Tag: Greg Roman

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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Tweets by Willie Snead, Dez Bryant, and Marquise Brown point to growing unhappiness in Ravens’ offense

The Baltimore Ravens seemingly have a growing problem with their current and former WRs after three players bashed lack of opportunities

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh might not be willing to beg free agent wide receivers to join the team, but he might want to beg his current and former wide receivers to stay off social media.

On the same day Dez Bryant said Baltimore wasn’t a good fit for him, fellow pending free agent Willie Snead posted a cryptic message on Twitter that was seemingly pointed at the Ravens. In that and subsequent posts, Snead seemed to be calling out Baltimore’s offense and coaching staff for a lack of opportunities.

While this was the most obvious instance, this isn’t the first time this offseason Snead has posted enigmatic tweets that seemed to diss Baltimore.

It might be easy to dismiss Snead’s comments considering his role and production have steadily diminished over his three years with the Ravens. After seeing 95 targets in 2018, Snead had just 94 targets over 2019 and 2020 combined. Snead could also be trying to improve his value with free agency looming, throwing out an excuse for his dropping production. However, what is far more alarming is the fact Snead doesn’t appear to be alone in sharing this viewpoint.

Not only have Bryant and Snead both effectively called out Baltimore over the past week, but Marquise Brown hasn’t exactly been silent on the matter either.

With Brown agreeing with Snead’s opinion, it puts into question his tweet from earlier in February, just minutes after it was announced the Ravens had hired passing game coordinator Keith Williams and wide receivers coach Tee Martin.

I’m not one for reading too much into what players post on social media but the sheer number of head-scratching tweets from current and former Ravens wide receivers aren’t a great sign.

With Baltimore acknowledging their struggles throwing the ball and their intent to continue being a run-first offense, three players are now being far more vocal about their displeasure. Considering the Ravens have finished no higher than 22nd in passing yards over the last three seasons and dead last in passing attempts in 2019 and 2020, it makes sense Snead, Bryant, and Brown would all be upset. It’s unclear whether the players are simply upset about the lack of opportunities in a run-first offense or if they’re more frustrated with offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Regardless of their individual concerns, Baltimore’s coaching staff needs to get with these players to find out what the problem is and fix it quickly.

An offense can’t function nearly as well if a chunk of the players aren’t buying into what’s happening. And for a team that desperately needs help at tight end and wide receiver this offseason, these public complaints can’t be doing the Ravens any favors with pending free agents. It’s these types of issues that can completely derail a team and with Baltimore so close to a Super Bowl, not addressing these concerns would be malfeasance by the Ravens’ top brass.

We’ll see what Baltimore does this offseason to potentially address these concerns, but by the sound of these tweets, increasing the number of pass attempts is the solution.

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Dez Bryant wants to play 2 more years but not with the Ravens

Dez Bryant posted a series of messages on Twitter that all but confirm he’s moving on from the Baltimore Ravens.

Wide receiver Dez Bryant made his return to the NFL last season, being signed by the Baltimore Ravens. After having sat out of football for two years, Bryant played in six games for the Ravens as they looked for more production from their passing attack. As Baltimore looks to bolster their wide receiver corps this offseason to help take quarterback Lamar Jackson to the next level, many wonder if Bryant is still a part of the Ravens’ plans.

Bryant has often taken time out to answer questions from fans on Twitter and when Willie Snead’s recent comments sparked some controversy, Bryant was pretty open with his thoughts. Though Bryant said he plans on playing for another two years, he admitted Baltimore isn’t the place for him.

 

Though Bryant didn’t get as much playing time as many would have hoped, he made sure to clarify there was no bad blood between him and the Ravens and that he was grateful for the opportunity to show what he could do.

With fans peppering him for a little more clarity on why things didn’t work out, Bryant made sure to note that his chemistry with Jackson wasn’t an issue. However, he insinuated Baltimore values receivers who are more familiar with the playbook.

Bryant’s tweets come a few weeks after he was seemingly critical of the lack of playing time on Instagram. He posted several videos of his play in Ravens practice, including catching touchdowns against the likes of Marlon Humphrey.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKO9Sl6juoX/

Bryant isn’t the only Ravens player to be vocal about his time in Baltimore this offseason. Marquise Brown, Willie Snead, and others have posted and/or liked cryptic messages on social media that seemingly point the finger at Baltimore’s coaching staff for not making the passing game work with the talent. While fans will often look a little too deep for meaning in some posts, blowing them out of proportion in the process, the fact so many of the Ravens’ wide receivers are speaking up adds a little more validity to the messages.

It’s safe to say that Bryant will not be returning to the Ravens in 2021. He called Baltimore a “first-class organization” but even that fact wasn’t enough to make him want to stay in purple and black. It will be interesting to see where the Ravens go from here, as well as which receivers are interested in coming to Baltimore to play football in the coming months.

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Fixing the Ravens’ passing attack: 7 things Baltimore has to do this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens’ passing offense hasn’t lived up to the hype. Here’s what the Ravens need to do to fix it this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens will find themselves watching Super Bowl LV from the comfort of their couches next weekend. Part of the reason for their early playoff exit was their anemic passing offense, which ranked dead last in the league. With the focus now on the offseason, fixing the passing attack has to be Baltimore’s top priority moving forward.

It’s not going to be easy. You don’t go from being the worst at something to even mediocre overnight without any changes. But it’s also not some impossible task that requires a change at quarterback or completely gutting the coaching staff to accomplish. Instead, if the Ravens are smart and focused on improving in this area, they only need to do a few things to rise up the ranks.

Let’s take a close look at all the things Baltimore needs to do to fix the passing game in 2021.

Ravens fill coaching vacancies with Rob Ryan and Anthony Weaver

The Ravens have had several members of their coaching staff get hired away. They’ve hired Rob Ryan and Anthony Weaver to fill those jobs

The Baltimore Ravens have seen quite a few of their position coaches leave this offseason for greener pastures. While it’s the mark of a good franchise to have coaches get bigger opportunities elsewhere, it is something Baltimore has to account for if they want to improve. To help fill their vacancies, the Ravens turned to two familiar faces.

According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley and Dianna Russini, Baltimore has hired Rob Ryan as the inside linebackers coach and Anthony Weaver to be a run-game coordinator and defensive line coach. The pair will fill holes after linebackers coach Mike Macdonald joined Michigan’s staff as a defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Joe Cullen became the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive coordinator.

If those new names sound awfully familiar, you’d be right. Rob Ryan is the twin brother of former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. Weaver played defensive end for Baltimore after being the Ravens’ second-round selection in the 2002 NFL draft.

Ryan has bounced around the league but has been a defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and Buffalo Bills. However, lately, Ryan has been the inside linebackers coach for the Washington Football Team in 2019. Weaver was most recently with the Houston Texans as their defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.

It’s expected defensive backs coach Jesse Minter is headed to Vanderbilt to be their defensive coordinator. However, the move hasn’t been made official and the Ravens haven’t hired Minter’s replacement if he does leave.

At his end-of-season press conference, coach John Harbaugh noted that he expects offensive coordinator Greg Roman and defensive coordinator Don Martindale back for the 2021 season. Both had earned interviews for head coaching opportunities last offseason but have been conspicuously absent from the job market this offseason. While that’s helpful toward Baltimore’s coaching continuity, filling so many position coaching jobs is a tough task for any team, especially since it’s expected the offseason will once again be done virtually.

We’ll see how Weaver and Ryan perform in their duties next season. But with the Ravens’ track record, both should be expected to excel.

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Ravens coach John Harbaugh expects OC Greg Roman back for 2021 season

The Baltimore Ravens aren’t making any changes to offensive and defensive coordinators Greg Roman and Don Martindale this offseason.

As is common every offseason for the Baltimore Ravens, plenty of fans want changes on the coaching staff after a disappointing end to the season. And with Baltimore’s exit from the postseason, fans are calling for offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s job. Whether fair or not, coach John Harbaugh isn’t expecting any changes there.

At his end-of-season press conference, Harbaugh was asked about potential changes to the Ravens’ coaching staff, especially defensive coordinator Don Martindale and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. While Harbaugh noted he was disappointed neither received interviews for vacant head coaching opportunities, he also made it clear both would be returning for next season barring them getting hired away suddenly.

While most have acknowledged the great work Martindale has done with Baltimore’s defense, analysts and fans have taken issue with Roman’s offensive scheme this season, especially the passing offense. But Harbaugh went out of his way to back up his offensive coordinator and even took a few shots at critics like Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.

While the Ravens did rank last in total passing yards in the regular season, Harbaugh pointed to their efficiency, which was considered to be about average. Harbaugh noted that Baltimore threw the ball significantly less than the rest of the league, leading to the disparity in passing yards. The Ravens ranked last with just 406 pass attempts, 34 less than the next highest team, and 157 pass attempts below the league average.

Like it or not, Harbaugh has a tendency to keep his coaching staff intact, even after disappointing seasons. Marty Mornhinweg, Roman’s predecessor, was in Baltimore for three seasons despite finishing 17th, 27th, and 9th in offensive yards. Marc Trestman was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator for two years, while Cam Cameron stuck around for five years. If Harbaugh’s own statements weren’t enough on the matter, history points to Roman being in Baltimore for a little while longer regardless of the results.

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