Monken boasts an energetic presence
New coordinator conjures memories of Kubiak in productive 2014 season
Coordinator Todd Monken has the type of offensive presence the Ravens haven’t had since Gary Kubiak led the unit in 2014.
Back then Ravens coach John Harbaugh spent most of his time with the defense while Kubiak ran the offense. It appears, based on the portion of Wednesday’s voluntary practice that was open to the media, that 2023 will offer a similar scenario.
The show belonged to Monken, who was hired by the Ravens in February to replace Greg Roman, whom the team parted with in January. Monken won back-to-back national championships at Georgia before the Ravens handed him the keys to their offense, and while the Bulldogs believed in a strong running game their passing attack was diverse.
Monken spent the practice directing the offense like a downtown New York City traffic cop at rush hour. His language was a bit salty and some might consider it slightly offensive, but this is the NFL, not the Boy Scouts.
Under Kubiak in 2014, the Ravens had their most successful season in 19 years, with both quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Justin Forsett having career highs in yards and touchdowns.
Monken is hoping to have similar success with quarterback Lamar Jackson and three new wide receivers added during free agency and the draft in Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor and rookie Zay Flowers.
Jackson, oh Jackson, where art thou?
Speaking of Jackson, he was a no-show at the practice for the second straight week, and the Ravens can’t be happy with his continued absence.
In Jackson’s defense, a lot of the so-called “superstars” don’t attend these voluntary practices, and running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards didn’t participate either.
But it would be nice for Jackson to appear so he can begin working with Monken, especially since he ended his standoff with the team and signed a fiveyear contract reportedly worth $260 million with $185 million guaranteed.
The Ravens, though, were aware of Jackson’s questionable work ethic before he signed the contract extension, so they are currently getting what they deserve.
There is no comparison between Flowers and 2019 first-round pick Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, except for the small body builds.
Flowers obviously has more muscle and great confidence in his route running. He’s learning the job on the run, but Flowers doesn’t appear to be afraid to run across the middle and sit in
May Flowers:
zones, an area Brown struggled in his first two seasons.
It’s early and there is no tackling, but Flowers appears comfortable in the offense.
A throwback: The Ravens aren’t wearing uniforms or helmets, which makes it difficult to identify players. The practice Wednesday was similar to the ones when the Ravens moved from Cleveland to Baltimore for their inaugural 1996 season.
The Ravens didn’t have a name, color scheme or uniforms back then. They only wore black jerseys, white pants and helmets and were nicknamed “The Mean Machine” by players such as center Wally Williams and late offensive tackle Tony Jones, referencing the 1970s movie “The Longest Yard” that starred Burt Reynolds.
Pierce looking fit: Nose tackle Michael Pierce tore his biceps in Week 3 and was placed on season-ending injured reserve in September, but he appears to be in better shape than when he reported for training camp last summer.
Pierce looked explosive, showed good hand speed in several drills and wasn’t breathing heavily when he finished. He would be a big help for the middle of the defense, especially after veteran tackle Calais Campbell signed with Atlanta Falcons in the offseason.
The Ravens signed Pierce to a three-year, $16.5 million contract in March 2022, but he reportedly agreed to a pay cut as part of a restructured contract this offseason.
Cleveland’s time to step up: It’s good to see third-year offensive lineman Ben Cleveland out there getting some work in at guard. It’s still a question if he is versatile enough to perform in Monken’s offense, especially as a pass blocker, but this is the season he has to start making serious progress.
Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, the rookie guard and sixth-round pick out of Oregon, is quite a specimen, and he doesn’t appear to be top-heavy getting into his pass sets. He looks quick.