OWINGS MILLS, Md. — All this talk of a new offense being installed for this year’s Ravens… so… really, what’s it all about?
“A more efficient, behind-the-scenes streamlined offense, really,” said new Ravens Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman. “Quicker communication, the ability to play quicker at the line of scrimmage.”
So how will Roman’s master plan translate onto the field?
“You’re going to see some elements of things you’ve seen in the past. You’ll see some new stuff, some new stuff that looks like old stuff,” he said.
Lamar Jackson will be running that stuff.
Roman said his second-year quarterback is getting better with every repetition.
Helping Roman as the "pass game coordinator" is new receivers coach David Culley, who comes over from the Buffalo Bills. He gets to now mold first-round draft pick Marquise Brown. The wideout hasn’t been able to fully participate in offseason work because of a foot injury.
“I think he’s coming along very well,” said Culley. “He’s picking up what we’re doing. He has a pretty good understanding of what we’re doing.”
Another new face among the coordinators is Chris Horton. He takes over the special teams from longtime John Harbaugh assistant Jerry Rosburg.
The constant in the coordinating from last year to this year is Don Martindale. He guided the Ravens defense to the NFL’s No. 1 ranking in 2018.
So much has been made this offseason of the all the veterans who left via free agency, namely Terrell Suggs, Eric Weddle and C.J. Mosley. Martindale didn’t give us any coach speak when tackling that issue.
“Those guys are great players, and I’m not going to sit up here and say ‘next man up’, the typical coach talk,” said Martindale. “We’re going to miss them. You’re going to miss a Terrell Suggs. Everybody here is. Everybody in the City of Baltimore is. There is a transition period.”
That transition period is currently underway without defensive tackle Michael Pierce. He didn’t participate in practice on Wednesday after he was sent off the field Tuesday for showing up to minicamp out of shape.
“Of course you’re disappointed. You know what I said to him, and I said it in front of the whole defense, life is about choices. Just don’t make that choice. Make you’re life,” said Martindale. “Let’s don’t forget what a great football player that he is. He’ll get back there. I can’t tell you when but he’ll get back to that.”
Minicamp wraps up on Thursday.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
