Mink: The Ravens could certainly go the offensive route with their head coach hire, but Owner Steve Bisciotti said he doesn’t have a preference.
“As far as offensive and defensive coordinator, I really couldn’t care [less], because you’re bringing in three people,” Bisciotti said, referencing a head coach’s coordinator hires.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Ravens get two coaches from their first round of interviews – one more known for his defensive prowess and one for offense. One would be the head coach and the other a prized lieutenant.
For example, ESPN’s Peter Schrager reported that Kliff Kingsbury interviewed for both the head coach and offensive coordinator jobs in Baltimore and that Kingsbury feels it would “be an honor” to work with Lamar Jackson. Schrager also reported that he expects Mike McDaniel to interview for both positions.
It’s paramount that the Ravens maximize Jackson’s next window, as his game continues to evolve as he approaches his 30s. Jackson is running less. He had a career-low 5.2 rushing attempts per game last season. The next head coach and offensive coordinator will be tasked with elevating his passing game again, just like Todd Monken helped with.
At the same time, Baltimore wants to get stronger on defense. This organization was built on tough defenses, and while Jackson changed who gets top billing, the Ravens would love to harken back to those days on the defensive side of the ball.
If Baltimore hires a head coach or defensive coordinator that came get the defense back playing like it did in 2023 under Mike Macdonald, when they led the league with just 16.5 points allowed, and you pair that with an offense led by Jackson, that’s a very dangerous combination capable of winning a Super Bowl.