia and a one-year detour to Jones County Junior College, Bennett is only 10 months younger than Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens’ quarterback situation is in flux until Jackson’s status is resolved, and Huntley is a restricted free agent this offseason. The Ravens have Anthony Brown, who filled in at times this year, but it’s fair to wonder whether Monken, depending on how the draft plays out, wouldn’t welcome the chance to bring his Heisman finalist to Baltimore.
Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh could be another one to watch. McIntosh, the Bulldogs leading rusher this year with 829 yards, also had 505 receiving yards, and pass-catching running backs have always been a key component of Monken’s offense. McIntosh projects to be a mid- to late-round pick.
As of now, the Ravens have just five draft picks, and none after the sixth round.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Georgia Athletics