OWINGS MILLS, Md. — So much is new in this Ravens offense this year. The team has added players like Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor. Look at the coaching staff with new coordinator Todd Monken.
How about an old coach in a new role?
Tee Martin is the Ravens’ new quarterbacks coach. He took over for James Urban, who now helps in game planning.
Martin has been with the club for the past couple seasons as wide receivers coach. Now he is leading his natural position group and a generational QB, in Lamar Jackson, he can relate to.
"You’re coaching a quarterback who’s different than a lot of different other quarterbacks. [It’s] very similar to how I played, but way better." said Martin.
Martin quarterbacked University of Tennessee to a national championship during the 1998 season and spent a handful of years in the NFL. He is now the second QB coach in Jackson's career. He is the first with this kind of credibility.
"Having someone that played the position that kind of sees the game very similarly, in terms of when you decide to do things like pass or run or decide to do something athletically that is hard to explain unless you have done it, I think there’s a comfort level with that," said Martin. "When I say something to him or suggest something, it goes a little bit further."
Martin said the Ravens’ new offense is quarterback friendly. It will give Jackson the freedom to change up the plays pre-snap depending on what he sees from the defense.
"You have the opportunity to change routes when need be. You do a lot of operation – what I like to say doctoring at the line of scrimmage – in terms of protections. You see them blitzing one way, you can slide the line a different way. All of these types of things, not that we didn’t do it in the past, we’re just going to be doing more of it and we’re going to be more vocal about it. You’ll see him operating at the line of scrimmage a lot more. You’ll see him communicating with receivers, running backs, [and] tight ends a lot more than what you may have seen in the past."
About that criticism that Jackson can’t pass outside the numbers, Martin is not buying it.
"I don’t really know where that came from, because since I’ve been here, being the former receivers coach, I don’t think that’s true because we got open outside the numbers, he would throw it and we would catch it. I don’t know where that came from. All I know is he can throw the ball to all areas of the field."
As for handling those pre-snap adjustments, Martin said right now Lamar is “in a great place”. He added that Jackson is getting more and more comfortable and looks forward to seeing him continue to grow.
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