The Baltimore Ravens have made significant changes following their absence from the playoffs last winter. Head Coach Jesse Minter has quickly made his presence known since being hired in late January.
The first-time head coach has hired a new assistant staff to replace former Head Coach John Harbaugh’s system. Minter has hired offensive coordinator Declan Doyle from the Chicago Bears. He has also reunited with defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, a former Ravens player and defensive line coach. Owner Steve Bisciotti and General Manager Eric DeCosta remain in their leadership roles amid the shake-up.
The team roster also looks different due to player departures and additions. The Ravens have lost several key players, including center Tyler Linderbaum, tight end Isaiah Likely, punter Jordan Stout, and fullback Patrick Ricard. The team has signed four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, guard John Simpson, and safety Jaylinn Hawkins. The Ravens have lost key players but have also signed impactful players.
Hendrickson’s 4-year, $112 million deal is the largest free agent contract in team history. The blockbuster move reflects Minter’s defensive history and focus. Minter previously served as a defensive coach for Baltimore from 2017 to 2020. Over time, the young coach became the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers from 2024 to 2025, where he found great success transforming the defense from one of the worst in the league to one of the best, if not the very best.
Jack Dymowski ‘29, co-host of the GreyComm Studios ‘Take 2’ sports show, believes the Hendrickson signing will allow Minter to have an even better defense.
“Whoever we were getting at [edge rusher] is a defensive piece that is so crucial. We need an efficient pass rush. We need something because last year we looked lackluster, we looked poor, and the defense seemed uninspired for the first part of the season,” Dymowski said.
Last year’s defense accumulated only thirty sacks, tied for third-worst in the National Football League (NFL). Minter will lead Hendrickson, alongside preexisting stars, to improve the defense. Bradey Siglar ‘29, who has been a Ravens fan since moving to Maryland when he was very young, is optimistic about the upcoming 2026 defense.
“You still have all those players. You have stars at literally every single level. Nnamdi [Madubuike] may be coming back,” Siglar said.
The Ravens’ defense may see the return of star interior defensive lineman Madubuike. He suffered a career-threatening neck injury in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. Madubuike missed the rest of the season, but optimism has grown after he recently posted videos of himself working out on Instagram. For the time being, his future remains unclear.
“It’d be too early to opine or express any optimism or pessimism … Don’t read into it one way or the other,” team President Sashi Brown said.
The Ravens’ defense was almost even better. Earlier in the offseason, the Ravens had a trade in place for superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby. The deal would have sent two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders in return for Crosby. However, the Ravens backed out of the deal after Crosby failed his physical. Dymowski is not a fan of how the Ravens cancelled the trade, but he thinks the Hendrickson signing makes up for the ordeal.
“And while [Hendrickson] is not the better player, I do think that it is, in the end, a pretty solid business deal because we got our [draft] picks back,” Dymowski said.
On the other side of the ball, the Ravens will have another year of offense led by two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. Now that Minter has focused on the defense, fans want to see more work done on offense.
“I’d really like to see more moves on the offensive side of the ball, because I think the defense is pretty solid. We fixed the pass rush issue. Maybe to shore up a couple more guys, but I really, really, want to see a much more revamped offense,” Dymowski said.
Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle will provide this fresh offensive perspective. Although Doyle lacks offensive play-calling experience, he is only thirty years old and is viewed as an emerging star. He was the offensive coordinator for Head Coach Ben Johnson on the Bears, who is regarded as a brilliant offensive mind.
“Declan Doyle. He’s a huge unknown and is purely [high potential]. But we do know he’s coming from Ben Johnson, who is literally a mastermind. So you just hope for the same thought of the game from him as well,” Siglar said.
Doyle will lead an offense that has question marks at the offensive line. Siglar recognizes the impact of losing All-Pro center Tyler Linderbaum, and he hopes that the saved money can instead be spent on a high quantity of solid offensive line talent. The team’s signing of guard John Simpson to a three-year, $30 million deal exemplifies Siglar’s goal.
“I think the strength of letting Linderbaum leave is that one really good offensive lineman is not going to elevate the rest of the line, but one really bad one will subtract from the stability of the line,” Siglar said.
It is also possible the Ravens may bolster their offensive line in the 2026 NFL Draft, which will take place from April 23 to 25. Dymowski believes the offensive line, not new weapons for Jackson, is the key to winning in 2026.
“You fix that O-line, I genuinely believe that you could have another bum at wide receiver and you could win the Super Bowl. As long as you keep Lamar Jackson protected, you have a Super Bowl contender,” Dymowski said.
Fans and analysts have high expectations for the Ravens this year. Siglar, however, has high hopes, but more tempered expectations.
“This might be a bad take, but I think you can get pretty misled if you go into every year saying Super Bowl or bust … I don’t think that’s how football works. I think it’s one game at a time, and especially with new coaching, you have to cement the culture,” Siglar said.
There have only ever been two rookie head coaches to win a Super Bowl: Don McCafferty with the Baltimore Colts in 1970 and George Seifert with the San Francisco 49ers in 1990. Minter has a chance to join these ranks, but it may take time to establish greatness. No matter how the season ends, Dymowski wants the season to get off to a good start.
“Fresh out the gun, I want to see a Ravens win,’ Dymowski said.
The Ravens will begin the regular season in mid-September. They will finalize their roster in the months ahead. Tune in to the NFL Draft from April 23 to 25 to see their next moves.