Tag: Greg Roman

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.

[listicle id=61594]

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.

[listicle id=59958]

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.

[listicle id=59958]

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.

[listicle id=59958]

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.

[vertical-gallery id=59748]

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.

[vertical-gallery id=59748]

Former Ravens WR Steve Smith rips Greg Roman for child-like passing attack

With the league’s worst-ranked passing offense, former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith ripped into OC Greg Roman

Steve Smith has never been at a loss for words and he’s often happy to speak them. That didn’t change after the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. While there was much blame to go around, former Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith zeroed his focus in on offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

On “NFL Gameday” the day after Baltimore’s playoff loss, Smith critiqued Roman’s offense in some pretty specific ways. While it’s been almost cliche to blame the Ravens’ wide receivers for not getting open, Smith said it was really Roman’s route combinations that made it easy for opposing defenses. Smith was also bothered by the complexity of the offense, saying it’s something his six-year-old could run.

Smith does have a point here. Though stats only tell a part of the story, the Ravens had the worst-ranked passing attack in the league. And Smith isn’t alone in his criticisms of this offense.

Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner went through a few of Baltimore’s passing plays in the lead-up to the playoff game, also criticizing the Ravens’ route combinations. Former offensive lineman-turned-analyst Brian Baldinger had problems with Baltimore’s offensive playcalling as well.

While Roman’s passing concepts leave a lot to be desired, it is also fair to place some of the blame on quarterback Lamar Jackson, a porous offensive line, and wide receivers that struggle to get separation. It’s far from a single issue holding Baltimore’s offense back, but it starts with Roman. Whether the Ravens decide to go in a different direction this offseason or make a bigger push to become a better passing attack will have to be seen, but Roman has a pretty big target on his back right now.

[listicle id=59955]

6 takeaways from Ravens’ 17-3 loss to Bills

The Baltimore Ravens fell to the Buffalo Bills in the NFL playoffs. We dive into some major takeaways as Baltimore dives into the offseason

The Baltimore Ravens fell to the Buffalo Bills by the final score of 17-3 in the divisional round. It was a disappointing showing for Baltimore’s offense, as the team was held to just three points for the first time since January 16, 2010.

The Ravens struggled to move the ball on offense and squandered what was a pretty good defensive performance. Despite being placed in some bad situations, Baltimore’s defense held Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense to just 10 points, as seven of the points that Buffalo scored came on a pick-six thrown by Lamar Jackson.

The loss marks a disappointing end to a season unlike any other for the Ravens. Injuries, the coronavirus, and subpar play all played a part, but Baltimore fought as a team to make it to the playoffs, where they won their first playoff game since the 2014 season.

Though it’s a difficult loss to swallow immediately afterward, let’s take a look at some major takeaways from the Ravens’ season-ending loss.

How Lamar Jackson can end his postseason curse — and become a complete quarterback

Lamar Jackson has another offseason to process postseason disappointment. Here’s how he can use the offseason to live up to his potential.

Well, at least Lamar Jackson was able to help the Ravens win a playoff game this time around. Sort of. Jackson has made the postseason in each of his three NFL seasons, and Baltimore’s 20-13 win over the Titans in the wild-card round was the first time he was able to advance. In that game, Jackson completed 17 of 24 passes for 179 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.

Thus, coming into the Ravens’ divisional round game against the Bills, the 2019 NFL MVP was trucking along with these postseason numbers: 62 completions in 112 attempts for a 55.4% completion rate, 738 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. The Chargers flustered Jackson in the 2018 wild-card round by doing what they did to him in the regular season of his rookie year — they threw all kinds of coverage concepts at him with a heavy helping of seven defensive backs on the field. Jackson completed 14 of 27 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and seven sacks. Jackson rallied late after a first half that was so bad, he was almost benched in favor of Joe Flacco.

Postseason nightmare No. 2 came in the divisional round of the 2019 playoffs, when the 14-2 Ravens and their unanimous NFL MVP were expected to cruise by the 9-7 Titans with very little trouble. But Tennessee defensive coordinator Dean Pees bewitched Jackson with late coverage switched, Jackson completed 31 of 59 passes for 365 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, four sacks, and another early postseason exit.

After a revenge wild-card win over the Titans this season that was more about Baltimore’s defense than anything else, it was on to Buffalo. The Bills looked like a decent matchup for Jackson, as they play a ton of zone defense and Jackson had played exceedingly well against certain kinds of zone in the regular season.

Per Sports Info Solutions, Jackson led the league with nine touchdown passes against Cover-4 (“Quarters”) coverage, and overall, against Cover-2, Cover-3, Cover-4, Cover-6, Tampa-2, and combo coverages, Jackson completed 167 of 254 passes in 309 dropbacks for 2,582 yards, 1,287 air yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Only Tom Brady and Russell Wilson threw more touchdown passes against zone coverage in the 2020 regular season, and this seemed to be the ideal counter to opposing defenses realizing that they couldn’t play man against Jackson because he’d kill them in the run game.

The Bills came into this game thinking that if zone coverage was now like ice cream for Jackson, they were going to give him a tour of the ice cream factory. Per ESPN’s Seth Walder:

As has been the case throughout his career, Jackson missed a lot of meat on the bone — he had open shots to his receivers and either threw the ball in ways that reduced the potential efficiency of the catch, or missed the open shots outright. We can blame offensive coordinator Greg Roman all we want (and blaming Greg Roman has become its own sport these days), but when we look ahead to what Jackson can learn from these negative experiences, it’s clear that as dynamic as he is, he’s got a lot of work to do as a pure passer.

If we’re creating an offseason shopping list for A Better Lamar Jackson (and it appears that we are), here it is.