RAVENS HIRE TODD MONKEN AS NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
The Baltimore Ravens have hired former Georgia Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their new OC, the club confirmed this week.
Now back in the pros, the former Browns and Buccaneers offensive coordinator makes a return after a successful three-year stint in college football that included back-to-back National Championships at Georgia.
“We conducted 21 interviews with 14 candidates throughout a thorough process that had wide-ranging organizational involvement,” Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “Todd’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. We’re excited to get to work and begin building an offense that will help us compete for championships.”
Monken had strong interest from Tampa Bay and the Georgia Bulldogs were also applying pressure for a decision. A source told CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, “Monken will have a great plan for the entire offense and for Lamar Jackson. He’ll help take Lamar’s skill set to another level.”
Projected to work well with “any quarterback”, Monken will be delighted to have a generational type of talent playing under center and executing the plays. Reported to be a Lamar Jackson type of hire, the 2019 Unanimous MVP is said to have had his input on the new OC hire and his stance on the Ravens’ offense from a philosophical and schematic standpoint.
Monken has experience at both the Pro level and collegiate level and runs a similar type of offense to what Jackson had at Louisville when he won the Heisman trophy seven years ago. A brilliant offensive coach, the 57-year-old is well known for balancing both the run and the passing game, something that he did exceptionally well in Georgia.
The Bulldogs’ offense averaged 472 yards per game this season on their way to winning a second consecutive national championship title, accounting for 272 of those yards in the air and 200 on the ground. Monken’s offense averaged 39.8 points per game and his feel for play calling always kept defenses and opposing defensive coordinators off-balance. With his schematic flexibility during games and unpredictable play calling, Monken threw more on first down and rushed more in passing situations, a trick that worked wonders for the Bulldogs.
With the hire of an offensive coordinator that loves the pass as much as the run, it should be happy Sundays for receivers in Baltimore in the near future. For some time now, it’s been reported that wide receivers didn’t want to play in Baltimore due to the team’s run-heavy offensive scheme with former coordinator Greg Roman. That should change with Monken calling plays.
The Ravens are also in the market for a number 1 wide receiver this offseason and could acquire one or two players in the draft, free agency, or via trade. The team has been linked to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and Washington’s Terry McLaurin.
While utilizing players is something that Monken does well, expect some of the Ravens’ offensive weapons to have an uptick in numbers and playing time. One of the Ravens superstars that is expected to massively improve is starting running back JK Dobbins, who was frustrated under Roman last season due to a lack of playing time, especially during the Ravens’ Super Wildcard Weekend defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dobbins is expected to be fully healthy and should be at 100% by training camp after suffering an ACL and a knee injury in back-to-back seasons. The former 2020 second-round pick is a big play waiting to happen and his role in the Ravens’ offense will likely transition from ‘speedy running back’ to ‘workhorse’ with Monken known for feeding his no.1 back in the past three years in Georgia.
Dobbins only had 92 carries in 2022 and should easily eclipse that total in 2023 if he stays healthy. A massive red zone threat, the former Ohio State halfback can be utilized in both rushing and the passing game. Dobbins had only eight targets last season under Roman, compared to his 22, 26, and 23 targets in his three years in college at OSU, and should see his share of passes in the future. Monken’s running back at Georgia, Kenny McIntosh, had 49 targets, 43 receptions, and 504 receiving yards in 15 games last season.
Several former Ravens were ecstatic with the news of Monken’s hire and went on social media to voice their approval. “Love the Todd Monken hire for the Ravens offense and Lamar [Jackson],” said former Ravens quarterback Robert Griffin III. “In those back-to-back National Championship seasons at Georgia, Monken routinely out-schemed the defenses he faced in the passing game. Monken will help Unanimous MVP Lamar [Jackson] take his game to another level. SCARY HOURS.
“Monken’s use of tight ends and the run game at Georgia screams “Play Like A Raven,” Griffin continued. “Tough, physical, smart. No one in college football had better offensive game plans in big games [in] the last two years than Georgia.”
Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant tweeted, “I love this hire! I’ll argue Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews make All-Pro. I’ll also make an argument they’ll be playing for a chance to make it to the Super Bowl next year. Todd Monken wins wherever he goes!”
While the Ravens’ acquisition of Monken is great news, it certainly is a brave one on his part, especially considering the uncertainty surrounding Lamar Jackson and his impending contract extension. Monken will look to replicate his success at Georgia and should adapt and succeed with the personnel he has.
The Ravens are intent on making a “comprehensive transition” on offense, and it’s expected that some staff hires and personnel decisions are coming over the next few weeks. As per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, “the determination on the final makeup and tapestry of the Ravens offensive staff” will be a “collaborative effort” between [Head Coach] John Harbaugh and Todd Monken as moving pieces start to take shape in Baltimore.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Gamecock Central. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.