Tag: Greg Roman

Ravens HC John Harbaugh details process of departure for former OC Greg Roman

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made it clear that he didn’t take the departure of former offensive coordinator Greg Roman lightly

The Baltimore Ravens made the decision to part with offensive coordinator Greg Roman after their playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and are currently undertaking a search for the right candidate to fill the role in 2023. The team has put together a good list of reported candidates, and will leave no stone unturned in the process.

During his end-of-season press conference, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters about his role in Roman’s departure. He made it clear that moving on from the veteran coordinator was not a task he took lightly, with hours of conversation coming between the end of the season and the decision

“I’m not going to be able to take you through every step of the way because it’s an ongoing process, Harbaugh explained. “We’re talking every day throughout the season; these conversations are going on consistently and constantly. So, I think just after the season, Monday we talked, Tuesday we talked, [and] Wednesday we talked. There were just hours of conversation that delved in all kinds of different things [and] directions. We’re talking families, we’re talking our kids, we’re talking the team, we’re talking the plays in the game – we’re talking about everything. Just through all that, we’re partners, but we’re also friends. It just worked its way into that place where I think he felt like that was the best, and we felt like that was the best, too. We just understood where we were at.”

While fans wait to find out who the Ravens’ next offensive coordinator will be, they can take solace in the fact that Harbaugh and the team are working diligently to assemble the best possible coaching staff to help Baltimore compete for a Super Bowl in 2023.

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Ravens HC John Harbaugh discusses holding onto concepts from OC Greg Roman

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh discussed holding onto concepts from former offensive coordinator Greg Roman

The Baltimore Ravens and now-former offensive coordinator Greg Roman decided to part ways last week, opening up the position for a new offensive mind. Baltimore has been looking at multiple different candidates to take over their offense, but that doesn’t mean they’ll completely tear everything down and build it back up from scratch.

During his end of season press conference with general manager Eric DeCosta, head coach John Harbaugh was asked about holding onto some of the concepts from Roman’s offensive system. Harbaugh said he’d like to hold onto “a lot” of those schemes, mentioning that he’s talking about passing schemes too.

“Yes, I think that’s a really great perceptive point to make, because yes, you want to do that; you want to be able to hold onto those things. And we’ve got coaches here, players here who have run those schemes, that have a feel for those schemes, so yes, that’ll be part of the new process. I mean, I’d like to keep a lot of those schemes around, and that’s passing schemes, too. Greg [Roman] is a great … The passing game that we put together [and] the schemes we have are excellent. So, whatever parts of the offense are able to kind of go forward, we’ll see; we’ll see how that goes. But the answer to your question is, yes.”

Baltimore seems to be looking for a much more pass-first minded coordinator based off of early reported interview candidates. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll completely revamp everything, especially in the running game.

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Greg Roman is exactly who Ron Rivera needs as offensive coordinator

Greg Roman fits the formula Rivera described after the season and has had success with young quarterbacks.

The Washington Commanders are looking for an offensive coordinator. So are nine other NFL teams. One look at Washington, and you’d think it’s probably not one of the more attractive options.

However, Washington has talent on offense. The problem is the Commanders need a quarterback. We’ve heard that before. And there’s also the talk of Ron Rivera’s status entering year four. Rivera needs to win big in 2023 with new ownership looming.

After firing Scott Turner last week, the Commanders have interviewed Pat Shurmur, Charles London and Ken Zampese for their vacant offensive coordinator position. They wanted to speak with Jim Caldwell and Darrell Bevell, who both declined for different reasons. It isn’t known if Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville will interview with Washington.

On Thursday, another notable offensive coordinator hit the open market. And he makes too much sense for Rivera.

The Baltimore Ravens and offensive coordinator Greg Roman mutually parted ways. Roman spent the past six seasons in Baltimore, the previous four years as the offensive coordinator for star quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Why would Roman make sense for Rivera and the Commanders?

Remember Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew’s season-ending press conference where they spoke of Washington’s formula, even saying the Commanders wanted a 2-1 run-to-pass ratio. That statement earned laughs around the league and groans from the fans. It’s 2023, after all.

That ratio Mayhew and Rivera spoke of, leads us to Roman. There is perhaps no better designer of the running game currently in the NFL outside of Kyle Shanahan than Roman. Even former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III, who played for three years under Roman, complimented his ability to design a running game.

As you can see from Griffin’s final sentence, Roman isn’t the best with the passing game. And for a Washington team that has one of the top receiving trios [Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson & Curtis Samuel] in the NFL, that could be a problem.

However, if you consider Rivera’s strategy to win with a stout defense and a ball-control offense, Roman coming aboard can bring that philosophy. And he can also help quarterback Sam Howell. Roman can design an offense that uses Howell’s athleticism as he learns the quarterback position in the NFL.

Let’s focus on Roman’s 10 seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator [49ers, Bills & Ravens]. Check this out from JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. In those 10 seasons, his teams have finished No. 1 in rushing offense four times and never lower than No. 8.

This approach could be smart for a Washington team that wants to develop Howell, fix the offensive line, and keep some of its young defensive pieces.

But the best defense for Roman as an offensive coordinator came from former NFL player Emmanuel Acho. Acho credited Roman for turning Alex Smith’s career around and for getting the best out of Colin Kaepernick.

Obviously, no one knows how things will turn out for Jackson with Roman elsewhere, but if you’re a team with a young quarterback, you have to like those numbers.

Perhaps the talk of Roman and wide receivers struggling under him is more due to him not having great receivers during his time in the NFL. That’s one thought. Could things be different with Washington’s talented trio?

That remains to be seen.

Washington fans should consider there’s no better alternative than Roman. He can help the Commanders win in 2023 while helping develop Howell. Do you trust Shurmur to do that? Or Zampese? Roman has proven he can develop a winning offense. It may not fit the NFL’s current prototype of playing fast and throwing the ball 45 times per game, but it works. And there is no better coordinator in the NFL that fits Rivera and Mayhew’s desire than Roman.

While Baltimore fans were elated to be rid of Roman, other teams could benefit from him. Washington is one of those teams. But Roman should have options, and why would he choose one guaranteed year with the Commanders?

Why one year? Rivera needs to win big next season. He is entering year four coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons. Oh, and there is also a prospective new owner. A new owner will eventually want his own guy, but Rivera winning can make it difficult. No offensive coordinator available could help Rivera more in 2023 than Roman.

Bringing Roman aboard may not be a popular move, but considering where Washington is right now and what’s ahead, it’s the right move.

Will the Commanders bring Roman in? And will Roman even be interested? Things should get interesting in the coming days.

The Ravens are putting the ball in Lamar Jackson’s court after OC Greg Roman’s resignation

Roman’s offense was holding Lamar Jackson back.

Each of the last two seasons, Lamar Jackson had his year cut short in December on a play where he held the ball too long, waiting for a receiver to get open.

It’s what he’s had to do in an offense so predicated on the run that free-agent wide receivers declined opportunities to play with a top-five quarterback in the NFL.

That offense was the brainchild of offensive coordinator Greg Roman. In it, Jackson needed to be a superhero for the Baltimore Ravens to win. A lot of times, he was just that. Jackson did a lot of good in Roman’s system. It catapulted him to a unanimous MVP season in 2019.

Ultimately, though, it failed him. And now that burden is being removed.

The Ravens announced Roman’s resignation Thursday and reiterated the franchise’s commitment to Jackson, just as he’s approaching free agency and likely to be franchise-tagged if the sides can’t agree on a deal.

Head coach John Harbaugh said Jackson will be included in the team’s search for a new OC. It all simultaneously puts Jackson in a better position to succeed while also removing any excuses for him not to.

There was a time when Roman’s offense run by Jackson put fear in opposing defenses. Baltimore ranked first in total offensive DVOA his MVP season — first in both running and passing.

However, despite glimpses of that same dynamic offense over the last three years, things went stale. The Ravens remained one of the league’s very best rushing attacks, but their passing game never finished higher than 16th again.

Jackson deservedly took some blame for that, as did injuries. But Baltimore’s personnel was perhaps the biggest problem, as the team was never able to attract or keep top wide receiver talent. That was directly related to Roman’s offense. Not only was it unable to maximize the players Baltimore did have at receiver, it was the reason the team didn’t have better players at the position in the first place.

As Jackson’s former backup Robert Griffin III said Thursday, running backs and tight ends loved Roman’s system. Wide receivers hated it.

As much success as Jackson personally enjoyed with Roman, the system got to a point of holding him back. It was a liability for a team well-constructed everywhere else. At best, it made him one of the league’s most dangerous weapons but limited how much he could show the full range of his abilities. At worst, it got him injured and delayed a deserved big pay day.

Fans knew it, and many are happy to see Roman gone. Jackson should be too, and that may ease his contract negotiations for the Ravens. It also removes any excuses Jackson had in the past for coming up short in big moments.

If he returns, the onus is fully on the quarterback to deliver. Based on what we’ve seen in the past, there should be little doubt he will.

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Ravens and OC Greg Roman part ways

The Baltimore Ravens and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are parting ways.

The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night to end their short playoff run.  Since that loss, plenty of talk has been about quarterback Lamar Jackson and offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s future with the team.

On Thursday, head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta had an end of the season press conference. Before the joint press conference, Harbaugh released a statement announcing Roman and the Ravens are parting ways.

The team will now turn their attention to finding a replacement for Roman.  The new offensive coordinator will most likely want to know about the future of quarterback Lamar Jackson, but for now Baltimore will be making their second coordinator change in two years.

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Ravens OC Greg Roman resigns, Bucs fire OC Byron Leftwich

NFL News: Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman resigns, Buccaneers fire OC Byron Leftwich

As the Falcons continue their search for a new defensive coordinator, several teams are now on the prowl for a new offensive play-caller.

On Thursday, the Buccaneers fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, and Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman stepped down. Letfwich, a former NFL quarterback who spent one of his 10 seasons in Atlanta, was a popular head-coaching candidate during last year’s hiring cycle.

His firing after four seasons in Tampa Bay is a bit of a surprise, as NFL Network breaks down below.

As for Roman, his departure is not entirely surprising, but many wonder what it means for the future of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The former MVP thrived with Roman calling the plays, becoming one of the NFL’s true duel-threat quarterbacks.

Perhaps the two will reunite again on a different team. Jackson’s future in Baltimore is a complete unknown at this point. The Falcons have been thrown in the mix as a team that could potentially acquire Jackson if the Ravens look to move him this offseason.

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Browns must prepare for a new OC as Ravens part ways with Greg Roman

The Browns will have a new offensive coordinator to face twice per year.

The Cleveland Browns will now have to prepare for a new offense this upcoming season when they play the Baltimore Ravens twice per season. Today, the Ravens announced they have parted ways with their offensive coordinator Greg Roman. This looks to be an attempt to mend the fences with quarterback Lamar Jackson to keep him in Baltimore long-term.

This is the third piece of coordinator new this week to break in the AFC North alone as the Browns hired Jim Schwartz as their defensive coordinator, the Ravens have parted with Roman, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to retain Matt Canada despite three bad seasons.

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Ravens HC John Harbaugh proud of team after loss to Bengals in Wild Card round

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spoke about being proud of his team after their loss to the Bengals in the Wild Card

The Baltimore Ravens lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 24-17 in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.  Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley tried to jump over the goal line to score a touchdown, but the ball was batted away causing a 98-yard fumble recovery by Bengals’ defensive lineman Sam Hubbard, which ended up being the difference in the game.

After the game, head coach John Harbaugh talked about the contest, saying he was proud of his football team. He mentioned how he thought they played a winning football game, with the difference being the two turnovers that they had on Huntley’s fumble as well as his interception.

“Obviously, [that was] a hard-fought game. [I’m] really, really proud of our players. I thought we played a winning football game in many, many ways; [we] ran the ball well, threw the ball well, played outstanding defense, got the turnover. The difference was the two turnovers [we had] obviously; that hurt us – one really big one – but both led to scores, and that was probably the story of the game at the end. The other story is our guys, our guys. Tyler Huntley coming in and playing the way he played coming off the shoulder and the wrist injuries and fighting his way back onto the field and just giving it everything he had and that kind of a performance. Mark Andrews, coming up and just making play after play in the passing game. [The] offensive line, the way they blocked. J.K. [Dobbins] and Gus [Edwards], the way they ran. Then to the defense, I thought our defense was just all over the field and played great football. So, the key is we didn’t win the game; we’re disappointed in that, but I’ve got nothing but admiration for our guys. I’m very proud of our football team.”

The team now starts its offseason with plenty of storylines upcoming.  Have we seen the last of offensive coordinator Greg Roman?  Will the Ravens sign Lamar Jackson to a long-term contract, franchise tag him, or trade him?  Can the team acquire a big-time receiver to help with the offense? There is plenty to ponder about in Baltimore in what will be an important few months.

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Ravens OC Greg Roman says it’s ‘tremendous’ to have OT Ronnie Stanley back at full health

Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said it’s “tremendous” to have offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley back at full health

The Baltimore Ravens managed to make the playoffs in spite of injuries and subpar play in certain areas that have plagued them over the course of the 2022 season. However, they are heading into their Wild Card matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals with their starting offensive line completely intact.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman addressed the Ravens’ health up front in his comments to the media, letting it be known that having offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley back at full strength is a major plus. When asked about the impact that Stanley has on the team’s offense, he made it clear that the tackle’s presence gives his unit a major edge.

“It’s tremendous; it makes a big difference,” Roman explained. “Anytime you can have five linemen out there that you don’t have to worry about, that’s a huge deal – just ask a lot of teams – run and passing game. It can really affect it. So, we just have to get ready and play our best football this Sunday.”

While most of the talk this week has been about Lamar Jackson’s status for the Ravens’ bout against Cincinnati, Stanley’s inclusion into the starting lineup has made a serious difference ever since returning in Week 5, and he’ll look to continue his strong play against talented Bengals pass rushers.

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Ravens TE Josh Oliver continuing to impress in larger role

Ravens tight end Josh Oliver is impressing in a larger role

Going into the 2022 season, the Baltimore Ravens tight end position was overflowing with talent. The team had Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle to go along with rookies Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Josh Oliver seemed like the odd man out in the room, but has shown his perseverance of working hard and doing what he could to make the team and thriving in an increased role.

Oliver’s teammates and coaches have been impressed with what the tight end has achieved as well and are giving him his flowers. Before Baltimore’s Week 11 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, offensive coordinator Greg Roman was asked about Oliver and couldn’t say enough good things about him.

“First of all, I have to say Josh [Oliver] just flat out won a job; he won a roster spot in training camp. It was definitely not a sure thing, and he just won it. For him to not be on the team for us would have been ridiculous with how he was improving. So, he’s a classic example of someone who came into training camp, looked at the depth chart and said, ‘Wow, they have a lot of tight ends.’ He just made us put him on the team, and he continues to make us play him. As far as his blocking, it is so much improved from a year ago, probably as much as any player I’ve ever worked with over one year’s time. It’s a credit to him. I definitely think teams that are getting ready to play us around the league, they’re probably … I can envision them watching us and looking at him saying, ‘Holy cow, who is this guy?’ and then they start shuffling through their papers to dig down on him because he’s doing an excellent job. We want to continue that trend.”

Oliver has made the most of his time as a Raven this season.  He’s been solid at blocking and has made plays when called upon in the receiving game as well. He’s stepped up in the absence of injured players, and the front office appears to have gotten another underrated high-impact player via trade, sending just a 7th-round selection to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for him during the 2021 offseason.

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