Tag: Greg Roman

Ravens OC Greg Roman shares thoughts on WRs Rashod Bateman, Miles Boykin

Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman shared his thoughts on wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin

The Baltimore Ravens activated wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin off of injured reserve on Wednesday, and both players returned to practice in full. The return of both players is great news for a team that has dealt with a massive amount of injuries over the past month, so getting two big pieces to their offense back on the field is a big deal.

When asked about his thoughts on both Bateman and Boykin, Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman showed praise on both players, noting that they bring something special to the table on the offensive side of the ball.

“I think we were very impressed with Rashod [Bateman], obviously. We know Miles [Boykin] a lot more. Miles, I think, is probably one of the more physical blockers in the league. [He’s] really probably Top Five, maybe Top Three, if you’re really honest with yourself if you watch the film. Bateman, we feel great about what we’ve seen. So, it’s going to be kind of a little bit of what you were alluding to, and we’re going to kind of get a feel and a sense as we go with what he does really well and how we can apply him. It certainly gives us opportunities to basically just take Rashod’s ability and put it to use. So, we’ll see how that goes. Certainly, yesterday was his first day back, and we’re excited about that. From what we’ve seen, I think good things are going to happen there.”

It remains to be seen whether both players will suit up and play in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos. However, when they both do return to the field, Bateman’s explosiveness and Boykin’s blocking ability will help the Ravens’ offense in a big way.

Former Ravens OT Orlando Brown says he’s not going to ‘snitch’ about Baltimore offense

Former Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown said he’s not giving any of Baltimore’s secrets away

The Baltimore Ravens are gearing up to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 after dropping a big game to the Las Vegas Raiders in their season opener. It will be a tough task to play one of the best teams in the NFL on a short week, but Baltimore is preparing for that challenge and making sure they do everything they can to get ready to play good, solid football on Sunday night.

Kansas City is also preparing for their Week 2 contest, and will be looking to learn anything and everything that they can about the Ravens. They even have some former Baltimore players who could help them out by giving them secrets to how the Ravens do things. However, former Baltimore offensive lineman and current Chiefs player Orlando Brown said that he won’t be “snitching” on his old team.

Brown’s response is very similar to that of former Baltimore safety Eric Weddle, who also said that he wouldn’t give away the Ravens’ secrets. It’s a sign of loyalty, which is very respected around the league.

Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman was asked about Brown’s comments, and he said that the former Raven “ain’t a snitch”.

“The unwritten rule is you do do that. I know the character of Orlando Brown [Jr.], and I know he would never do such a thing, because Orlando ain’t a snitch.”

Brown wanted out of Baltimore due to his desire to play left tackle, something that the Ravens couldn’t offer him unless Ronnie Stanley somehow left himself. The fourth-year player is now trying to figure things out in Kansas City, and will look to protect his new quarterback in Patrick Mahomes when the two teams match up on Sunday.

Ravens OC Greg Roman shares his thoughts on the chemistry of Baltimore’s offensive line

Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman shared his thoughts on the chemistry of Baltimore’s offensive line unit

The Baltimore Ravens reshaped their offensive line in a big way during the 2021 offseason. They brought in guards Kevin Zeitler and Ben Cleveland as well as tackles Alejandro Villanueva and Ja’Wuan James. The team is also getting back All-Pro tackle Ronnie Stanley and moving former guard Bradley Bozeman back to center, where he played in college.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman was asked about Baltimore’s offensive line’s chemistry so far, considering the fact that the projected starting group hasn’t had a lot of time to gel together in live-game action. Roman said that he believes it’s starting to come together.

“I think it’s starting to come together. We really felt like we were maybe a little behind before the Carolina game. I felt like we started to really push that area, and I’m seeing it come together. You’re always fighting for five guys out there at all times. I’ve been fortunate enough, for a few years, to have that happen, and it’s always the best-case scenario. But we really like our collection of offensive linemen, and we have a lot of depth, we feel. Everybody is getting better, so I like where we’re at right now.”

With all of the new faces on the offensive line it makes sense that the group needs time to get familiar with each other on the field, especially when it comes to actual games. While the unit could start a bit slow in 2021, once they get a few weeks under their belt they should be much better than what the Ravens were trotting onto the field towards the end of the 2020 season.

Marquise Brown says Ravens’ offense needs to show what they can do in deep passing game

Marquise Brown says Ravens’ offense needs to show what they can do in deep passing game

The Baltimore Ravens are projected to throw the football more in 2021 than they did last season. With an improved group of wide receivers and an offensive line that is expected to give quarterback Lamar Jackson much more time to throw, it seems like the team will surprise some people with how efficient they are through the air.

A big part of how well Baltimore can throw the football is on the players, but also on offensive coordinator Greg Roman. When talking to the media after the Ravens’ first full day of training camp practice, wide receiver Marquise Brown talked about Roman and his scheme after he was asked a question about if there are any differences in terms of downfield passes compared to last season.

“No. [Offensive coordinator] Coach [Greg] Roman has a playbook. Everything we’re still running is there. We just have to perfect what he has us doing. Once we show that in practice, then they’ll get more comfortable to call it in a game. So, it’s on us to just show what we can do.”

Baltimore sometimes struggled to throw the ball down the field and connect on 20+ yard throws in 2020. With the speed that Brown, Sammy Watkins, Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay and more offer, there will be plenty of opportunities to hit on some big time plays. It will be up to the players to show that they’re up to the task of successfully executing those plays, but also on Roman and the coaching staff to scheme them up in a way that will make the team successful. With how well the players and coaches work together and the new talent within both groups, the Ravens’ offense will most likely be able to stretch the field in a big way during the 2021 season.

Bucky Brooks thinks Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh are under pressure as QB-coach duo

Bucky Brooks thinks Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh are under pressure as QB-coach duo

The Baltimore Ravens have an extremely formidable duo in quarterback Lamar Jackson and head coach John Harbaugh. The two have experienced plenty of success over the course of their time together in Baltimore, and will look to build on it during the 2021 season.

NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks stirred up plenty of controversy a few months ago when he proposed an idea of the Ravens considering moving off of Lamar Jackson and let him “graduate” in order to select a younger quarterback under team control at a reasonable price, such as Justin Fields.

Brooks named five QB-coach duos that are under pressure heading into the 2021 season, and put Jackson and Harbaugh in No. 2 spot on his list. When explaining his decision, Brooks pointed to the lack of postseason success that the two have had.

“Jackson has posted a 30-7 career regular-season record and claimed an MVP award in 2019 while dazzling as an electric dual-threat playmaker. But questions persist about his pocket-passing ability after observers watched the Ravens’ run-heavy offense fizzle in three straight early playoff exits. With Jackson and Co. underperforming in the postseason, the pressure is mounting on Harbaugh to diversify the offense to give the Ravens a better chance of advancing in the tournament. Will the Super Bowl-winning head coach stick to the unorthodox script that has made the Ravens perennial title contenders in the Jackson era? Or will he scrap the plan in favor of a traditional approach that could produce better results in the postseason? The outcome of the decision could make or break the Ravens’ next few seasons.”

Jackson and Harbaugh certainly do need to perform better in the postseason in order to get Baltimore to their goal of winning a championship. The team hasn’t made it past the Divisional Round in the playoffs over the first three years of Jackson’s career, and with a talented roster from top to bottom ready to compete in 2021, it’d be somewhat of a disappointment if the Ravens can’t advance to at least the AFC Championship this year.

Despite the lack of playoff success, it feels like the pressure to better diversify the offense is being placed on offensive coordinator Greg Roman instead of Harbaugh. While the head coach definitely has a hand in that part of the game, Roman could be the one blamed for any lack of a successful passing game.

The duo of Harbaugh and Jackson have been successful, but it’s time for them to ascend to another level. Both are great at what they do, and they should be able to do great things in 2021.

Dez Bryant says he has no bad blood with Ravens; wants negative talk to stop

Dez Bryant signed with the Baltimore Ravens in the middle of the 2020 season. He enjoyed his time in Baltimore and says there’s no bad blood

The Baltimore Ravens signed Dez Bryant to a one-year contract in the middle of the 2020 season after he sat out of football for two years. Bryant suffered a serious achilles injury in 2018 and worked hard to recover from it, and he felt like Baltimore was the right opportunity to get back to playing football again.

After working his way back into game shape, Bryant was used sparingly by the Ravens. In six games, he put up six receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per catch. After catching his first touchdown in over three years against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Bryant dedicated the game ball he received to his daughter for inspiring his comeback.

During a recent exchange with a fan who commented on how many times he was targeted in the red zone by Baltimore, Bryant made it clear that he had no bad blood with the Ravens, and wants people to stop blowing things out of proportion.

Despite his overall low usage, it seemed like Bryant sincerely enjoyed his time with Baltimore, creating bonds with his teammates and embracing the Ravens way. Although he has put out some clips of him dominating in practice on social media as well as hinting that the Baltimore offense has issues that aren’t Lamar Jackson, Bryant has said he’s thankful for the opportunity that the Ravens gave him.

Bryant is currently still a 2021 free agent, but he has said that he knows that Baltimore wasn’t the right fit for him. He also made it known that he believes that the Ravens are a first class organization, so it’s hard to believe he harbors any resentment towards the team. Bryant’s stay in Baltimore didn’t go how many expected, but from his comments it’s safe to say he enjoyed his time with the organization and doesn’t want any other false narrative spread.

Sammy Watkins is the perfect signing for the Ravens

When factoring everything in, the Baltimore Ravens’ signing of WR Sammy Watkins during the 2021 NFL free agency is truly a perfect deal

The Baltimore Ravens finally got their guy, signing wide receiver Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal Friday evening. While Watkins wasn’t the Ravens’ first choice and Baltimore likely wasn’t Watkins’ first choice, the pairing offers potential benefits for both sides.

The Ravens fill one of their biggest remaining needs with a capable player for a bargain-basement price. Watkins will have a chance to shine as a second-fiddle instead of as a third or fourth option in a more stacked passing attack, giving him the opportunity to re-enter free agency in a better spot.

Though Watkins was the fourth-overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft and expected to be a star, he never quite reached that potential. Instead, Watkins has been more of a complementary wide receiver throughout most of his career, pairing well with speed options opposite him. Just like in Kansas City where Watkins balanced out the Chiefs’ passing attack playing opposite the speedy Tyreek Hill; Watkins will now play opposite the speedy Marquise Brown in Baltimore. Except, as the Ravens’ roster currently stands, Watkins is clearly the No. 2 option, which should give him the opportunity to earn even more targets than he did last year in Kansas City.

That “X” wide receiver spot has been a missing link in Baltimore for quite some time, bring truly filled last by Anquan Boldin. Last year, the Ravens used a combination of Dez Bryant and Miles Boykin in that role, ultimately getting a combined 44 targets to go their way. Unfortunately, neither player truly excelled, seeing quarterback Lamar Jackson have to often force the ball to Brown or tight end Mark Andrews instead. That’s where Watkins’ signing makes all the sense in the world.

Watkins has the size, polished route running, and just enough speed to be a pretty big upgrade over Boykin and Bryant. Watkins should force defenses to “pick their poison” on every play, having to carefully choose where they spend the bulk of their focus defending. As long as each part of the offense does its job, someone should be open on every play among the trio of Brown, Watkins, and Andrews. And if defenses back off the line of scrimmage to stop the pass, Baltimore’s league-leading rushing attack would be salivating at the chance to test it.

There’s good reason to believe Watkins will be his best self with the Ravens. Watkins had the best season of his career under current Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman, catching 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns with the Buffalo Bills in 2015. The Ravens also hired Keith Williams as their passing-game coordinator, who just so happens to have been Watkins’ personal wide receiver coach before. Ideally, Watkins is entering a situation where everyone is familiar with getting the best out of him, hopefully helping him get up to speed quickly.

Beyond the on-field production, Watkins should be a mentor to the Ravens’ young wide receiver corps as well. After selecting Devin Duvernay and James Proche in the 2020 NFL draft, and losing Willie Snead and Dez Bryant this offseason, Baltimore’s wide receiver corps is pretty young. Brown is entering his third season and will be 24 years old, making him the oldest and most experienced starting wide receiver on the roster before Watkins’ signing. While Watkins hasn’t lived up to his star potential, he should be able to pass along his experience, having played on multiple teams and in multiple roles. He’s been to multiple Super Bowls, a clear goal for the Ravens, and something not a single person on Baltimore’s roster can boast. If he can bring over anything he learned at Kansas City, that experience alone is worth his price tag.

At $5 million (with another $1 million in incentives), Watkins is a steal. The Chiefs paid him a fully-guaranteed $9 million in 2020 after initially signing him to a three-year deal in 2018 worth $16 million a year on average. Barring Watkins missing a ton of time due to injuries, Baltimore should see a positive gain out of him on that small of a contract. But there lies the biggest problem with Watkins.

Over his seven-year career, Watkins has played a full 16-game season just once. Over his three years with the Chiefs, Watkins missed a total of 14 games, including six in 2020. Considering Baltimore’s run-first offense asks wide receivers to be very physical — often blocking downfield — Watkins’ injury history is a concern.

Now, this doesn’t preclude the Ravens from still addressing the position early in the 2021 NFL draft, nor should it. Watkins is on a one-year deal, making him more of a stop-gap solution rather than a permanent fix. But by having Watkins, Baltimore doesn’t have to reach for a player and they’ll have a chance to slowly bring them into the fold rather than throwing them to the wolves immediately. When looking a little closer at the Ravens’ draft strategy over the years, that’s often the path they take, rarely starting even highly-regarded rookies in Week 1.

Baltimore signing Watkins is a perfect deal if you look at it for what it truly is. He’s not a No. 1 but he wasn’t signed to be a No. 1. However, given that he excels in the role the Ravens will have for him and he’s cheap, it’s a great signing that should push Baltimore’s offense to the next level.

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After latest failure to sign a WR, are the Ravens in trouble?

After multiple attempts to land a WR in 2021 free agency, the Ravens haven’t gotten one. We take a look at the most probable reason for it

The Baltimore Ravens swung and missed yet again this offseason. For at least the second time, Baltimore made a compelling offer to a free-agent wide receiver and was turned down. First, it was JuJu Smith-Schuster and this time it’s T.Y. Hilton. If you’re a Ravens fan, it’s enough to make you go nutty. But is it the massive deal everyone is making it out to be?

The answer is no, at least not for the reason you’re probably thinking.

I believe most fans appreciate that Baltimore is at least trying to sign another weapon for quarterback Lamar Jackson, something the masses have wanted for years now. But as the Ravens get rejected yet again, it’s leading many to wonder why as panic begins to set in about the team’s prospects of improving next season.

Unfortunately, there’s not a clear answer to the question. Very few players will ever publicly say why they turned down an offer, especially if there’s a chance at a pairing in the future. In this case, both Hilton and Smith-Schuster played it as cool as they could, focusing more on their current teams and how big of an offer Baltimore gave them over their reasoning for rejecting it.

That leads to speculation and assumptions. For some, it’s an easy shot to take at Jackson, who has been highly criticized since before the 2018 NFL draft. Even after he won the NFL’s MVP award in 2019 and critics became quieter, it didn’t take long for them to come back out the second Jackson struggled last season. However, I think it’s important to note that players around the league have spoken very highly of Jackson throughout his career and Dez Bryant recently went to bat for him earlier in the week. Even Hilton’s body language, when talking to Pat McAfee about the prospect of playing with Jackson, seemed to indicate it was a selling point and not an issue.

Others have instead looked at offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Offensive coordinators have often been the scapegoat of plenty of issues in Baltimore, seeing six of them join the team over the last 13 seasons. But there seems to be a little fire to that smoke this time around as players have taken not-so-thinly veiled shots at the Ravens’ run-first scheme. Bryant criticized the offense while defending Jackson, Willie Snead spoke out about the lack of opportunities now that he’s a free agent, and even Marquise Brown has been liking and retweeting posts about the issue.

Baltimore’s passing production has been a sore point for years now but was the main topic after the team ranked dead last in passing yards in 2020. However, that’s a little disingenuous of an argument to make considering the Ravens also finished last in passing attempts. According to Football Outsiders, Baltimore had the 17th-ranked passing DVOA, which is a far better metric for determining the success of a unit compared to just pure stat watching.

Still, the lack of opportunities and production really appear to be the issue at hand. When applying that filter to recent free-agent decisions, the picture becomes a lot clearer.

Both Smith-Schuster and Hilton re-signed with their former teams on one-year deals. Considering the free-agent market is historically low this offseason thanks to the reduction in salary cap, it makes far more sense both players are simply betting on themselves next year.

Think about it this way . . . If you’re a free-agent wide receiver and you want to make the most money possible next season, you’re going to want to sign with the team that gives you the best chance of putting up a career-best year. Would that be the place you’ve been your entire career, with a coaching staff and teammates that know how to maximize your potential? Or would you rather make a little more money for a year but have to uproot your entire life and family to move states away and play in an offense that throws the fewest passes in the NFL? The answer is pretty obvious.

It is a concern that Baltimore hasn’t been able to land a wide receiver yet despite plenty of attempts. But I also think this is a unique offseason that no one really knows how to handle, and it’s unfair to judge a team or player for how they’re trying to navigate it. Unfortunately, the Ravens are going to need to overpay to land a good wide receiver. It’s just the price that comes with having a run-first offense and, given the reported offers thus far, Baltimore seems to understand that themselves.

It’s not pretty and no one is happy right now. But this isn’t the offseason to go making accusations based on where players are or are not signing.

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Sammy Watkins leaves Baltimore without a contract, on to the Colts

The Baltimore Ravens had free-agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins in the building on Tuesday. While it was a “good visit,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watkins has left the area and is continuing his free-agent tour with the Indianapolis Colts on …

The Baltimore Ravens had free-agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins in the building on Tuesday. While it was a “good visit,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Watkins has left the area and is continuing his free-agent tour with the Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday.

At this stage of free agency, a player leaving the facility without a deal isn’t the greatest sign. However, it also doesn’t necessarily mean one won’t get done eventually. It’s unclear exactly why a deal didn’t come together but if Baltimore liked what they saw, it could simply be a matter of Watkins wanting to check out all of his options before making a final decision or the two sides being a little too far apart on terms to lock in a contract immediately.

While some fans haven’t been terribly excited about the prospect of signing Watkins, he’s been a positive contributor to a few teams throughout his seven-year career. Watkins isn’t the No. 1 wide receiver fans have been practically begging the team for but he should be an immediate upgrade on the outside over Miles Boykin, the biggest hole currently on Baltimore’s depth chart.

There’s also reason to believe Watkins could actually excel with the Ravens thanks to his connections to offensive coordinator Greg Roman and passing-game specialist Keith Williams. Watkins had the best season of his career under Roman, catching 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in 2015 with the Buffalo Bills. Even over the last three years as a complimentary receiver in the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense, Watkins has been a pretty sure option, having a 102.2 passer rating when targeted in 2020 and a 120.2 passer rating when targeted in 2018.

The question surrounding any possible deal with Watkins would be about money. With the salary cap reduced this year, the market for wide receivers has been down, seeing some of the top options sign short-term deals for pennies on the dollar. At one point, many believed Watkins could be that No. 1 guy, paying him like it. Unfortunately, with a down market and the lack of top production, it’s unclear exactly what Watkin’s actual value is right now.

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Dez Bryant defends Lamar Jackson on Twitter — hinting at Ravens’ offense having other issues

Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant took a thinly veiled shot at the team’s offense as he defended quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Baltimore Ravens wide receivers haven’t exactly been kind to the organization this offseason. Willie Snead, Dez Bryant, and Marquise Brown have all either posted or liked posts bashing Baltimore’s offense this offseason. Bryant took another thinly veiled shot on Saturday.

Reacting to some perceived negative talk against Lamar Jackson, Bryant took to Twitter to defend his former quarterback. However, in doing so, Bryant hinted that something else in the offense is the reason for the offense’s struggles.

While no player has outright called anyone out, fans and even some analysts have long criticized offensive coordinator Greg Roman for his schemes in the passing game. Fans have also often criticized coach John Harbaugh for a string of disappointing hires at offensive coordinator, seeing six different people hold the job over 13 years.

While some have pointed to Baltimore’s last-place passing attack in 2020, that was more of a result of being last in passing attempts. When comparing passing efficiency, the Ravens actually ranked in the middle of the league. Still, in an era of football where teams throw for over 400 yards on a regular basis, Baltimore’s insistence on being a run-first offense has earned the ire of fans for years. And with this offseason’s comments, it appears as though the players aren’t all that happy either.

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