Can Declan Doyle get Lamar Jackson playing at an elite level again?

Yahoo Fantasy’s Matt Harmon and Nate Tice discuss if new Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle can get QB Lamar Jackson back to playing at an elite level. Check out the full conversation on the “Yahoo Fantasy Forecast” podcast – and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

The Ravens hired head coach Jesse Minter and- Love it -offensive coordinator Declan Doyle comes from Chicago to call plays.

So, Nate, I really like this one a lot.

I l- number one, Jesse Minter, you move on from John Harbaugh- Mm-hmm … after a long and successful run, I think it was time.

I think that had run its course.

We will talk about John Harbaugh on the NFC show when we get to that later this week.

However, Jesse Minter was the hottest candidate of this cycle.

Mm-hmm.

Everybody interviewed him.

He goes to Baltimore.

I think that’s a fine head coaching hire on its own, but I really like the move to get Declan Doyle as the offensive coordinator here.

we can break that down further, but he’s 29 years old.

He was an offensive assistant under Sean Payton in New Orleans, and then followed him to Denver, where he was the tight end coach each of the last, or he, in Payton’s first two years there, before flying the coop to go with Ben Johnson to be their offensive coordinator last season.

So really like this one, definitely one of my favorite pairings of the off-season so far.

So what are you expecting from this Ravens offense with Minter as the head coach and Declan Doyle as the offensive coordinator?

I- it’s the tree I’ve, I’ve been hoping teams start picking at, and that’s very encouraging for me, that Jesse Minter, who This whole head coaching cycle, there’s so many openings.

There wasn’t, like, a true hot offensive candidate, which everyone wants to say.

Everyone wants, you know, the offense calling play- offensive play calling head coach.

That’s what you go for, a young guy, all that.

I kind of sat there and I was like, “Actually, Minter has kind of turned into one of my favorite hires,” or r- maybe the guy I would go after the most a- among the candidates that, that were out there.

so already at the, the top.

Like, I like this hire.

He knows the, the Ravens way, so there’s not much change there.

he, as far as just ’cause, you know, they have a pretty entrenched GM and personnel staff, so even just that logistically, organizationally, I do like.

Love him as a play caller, think that’s also a great fit play calling-wise defensively.

But offensively, ’cause this is a fantasy show, I, I do like Doyle a lot in the sense of I You only can do so much for a guy that has never called plays.

But this is- … again, I think the Shanahan tree has been picked barren, and now we’re getting the retreads of that, the Bobby Sloaks of the world getting new jobs, all that stuff.

And I think now we’re looking at new trees to pick at, and I think it’s the Sean Paytons slash Ben Johnson slash kind of Dan Campbell-ish tree.

Mm-hmm.

because I do think that’s where the offensive meta is going as far as more of Which is funny, because it’s very old school.

but it’s funny how this stuff, it all goes in circles.

is that this is a very vertically attacking offense.

It, it thrives with a run game that’s very, power-centric, gap scheme-centric.

that doesn’t just mean pullers, that means duo as well, so very at you in vertical run game.

So even if they have Derrick Henry there for another year, that actually is a great fit, but it is an offensive system that always wants a couple of guys at running back.

It’s gonna have that.

The passing game’s gonna fit Lamar.

I do think Lamar as a thrower is, is I’m not the only one that’s brought this up, the hi- how he likes to attack vertically, the routes that he throws the best at, there are some similarities to Stafford, um- … as far as what the throws that they are best at, when they do work from the pocket, which is usually those deep digs and stuff, because he has such a live arm.

And his timing is actually pretty good as far as being able to attack that.

So why I’m saying all this is some of that under center game matches, Lamar is actually very comfortable turning his back in play action.

he actually has more of that under center to him than I think people realize.

So I actually really like this fit with Lamar.

They need more size at receiver.

That would be the one thing that this offense thrives on as blockers and as pass catchers.

Listen to Sean Payton talk receivers.

Look at what Ben Johnson’s built in Chicago, how big those guys are.

That’s kind of what they’re gonna go after, I think, maybe this off-season to add to the receiver room.

I really like this, though.

Doyle, again, has not called plays, but the resume is very interesting to me, being a Payton guy with that little sprinkling of Ben Johnson in there.

Can Declan Doyle get Lamar Jackson playing at an elite level again?

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