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The Baltimore Ravens lost a key assistant coach, a favorite of two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick, join a rival in the AFC North.
Losing well-respected assistants is becoming a worrying trend for the Baltimore Ravens and new head coach Jesse Minter, with the latest loss involving a favorite of two-time NFL rushing champion Derrick Henry defecting to a rival in the AFC North to rejoin former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
The latter made one of his first moves acquiring Ravens run-game coordinator Travis Switzer. A report from KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson on Friday, January 30 confirmed Switzer is joining the Cleveland Browns as Monken’s “new offensive coordinator, per league sources.”
Wilson outlined how Switzer, an ex-Akron “offensive lineman oversaw strong rushing attack led by Derrick Henry. Has background with tight ends, receivers, too.”
After nine years with #Ravens, Baltimore run game coordinator Travis Switzer is staying in AFC North as #Browns new offensive coordinator, per league sources. Former @ZipsFB offensive lineman oversaw strong rushing attack led by Derrick Henry. Has background with tight ends,
Those qualifications make Switzer a key part of what the Ravens did on offense the past three seasons. His expertise in designing and calling the running game would’ve made Switzer an invaluable ally for Monken’s replacement Declan Doyle, who also built his schemes from the ground up as a key lieutenant for Ben Johnson with the Chicago Bears.
Doyle’s arrival, combined with Switzer’s exit and the key hiring of Atlanta Falcons run-game guru Dwayne Ledford, indicates the Ravens are going to be doing things differently on offense on Minter’s watch. Especially when Switzer isn’t the only respected coach they’ve lost.
Those differences could accelerate a departure from what has defined the Ravens on this side of the ball for years.
Ravens Setting New Direction for Offense
Offense in Baltimore has been about power running for most of the last two decades under Minter’s predecessor John Harbaugh. Monken didn’t always strike the right run-pass balance, but in times of trouble he would overload the line of scrimmage with tight ends and rely on a heavy dose of Henry.
Switzer was an important influence on the system. His work with Henry yielded 1,921 rushing yards in 2024 and 1,595 this season, while also making tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar, along with six-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard, vital members of the blocking schemes.
The Ravens not only wore defenses down with this overtly physical approach. They also built much of their passing attack off these run-heavy formations.
Doyle did help the Bears do similar things as offensive coordinator, but the 30-year-old’s experience alongside noted quarterbacks gurus Johnson and Sean Payton might appeal more to the Ravens.
Johnson revived Jared Goff’s career with the Detroit Lions, before helping Caleb Williams defy draft bust status for the Bears in 2025. Payton’s history coaching quality athletes at football’s most important position is longer, but most recently, he’s turned Bo Nix from unpolished rookie into playmaking starter for the Denver Broncos.
Doyle learned from Payton for three seasons with the New Orleans Saints, experience sure to be useful to Ravens franchise QB1 Lamar Jackson. Rumors of unrest between Jackson and Monken will only increase the focus on how the next OC gels with the Ravens’ most important player.
Jackson retains that lofty status, but Henry will still be a key figure, even if he could see his workload change with Doyle and Ledford at the helm.
Derrick Henry’s Role Could Change
A look at what Doyle did in Chicago, along with how Ledford operated for the Falcons, indicates Henry might get fewer carries during his 11th season in the pros. Doyle underpinned the Bears’ offense with a rushing double act featuring D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai.
They shared 392 carries during the regular season, a similar split to what Ledford called for Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in Atlanta. So it’s not unreasonable to think the Ravens will employ something similar for the complementary talents of Henry and dynamic, younger backup Keaton Mitchell.
The roles would be clearly defined, with Henry as the power back, while Mitchell provided a genuine change of pace thanks to breakaway speed. This could be the right work-share for 32-year-old Henry, who is still going strong, but will eventually struggle to handle a lead-back’s workload.
Giving Henry a breather more often would be just one more way for the Ravens to start doing things differently on offense in the post-Harbaugh and Monken era.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
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