They won a lot of football games in Baltimore while John Harbaugh was the coach of the Ravens. Luke Jones and Nestor take a full look at the new coaching staff of head coach Jesse Minter and how some old friends like Anthony Levine and Anthony Weaver return with the same Hard Ball coaching wind under their purple wings. Familiar is comfortable in Owings Mills with the new regime. <\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio and Luke Jones discuss the Baltimore Ravens\u2019 new coaching staff led by Jesse Minter, including offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. They highlight the youth and college backgrounds of many new coaches, noting the familiarity with John Harbaugh\u2019s coaching style. Jones emphasizes the challenges of integrating a young, inexperienced offensive coordinator like Doyle and the potential for early-season hiccups. They also touch on the importance of player-coach relationships, particularly between Doyle and Lamar Jackson, and the need for roster improvements to support the new staff.<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Write and publish a \u2018Dear John Harbaugh\u2019 column on Baltimore Positive this week as a columnist<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Write and publish a \u2018Dear Jesse Minter\u2019 column on Baltimore Positive (follow-up column promised)<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Monitor all Ravens coaching\/staff and roster developments and report updates on the show and Baltimore Positive<\/p>\n
[ ] @Nestor Aparicio \u2013 Provide breaking Ravens (and related) news first via the WNST tech service when it occurs<\/p>\n
Harbaugh Tour and Sports Coverage<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio introduces the show, mentioning new sponsors Farnan and Dermer and the lack of sports coverage due to the baseball strike.<\/p>\n
Nestor discusses the Olympics and his enjoyment of various sports, including long jump, short jump, luge, speed skating, and ice hockey.<\/p>\n
Nestor mentions John Harbaugh\u2019s media rounds and the hiring of a new offensive coordinator, Anthony Weaver, and special teams coordinator, Anthony Levine.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke Jones discuss the familiarity within the Ravens coaching staff and the hiring of college coaches.<\/p>\n
Familiarity and Staff Dynamics<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the familiarity within the Ravens coaching staff, mentioning the hiring of Anthony Weaver and Anthony Levine.<\/p>\n
Luke pushes back on the idea of the Ravens staff being too incestuous, noting that many coaches have no clear ties to the team.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the balance of familiarity and competence in hiring coaches.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the youth and college backgrounds of many new coaches, noting the mix of experience and fresh ideas.<\/p>\n
Challenges and Expectations for New Coaches<\/p>\n
Luke discusses the challenges and expectations for new coaches, particularly Declan Doyle and Anthony Weaver.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the potential for hiccups and the importance of seamless transitions in coaching roles.<\/p>\n
Luke mentions the importance of familiarity and competence in coaching staffs, using examples from other teams.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the potential for new coaches to bring fresh ideas and innovation to the team.<\/p>\n
Impact of Coaching Changes on Player Performance<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the impact of coaching changes on player performance, using examples from the Ravens and other teams.<\/p>\n
Luke mentions the importance of player accountability and the role of coaching in improving performance.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the challenges of evaluating coaching performance and the impact of injuries on team performance.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Evaluating Coaching Performance and Team Dynamics<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the evaluation of coaching performance and the importance of player-coach relationships.<\/p>\n
Luke mentions the challenges of evaluating coaching performance and the impact of player accountability on team success.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Transition to New Coaching Staff<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the transition to a new coaching staff and the challenges of integrating new coaches.<\/p>\n
Luke mentions the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the potential for new coaches to bring fresh ideas and innovation to the team.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Impact of Coaching Changes on Team Culture<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the impact of coaching changes on team culture and the importance of maintaining a positive environment.<\/p>\n
Luke mentions the challenges of integrating new coaches and the importance of maintaining a positive team culture.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability within the team.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Evaluating Coaching Performance and Team Success<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the evaluation of coaching performance and the importance of player-coach relationships.<\/p>\n
Luke mentions the challenges of evaluating coaching performance and the impact of player accountability on team success.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Challenges of Coaching in the NFL<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the challenges of coaching in the NFL and the importance of player-coach relationships.<\/p>\n
Luke mentions the challenges of integrating new coaches and the importance of maintaining a positive team culture.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability within the team.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Future of the Ravens Coaching Staff<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke discuss the future of the Ravens coaching staff and the potential for new coaches to bring fresh ideas and innovation.<\/p>\n
Luke mentions the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
Nestor and Luke talk about the challenges of integrating new coaches and the importance of maintaining a positive team culture.<\/p>\n
Luke highlights the importance of player-coach relationships and the role of familiarity in building trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
SUMMARY KEYWORDS<\/p>\n
Ravens coaching staff, Jesse Minter, Declan Doyle, Anthony Weaver, Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh, special teams coordinator, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, NFL offseason, player accountability, coaching transitions, team expectations, roster building, player performance.<\/p>\n
SPEAKERS<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio, Luke Jones<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 00:01<\/p>\n
Welcome home. We are W, N, S, T. Am 1570 to Baltimore. We are Baltimore positive. Bringing the Valentine kisses here for a strangely unsporty Sports Time, unless you got a wife that loves the Olympics and I\u2019m I\u2019m watching the long jumpers and the short jumpers and the luge and the speed skating and ice hockey with my pal Kenny Albert. But I miss football, and that\u2019s why I bring Luke Jones on to talk about such things, all of our sports coverage, by the way, we have a new sponsor in Farnan and Dermer. I\u2019m wearing the gear for the comfort guys. So is Luke. They\u2019ll be sponsoring all of our sports coverage when there is sports coverage. I don\u2019t know if the NBA All Star Game qualifies as sports coverage. Certainly we have no grapefruit yet. We have more talk about the baseball strike than the baseball season. At least this week, from what I\u2019m gathering with players sort of beating drums and what\u2019s going on down in Sarasota. I\u2019m still awaiting my my my press credential status from Mark fine and Katie Griggs and football\u2019s like a week gone. Luke Goodell needs to do something to extend the season. They they\u2019re going to announce an Australia game, or they\u2019re going to do something here this week before. I think they did. I mean, it is really a weird, tender belly here in February where we\u2019re getting rid of the snow that when the Terps are no good. And here, you know, the Capitals in the wizards don\u2019t really market here. And who would market the wizards anyway? And I don\u2019t even know the Hershey bears are playing after the teddy bear game. So it\u2019s sort of a weird time to maybe watch the NBA All Star game, but regroup. I see John Harbaugh doing all the Baltimore rounds with the other media, the real media people this week. So I football\u2019s not like down and especially with the mentor thing here. But you know, the Ravens could hire an old, legendary special teams guide. Some folks might not even notice it.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 02:04<\/p>\n
Well, I don\u2019t know so much about that, but it\u2019s we\u2019ve reached the point in the Ravens off offseason, specifically, where the coaching staff has now been hired. You\u2019re albeit less than two weeks out, but the Combine still a little ways away here a free agency is now less than a month away. You kind of settle into, quote, a normal part of the off season, knowing it\u2019s not normal because it\u2019s new. And you know we\u2019re going to hear good thing is, we\u2019re going to hear from Declan Doyle This week, the new offensive coordinator. We\u2019re going to hear from Anthony Weaver this week, the new defensive coordinator, and we\u2019re going to hear from Anthony Levine, the new special teams coordinator.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 02:43<\/p>\n
I know two out of three of those people. Yeah. I\u2019ve known for years.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 02:47<\/p>\n
Yeah, no question. And as I joked with another member of the media a couple weeks ago, yeah, you know two of the three. And the other guy sounds like it would have been a lacrosse player for Loyola if you heard Declan Doyle\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 02:59<\/p>\n
This is so when the Orioles hire Davey Johnson, who hires Pat Dobson, who hires Mike Flanagan, who hires Terry Crowley, who hires al bumbury, who hires T bone Shelby, who hires like Rick Dempsey, like the ravens, are into that flow a little bit, you know. And I don\u2019t know how much the coach in Minter actually sits with the cost and di Costa says, I drafted Anthony Weaver. I watched Anthony Levine walk in here 15 years ago and make a career. And now we\u2019re, I mean, there is some, there is a little bit of that incestuous thing going on that the in the hardball dicostu, Aussie realm of familiarity, you know, I mean, they\u2019re going with what they know they are<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 03:52<\/p>\n
a little but, but at the same time, look how many college coaches they hired for their staff. Look how many guys they hired for their staff that don\u2019t have any clear cut ties to the Raven. So I\u2019ll push back on that a little bit.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 04:04<\/p>\n
First of all, there\u2019s ties to mentor too. I would just say, because mentor brought his best friend in as we predicted, it doesn\u2019t do instantly.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 04:12<\/p>\n
I mean, every coach does that like no, you\u2019re not going to find a single coach in any sport that\u2019s going to hire a staff, an entire staff, that has no ties to that individual whatsoever. It\u2019s just, I mean, the business world, I think would you find that you bring your friends, Brian Billy brought his brother in law? I mean, right? I mean, I don\u2019t want to. And, you know, that\u2019s kind of a cynical way of categorizing it, but Familiarity is certainly going to be there. And look, you want to hire people that are competent, I don\u2019t think you\u2019re going to hire people that you worked with previously that it didn\u2019t work out well, right? But, yeah, there\u2019s going to be a little bit of that. There\u2019s going to be a little bit of who\u2019s a friend of a friend. I mean, Anthony Levine. Jesse Minter coached Anthony Levine. Jesse Minter was on was one of the defensive backs coach coaches when Anthony Levine was still. Old the Ravens dime back, you know, not and not just playing on special teams. So there\u2019s a little bit of that that goes on at the same time. I look at the staff, and there\u2019s a lot of youth, there\u2019s a lot of guys that come from the college level, you know, you look at the offensive side and, you know, you see some guys that might not have as much experience on paper, but they\u2019ve also hired some guys who have a little more experience. So I think it\u2019s a very interesting staff in that way. Look, one of my pet peeves, and fellow media members do this, and fans do this, and it\u2019s not even a pet peeve as much. You know, that would be harsh to say that, but don\u2019t really know, right? I mean, we don\u2019t really know how it\u2019s all going to gel. We can look at it and say, Okay, that makes sense. You like this about that individual, and you like this? I mean, Declan Doyle, for example, right? I mean, he\u2019s Lamar Jackson\u2019s age, so there\u2019s a lot of inexperience there. He hasn\u2019t called plays before. At the same time, he\u2019s worked with two of the of the brightest offensive minds that you would view in 2025 going into 2026 right, and talking about Sean Payton and talking about Ben Johnson, right? So you\u2019d like to think that he learned some really useful lessons from both of those individuals, and he\u2019s current. Yeah, right, yeah, he\u2019s current. I mean, Declan Doyle is very highly thought of, if you\u2019ve gone and done a little bit of homework with some of the things written about him last year, things that Sean Payton has said about him, things that Ben Johnson has said about him, that said not going to sit here with any meaningful conviction and say that I know that he\u2019s going to be a great offensive coordinator, right? I mean, Anthony Weaver has been a defensive coordinator a couple times, you know? He one year in Houston, and, of course, with Miami the last couple years, he checks boxes that you like. I mean, he\u2019s someone who got head coach a consideration with multiple teams, including the Ravens. In this<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 06:50<\/p>\n
past I thought the Steelers were going to hire him, to be honest with you, that said, I<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 06:54<\/p>\n
mean, he\u2019s, he\u2019s not even going to be calling the plays for the defense, right? That\u2019s going to be Jesse Minter on game day. So it\u2019s not so much a doubt or diminishing him, but how does that relationship work in terms of of Anthony Weaver being the defensive coordinator from Monday through Saturday basically, you know, that\u2019s kind of a simplistic way of looking at it, and then Jesse Minter is calling the actual defense on Sundays. That doesn\u2019t mean Anthony Weaver is not going to continue to have a very, very important role. But how does that transition work? In terms of Weaver doing that day by day week, you know, week by week work as you\u2019re putting together game plans, then how seamless Is it where he hands that to Jesse Minter? And of course, that\u2019s a little simplistic, right? It\u2019s not like Jesse Minter is not going to be doing any prep on the defense. I mean, just doing prep for the entire football team. But how does that work? Right? And I don\u2019t me saying that isn\u2019t casting doubt on the Raven specific situation. That\u2019s just how it works. When you have a head coach that\u2019s going to call plays on offense or defense, there is that question of, how does that work, in terms of the coordinator doing all the laying the groundwork, putting together the game plan, executing that, teaching that to the players over the course of the week, and the offensive or defensive meetings, whichever side of the ball it is, and then you hand the reins to the head coach on Sunday. How seamless will that be? So like like that, and that\u2019s that\u2019s the same case that\u2019s gonna be the case in Buffalo, with Brady calling the plays as the head coach, they\u2019re calling the offense for Josh Allen and the bill\u2019s offense. So that\u2019s just, you know, there\u2019s unknown about that. You never really know how this is going to work, right? I mean, we, we can all, we can all think of different coordinators over the years where on paper, you thought, man, that guy\u2019s going to be a great head coach. That guy\u2019s going to get a great opportunity somewhere, and it happens, and then it doesn\u2019t work out. And we can also remember situations where someone gets hired, and you kind of say, why are they hiring that guy? And it turns out that it works really well. We can all remember retreads being hired, where someone failed at a previous spot, and it it works out really well the second time around, or someone fails the second time around, and generally speaking, that means that\u2019s the end of their opportunity as a head coach. So, you know, I don\u2019t say that to be like, Oh, Luke sitting on the fence here doesn\u2019t like Jesse manner. I mean, far from that. You know, we but we just don\u2019t know, right? I mean, there\u2019s, well,<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 09:17<\/p>\n
there was going to be a change at some point, harbor was going to be gone, and there was going to be a new person in here, and we spent a week before bashati showed up, saying, What? What will this look like? What will make Steve comfortable? What will make Eric comfortable? What\u2019s the best thing for the Baltimore Ravens? What\u2019s the best thing moving forward? Is John Harbaugh? The best thing Steve didn\u2019t think so. Lot of people didn\u2019t think so. I didn\u2019t think so they threw him out. So what are we going to bring in? Going to bring in fresh blood, going to bring in the Mike McCarthy way, going to bring in the Jason Garrett way, going to bring in the Jim Schwartz way, going to bring in the cliff Kingsbury way. I mean, there were all sorts of directions they could have gone with former head coaches and. Next in lines. They could have hired Anthony Weaver. They could. There\u2019s a there are just so many options that they could have had. And as we look at it now a month later, let\u2019s call it just a month what we\u2019ve seen is quick hook on hardball on that Tuesday afternoon phone call. Week of dangling, bishati shows up. They have a presser. They\u2019re going to go through names. They weed whack through all of these names. They came up with Minter quickly. He was one of the first phone calls. They looked inside, outside, black, white, defense, offense, college, Pro. They did it all. Boom. They do mentor. Mentor very much the minute we saw it. We\u2019re like John Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh, John Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh, Harbaugh, Harbaugh, Michigan, Michigan, and they\u2019ve hired a horrible disciple by I mean, there\u2019s no arguing that it\u2019d be like hiring you and saying you and I didn\u2019t work together. It\u2019s like so it\u2019s very comfortable in that way, terminology, ideology, preparation. He knows how John did he knows that Jim did it. He\u2019s going to do it his way, which is going to be 87% the hardball way, if not 92% the hardball way. It ain\u2019t gonna be 22% the hardball way. It\u2019s gonna be mostly the hardball way. And you and I are gonna recognize that. I even recognize that in the press conference in the beginning, that it has sort of some of the Ball Coach qualities that maybe not a nicer, cleaned up version of what John was 15 years ago, with this young, fresh faced guy. But I feel like not a lot\u2019s gonna change dude, like it feels very horrible. I mean, Anthony Levine only knows the horrible it\u2019s all he did is the John horrible way Anthony Weaver here, there Raven\u2019s way, been in and out to cost the guy for sure. I mean, even Declan Doyle going back to like, growing up at the feet of Kirk ference and the Kirk ference Eric the Costa, I don\u2019t think there\u2019s been an off season where the Costa hasn\u2019t been in Iowa hanging out with Kirk ference, having known Kirk ference for 30 years. And it\u2019s no shock that the Iowa Center shows up here and plays and and Marshall yonda showed up here and he\u2019s going to the hall. It\u2019s something pretty good. So I just think that there is a familiarity above and beyond what even you and I talk about. Knowing Eric is long Well, I used to know Eric. Thought a new Eric that they there\u2019s a hardball way, there\u2019s a Ravens way. And if Eric were with you and had his second drink right now and got flippant with his accent, he started throwing it at me, which we\u2019ve done plenty times, many, many times, probably will do at some point. The next time he\u2019s got the stones to sit in the room with me, he\u2019d say we win a lot here, from Ozzy on Ozzy through Brian into John. Now on to me, we win here because of Anthony Levine and Anthony Weaver and John Harbaugh\u2019s ghost and Jim Harbaugh\u2019s ghost. And that\u2019s what Jesse Minter is. He\u2019s the best of all of their ghosts. He\u2019s the AI version of all of the HAR ball good things, maybe with maybe I not, maybe I hope he has more integrity than the last guy did. I\u2019m not holding out hope, and I\u2019ll be writing my dear John Harbaugh Letter This week up at the Baltimore positive under columnist. But I feel like this is going to be a smooth transition, and if the football players can play, they\u2019ll all smell good. You know, if Lamar is the best version of Lamar, and whatever Minter can do to be that guy and Declan Doyle, because to me, Lamar, Lamar, Lamar. You know, here we are against it\u2019s going to be Lamar, Lamar Lamar, because he is the franchise. I mean, we with him in, they have a chance. With him out, they have no chance. And I don\u2019t know, I haven\u2019t heard from him. We\u2019re probably not going to hear much from him. But this is Harbaugh University moved along as I see it, from a coaching perspective and an ideology perspective, that they did not want a heart transplant out there. They just wanted a new king.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 14:26<\/p>\n
Fair enough, everything you said, I would just say that you left one giant omission. Mike McDonald, who just won a Super Bowl, and he\u2019s worked for Jim and John Harbaugh. I mean, like everything you could say about Jesse Minter being a hardball<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 14:39<\/p>\n
guy, oh, I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s bad. This is the decision. They\u2019re just<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 14:43<\/p>\n
saying, as much as you\u2019re emphasizing the horrible element, I would say, What about the mike McDonald element? And you know that? Because that\u2019s where the similarities are a little more direct, in terms of those two work so closely together in Baltimore. I mean, going back to when I said the offseason. Know, 2018 when they revamped their defensive system, Mike Martindale was a new DC, but you had these younger guys that were helping to streamline this system and but I would say like that everything about the hard ball and not and I wasn\u2019t suggesting that you were making that a negative. I just wanted to point out the biggest piece of information, or biggest piece of evidence that Eric dicostica point out to you that that way worked pretty well. Was well, it just worked out really well for Mike McDonald, taking a lot of those same principles to Seattle, albeit with Schneider, who is another Hall of Fame level executive. But you know, players are still important, right? I mean, as much as we\u2019re going to talk about new coaches and what that means for, you know, Declan Doyle and Lamar Jackson and what the defense gonna like the players have to play. I want. I was so bored over the weekend. You know what I did? I actually went back and put on the week one ravens, bills game, you know, the season opener. And as painful as that was for the last<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 15:54<\/p>\n
into a sub shop in Delaware the other night, and flaco\u2019s wearing the white Bengals jerseys playing the Steelers. Put it on. You can go back to week six, if you want to.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 16:05<\/p>\n
Yeah, and you know what I saw in that game? I saw, I did see things from a coaching element that left a lot to be desired. But you know what else I saw missed tackles and guys doing things on the field where I\u2019d say, do you really need a coach to tell you that that wasn\u2019t a good play? You know what I mean? So how much of that was coaching and how much of that was individual players need to be, need to be accountable<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 16:28<\/p>\n
on Zach or at now that this is all over with and he\u2019s got another job, speaking of going off with World Champions. I mean, Zach Orr is going to be a punch line around here from from two years from his defensive coordinator stint here, which I think is unfortunate. You know what I mean? That\u2019s about Marcus Williams not being any good, or Darius Washington getting hurt, not having a pass rush at all, not having guys come on, Matt Abigail disappearing last year, Marlon Humphrey getting old. Roquan Smith being, you know, a cut above ordinary. Like, I like, there were a lot of players that you could look at. But the Zach or thing here, when we look at, was he a good defensive coordinator or not? Get much better over the 16 weeks later, they all got fired. Yeah.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 17:12<\/p>\n
I mean, the answer is no. I mean, then look how much of that is the players and how much of that is on the coaching. The answer is yes, right? It means that it\u2019s it\u2019s on both and as much as you can look at different elements, like, for example, I just mentioned that Buffalo game. I you know, there was the that throw in the flat to James Cook, where real quant Smith just flat out missed a tackle. It\u2019s like you\u2019re, that\u2019s your $20 million linebacker. He\u2019s got to make that play. However, are there other instances where Zach or or whoever you know, whatever the breakdown is, you know, the past defense collectively, where are the you\u2019d say, are the Ravens putting roquan Smith in the best position, in that spot? And if the answer is no, then that\u2019s coaching, right? I mean, so it\u2019s really difficult to kind of parcel that out and to try to divide blame, the answer is it, there was plenty of blame to go around. And you know, if you\u2019re if the if it\u2019s Zach or the answer is, No, he wasn\u2019t a good defensive coordinator here because they weren\u2019t good as a defense collectively here. So that doesn\u2019t mean that he\u2019s not a capable coach that can\u2019t find success elsewhere. I mean, I\u2019ll say this, the fact that he\u2019s going to Seattle. Mike McDonald thinks enough of him as a coach in isolation, in a vacuum, at least as an inside linebackers coach, to say, hey, come to my staff. Right? So I think that right there tells you that it\u2019s not incompetent, you know, in terms of like he doesn\u2019t understand how to teach football. But you question, was it the right spot at the right time for the right individual? And I think looking at the two year body of work, that answer was no. Now that said, was it all Zach Gore\u2019s fault? No, I\u2019ll certainly put what needs to be on individual players, as far as them having to take accountability, injuries were a part of that we talked about it. Nnamdi Mada BK, that injury was massive for this ravens pass rush. That was already a question mark going into 2025 so you know, we\u2019re going to see what happens with matabique. There\u2019s been a cryptic tweet or post or social media post here or there, that maybe is good news. Maybe not. I mean, it might be good news about something else with his life. We don\u2019t know, right? But you know based on how it\u2019s gone, you know, you\u2019re kind of bracing for the worst, hoping for the best, but you don\u2019t know. So that said to sit here and say everything that plagued the Ravens defense in 2025 and the first half of 2024 was all on Zach Gord. No, I\u2019ll reject that. You know, you mentioned Marcus Williams. I mean, where did Marcus Williams play this past year? Like, did he play at all? Right? I mean, he had tryouts and, like, you heard his name here and there, but certainly didn\u2019t revitalize his career. Right? So what happened there? I mean, that was a guy the Ravens gave, what was it, a $70 million contract to four off seasons ago, and, you know, worked out okay the first couple years, other than some injuries, but he couldn\u2019t play after that. So how much of that is on coaching and how much of that was the individual, right? And that\u2019s, that\u2019s what makes this so it makes football so fascinating, right? And we talked about this a little bit when we had our Hall of Fame conversation, you know, at Costas a couple weeks ago, and I made them the point to you that I don\u2019t envy Hall of Fame voters because of just how much information you have to try to process and evaluate. And you know, just in general, when you\u2019re talking about football, you have 22 players on the field at once. They all have different assignments, right? And you\u2019re trying to look at that. That\u2019s why I I empathize with officiating more than most. I think that\u2019s an extremely difficult job to try to truly manage what\u2019s happening with 22 different players moving at once in real time. It\u2019s easy for us to look at things when we slow it down in HD and super slow motion, and we have eight camera angles, right? But when things happen in real time, your eyes play they play tricks on you. So I think it\u2019s tough. I say the same thing about home plate umpires. When you have pitchers that are throwing 100 miles per hour and breaking stuff at 93 that looks like a wizard, you know, develop the pitch. I mean, these are really difficult things to look at. So to sit here and try to say all that plagued the Ravens last year was all coaching, right? Or all John Hall, well, it felt like there was some<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 21:33<\/p>\n
chaos defensively, especially beginning of the year, where guys on the back end didn\u2019t know calls. There was Miss miscommunication as much as missed tackles, right?<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 21:42<\/p>\n
Well, and in a very simplistic way, this is where I\u2019ll empathize a little bit. If you think about what happened the first half of 2024 they had the Marcus Williams issue, right? Where he wasn\u2019t playing well, they\u2019re having all those, all those issues in coverage. Were like over under routes, and you know, the digs, the deep ends, things like that, where, you know, the linebackers are getting poor drops, and the safeties weren\u2019t coming up, they\u2019re getting beat all that. And what did they do? They brought our Darius Washington into the lineup, and they moved Kyle Hamilton back to a natural safety spot. And it worked wonders, right? We kind of forget, I mean, as much as Now will the narrative on Zach Gore will be that their defense wasn\u2019t good the the two years he was there, and statistically it wasn\u2019t I\u2019m not going to argue with that. However, if we do recall when they made those changes in what was it, mid November, their defense was really good the rest of the way. Not that, I\u2019m not saying it was a 2000 ravens, but statistically it was right up there. So they, they use Kyle Hamilton in a more traditional, conventional safety role to fix the defense in 2024 well, then they come out of the gate in 2025 knowing that they lost our Darius Washington and you were counting on Malachi Starks as a rookie. And they, they kept Kyle Hamilton at that safety spot, even though all off season, I remember talking to you, and, you know, other people were saying this as well, that ideally you wanted to get Hamilton back to that more versatile at the line of scrimmage kind of role well, and they didn\u2019t do that. And what had fixed their defense the previous year suddenly was part of the problem. Not that Hamilton was playing poorly. We know that wasn\u2019t the case, but you missed him right? So they had to then pivot and kind of go back to the way they were trying to do things early in 2024 so, you know, it\u2019s just a lot, and in hindsight, you know, they hired a first time defensive coordinator who had never called plays before. That\u2019s why. That\u2019s why I\u2019ll continue to have a little bit of pause about Declan Doyle. Not that I don\u2019t think Declan Doyle can be a really good offensive coordinator, but that\u2019s a lot of new to navigate. That\u2019s a lot of new for a first time head coach who\u2019s going to be calling the defense now, I don\u2019t have doubts about Jesse Minters aptitude for defense, right? It\u2019s why the Ravens hired him, but in terms of him navigating things as a new head coach, calling the defense on Sundays and Declan Doyle calling an offense for the first time in his career, no matter what you think about his mind, offensively, that\u2019s just a lot of new to navigate to think that there aren\u2019t going to be some hiccups. Now, when I say that, that doesn\u2019t mean I think the ravens are going seven and 10, but could they lose a couple games early in the season when things aren\u2019t fully calibrated with a brand new staff? Sure. I mean, that\u2019s the difference here, and the same thing Buffalo\u2019s gonna be doing the same thing Pittsburgh with McCarthy. I mean, you know, to a lesser extent, because no one\u2019s viewed the Steelers as any kind of a serious Super Bowl contender in years, whereas going into the year, people are going to view the bills and the Ravens as they have in recent years, where you say, Hey, you should be one of the top teams, that you should be some of the top teams in the apps, and if you\u2019re not, we hired the wrong coach. Sure. I mean, that\u2019ll be the narrative. What. Right or wrong, that\u2019ll be the narrative. So, yeah, so, so you do look at that and you say, how are you going to navigate that? And look, that\u2019s not to say that this coaching staff won\u2019t be phenomenal. I don\u2019t know that. I mean, Mike McDonald in his first year, the Seahawks missed the playoffs, but they went 10 and seven. It\u2019s not like they had a poor year and then they win the Super Bowl year too. So point is, even with the Seahawks, they didn\u2019t have the same level of expectation when Mike McDonald came in that the Ravens do with Jesse Minter, because you have a top five quarterback and you have the perception of a roster that\u2019s not perfect, but has talented players on each side of the ball and has veterans on each side of the ball, like Derek Henry, for example, where you say, hey. Like, don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019m not doubting Derek Henry in 2026 but he\u2019s not getting any younger. So like, it\u2019s go time. Like, you don\u2019t want to waste another year. You want to do this now. So, so there is a little bit more of that that I think is a little more challenging for the Raven staff, for Buffalo staff, and that\u2019s where you do look at this thing and say that\u2019s where it is really important that Jesse Minter has Rick Minter on his staff, that they have a veteran offensive assistant coach and Joe Lombardi, right? That they have someone you know, their past game coordinator, Marcus Brady, you know they these are some names that you do recognize to mix in with what is quite a few, you know, quite a few offensive, or not, offensive, defensive and offensive coaches from the collegiate level, where you say, hey, that\u2019s that\u2019s exciting, that\u2019s some fresh blood, that\u2019s some new ideas that some younger guys that, on paper, should be able to connect with players a little bit more that, in a way that, You know, and I don\u2019t want to make this about John Harbaugh, but like, someone that\u2019s in their 50s or 60s might not connect with the younger generation quite as easily. Now, that\u2019s not everything, but that\u2019s part of it, right? I mean, it has to be so. I mean, I think that\u2019s one thing that the Ravens do look at this thing and say, Hey, we have Declan Doyle, who\u2019s lamar\u2019s age. We have Anthony Weaver, who\u2019s in his mid 40s, who should still be able to connect. And he played, and that brings a different level of credibility. Anthony Levine\u2019s in his late 30s, he played, you know, I mean, even, you know, I I pulled up, you know, I know some other people cited this as well, like Jordan stout was asked about a game, or after a game. I think it was after the Jets game, something like that. Forget what it was, but he made a comment that the special teams guys get so fired up with the energy that Anthony Levine brought as the Assistant Special teams coach. I don\u2019t think that was a knock on Chris Horton or Randy Brown or anything like that. It\u2019s just there\u2019s a different level of credibility there. When you are talking about a former player that said Zach Gore brought the same credibility, and it didn\u2019t work out. So, you know, you just, you have to look at it through the lens of trying to evaluate it from every angle. And I think they\u2019ve, they have a really interesting, diverse Does, does trend younger kind of coaching staff? There\u2019s no question about that, that will bring some unknown, but there\u2019s also upside there, and there\u2019s also that potential to innovate and to be something that\u2019s a little more cutting edge, you know? I mean, I\u2019ll continue to say, you know, regardless of what happens in Cleveland now or how the end was perceived, Todd Monken did a really good job with Lamar Jackson. If you look at what their offense became in 2023 and 24 I\u2019m not there\u2019s no way I\u2019m going to look at that as a failure. That said, You do look at it now and say, Man, is there a way that Declan Doyle might be able to reach and connect with Lamar that some of the previous coordinators, or, you know, in the case of the head coach, mentor. Now, compared to horrible they might connect with Lamar.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 28:43<\/p>\n
By the way, Roman is treated like the village idiot. He\u2019s not treated like the guy that helped Lamar get to MVP, sure.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 28:49<\/p>\n
Well, I mean, here\u2019s the, here\u2019s, here\u2019s how I describe Greg Roman. Greg Roman, and I don\u2019t mean this for the ravens, I mean this anywhere, you know, going back to his days with you know, he was at Stanford, he was at San Francisco with hard Jim Harbaugh and Colin Kaepernick, right, right? I think he is the kind of coach that raises the floor for your offense from a run game standpoint. I think he\u2019s fantastic when it comes to the run game, but he has a ceiling. I think there have been enough stops and multiple quarterbacks now that there\u2019s a very distinct ceiling. So would I want Greg Roman as my offensive coordinator in this day and age? Well, it depends what I\u2019m looking for, right? If I\u2019m a rebuilding team that has a very young quarterback that we\u2019re going to have to lean really hard on our running game, Greg Roman might be okay for a year or two as my offensive coordinator, but is he going to be the guy that gets us over the hump and has the ceiling? No, he just doesn\u2019t. And and I, I\u2019ll say that that said to your point. He did for the first few years that he was in place. He did a really good job. Now it got stale after a while, and they got to a point where they\u2019re passing game Absolutely. Absolutely hit a ceiling, and it was time, and they made the right decision, probably, you know, not, probably, I would say all along, they were a year too late on that. I just think that was the case that said not going to look back and dismiss what the Ravens coaching staff and Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards and Marshall yonder in the O line did in 2019 I mean, that was a record setting offense that the Ravens never seen in Baltimore, you know, with the Ravens offense. So, yeah, but at the same time, you know, it\u2019s funny, I saw our old pal Brian Billick doing some, you know, did some, some, some sit downs at the Super Bowl, as he\u2019s apt to do. I heard him cite what I\u2019ve cite, what we have cited many times. You know, he cited Bill Walsh once again, who always said you shouldn\u2019t be in a place more than 10 years, you know, and you know. And he was talking about John Harbaugh specifically, you know, because he was asked about that situation. But I think it holds true for most coaches. I think it\u2019s very rare, and that\u2019s why what John Harbaugh just did, what Mike Tomlin just did, what Belichick did, what Andy Reid has now done, basically in two places, is so unique that there\u2019s a shelf life. And as much as it\u2019s about ball and you think about X\u2019s and O\u2019s and playbooks and all that, there\u2019s also the interpersonal side to that, where you have to connect with people and build relationships and motivate and know when to put your arm around someone and pat them on the back, and know when to give them a boot to the butt and say, Hey, pick it up. This is below the bar that is such a challenging job in any walk of life, let alone a career field where you\u2019re often in charge of individuals making, some of them making more money than you make, right? I mean, think about that. Lamar Jackson makes more money than John Harbaugh ever made in a season, right? Roquan Smith made more money than what John Harbaugh was making. So, you know, you don\u2019t have too many instances of that in the world. In the real world with business where a CEO is talking to quote subordinates that are making, some of them making more money than him. So it\u2019s just, it\u2019s a really unique career field, and I\u2019m getting kind of psychological here a little bit. But the psychology is part of the job. I mean, it absolutely is. So that those are the things where you hope that all of the homework that to Costa did, and all the phone calls and all the zooms and all the talking to not just the guys you ultimately hired, but others you you talk to and got ideas, and got ideas from someone else to go talk to this individual who maybe didn\u2019t have ties to the ravens, but you say, hey, that that guy could be a good fit For what we\u2019re looking for at that specific role, you know, it\u2019s, there\u2019s a you\u2019re betting on people. You know, these are all calculated bets on individuals, on humans. Yes, they need to know football that that\u2019s obvious, right? I mean, and that needs to be a really important part. And that\u2019s where Jesse Minter is different from John Harbaugh, because he brings a very distinct expertise to not special teams, and I don\u2019t want to dismiss special teams, but it\u2019s the third phase that lags behind the other two, right? We all agree with that there aren\u2019t as many special teams plays over the course of a game as there are offense or defense. But the difference here with Jesse mintern is the same thing with Mike McDonald breaking off of the hardball tree is you have a very distinct level of expertise to your side of the football that your hope, that you hope, will pay some extra dividends. That, frankly, when things went awry for John har balls, a John Harbaugh coach team on offense or defense, there was only so much he could do as an individual, whereas with Jesse Minter, I mean that their defense falters. Yeah, you\u2019ll still point to Anthony Weaver to some degree, but it\u2019s going to be on Jesse Minter, because he\u2019s calling it on Sundays, right? So that\u2019s where you look at this thing. And there will be a little bit of a different expectation. And you know what? Not, not completely different, even though he didn\u2019t call plays for most of his tenure. But it\u2019ll kind of be how we look at Brian Billick, how we looked at Brian Billick at times when the Ravens offense wasn\u2019t very good, and you\u2019d say, well, wait a second, you\u2019re supposed to be the offensive genius. Now, the thing that helped Billick was he won a Super Bowl in year two.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 34:16<\/p>\n
Well, I tell you what this is the interesting part for you, for the first time in your career, you\u2019re going to be able to look at the head coach hopefully from my seat in the front row and ask about defensive calls late in the game where he\u2019s the guy who actually made the call. That hasn\u2019t happened in a long, long time,<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 34:31<\/p>\n
no doubt about it. I mean, you go back to oh seven with Billick at the end. You know, his last couple years as Raven\u2019s head coach, he what he took the reins from fossil when they fired him during the bye week in oh six, and then I believe he called plays for the rest of his time. They they brought, you know, new Heisel was new Hazel was here, yeah, pub. But I\u2019m pretty sure Billick was still calling plays and he wasn\u2019t, I believe, yeah. So, you know, I mean 19 years, you know? So, yeah, I mean that that is different, whereas for the last 18 years. You were asking the head coach about what his coordinator was doing on either side of the ball, and how many times. I mean, go back to the Patriots game in December, right week 16, there was a very clear breakdown in terms of why the heck Derek Henry wasn\u2019t in the ball game. And you know, there was that whole Well, you know that you know Todd Monken, you know Willie tagger, like, you know all that, where you just say, like, but, but you\u2019re the head coach. And now, anything that happens with defense, yeah, Jesse Minter, behind closed doors, it might be an issue with one of the position coaches, right? There might be some kind of breakdown there. But if Jesse Minter is calling the defense, you\u2019re going to be asking him directly, because he\u2019s ultimately in charge of it. So it\u2019s very interesting dynamic, and a very interesting dynamic for a first year head coach, coaching a team that has very high expectations. Again, I don\u2019t say that to suggest that it\u2019s not going to work out, but to sit here and say that I I have 100% you know, could see into the future that it\u2019s not going to be, you know, not going to have any issues, not going to hit any snags. I mean, I\u2019m guessing they\u2019ll have some hiccups here and there. Mike McDonald had hiccups his first six games as the Ravens defensive coordinator. Mike McDonald didn\u2019t make the playoffs in his first year in Seattle, so it\u2019s hard, you know, it\u2019s a challenging gig, and it\u2019s one reason why the Ravens didn\u2019t make a change like this for the last 18 years.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 36:28<\/p>\n
Well, I had a feeling that Peyton was going to fail in Denver. You had a feeling Pete Carroll was going to fail in Vegas. Everybody thinks Mike McCarthy is going to fail in Pittsburgh. And I think he might be the smartest guy in the room through all of this because, like, as much as there\u2019s this perception, dude, Mike McCarthy, has been doing this for two decades. He\u2019s way the hell ahead of Declan Doyle. And if he sat over a drink, he\u2019d tell you that, and Minter, he\u2019d say, you know, this is the junior varsity here. I\u2019ve been I\u2019ve sat in the seat for 20 years. I know how this works. I\u2019ve got 300 games worth of management in doing this, as well as my apprenticeship, which look like theirs. So there is a point where, like, those hiccups and those mistakes, that\u2019s the thing that John arbaugh can bring to the Meadowlands that none of his Joe judges. I mean, I started looking at some of the names of the people that I don\u2019t even know their names. The old coaches. The Giants have had six coaches since the one that mattered, and he at least brings big pants to the family. Now I want to say this, by the way, Luke Jones is your last thing for you. Declan Doyle this week, um, I don\u2019t know, dude, he\u2019s the new dude. And Lamar is making 50 million, 60,000,070 2 million, 72 million, whatever, 74 million, whatever it\u2019s going to be. How much have they talked or have they, like, where, where do you think that is it so far with 229 year olds, like, I\u2019m fascinated by Declan Doyle, yeah.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 37:56<\/p>\n
I mean, it\u2019s, it is? It\u2019s very interesting, right? I mean, to have a coach be that young and but, you know, and I said it to you at the time, I mean, you know, you\u2019re hoping this is your Sean McVay from a play calling standpoint, or this is your Sean Payton from a play calling standpoint. Now, that said, the problem with that, and this kind of goes back to, you know, where I was from a philosophical standpoint, you know, in a vacuum, problem is, if he does a great job, he\u2019s probably gonna be a head coach a year from now, you know, I mean, that\u2019s, that\u2019s kind of the risk you run with that. I mean, and maybe they say, Well, he\u2019s 29 I mean, you know McVay? What McVay was 30? I think when the Rams hired him, I mean, he was kind of the exception. You generally, well, 10<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 38:38<\/p>\n
jobs just went out. How many they\u2019re going to have next year? Yeah?<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 38:41<\/p>\n
Well, yeah. I mean, more than you think, I think that\u2019s, that\u2019s generally the way I trend at this point in time.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 38:48<\/p>\n
But well, if Lamar can\u2019t play, Minter might be the first guy over the side of the boats, right? I mean, like Lamar this, this is lamar\u2019s prime. This is not Lamar. Let\u2019s go nine and eight this year, because we have a rookie coach. This has to be, you know, fireworks and sparkles, and it needs to feel like five and two to start the season. It it can\u2019t feel like three and four. I just, I don\u2019t know, I think they need to harness Lamar. I\u2019m going to keep going back to that. And whatever that is, this is the guy that they\u2019ve charged to harness Lamar, not Jesse Minter, not any of that. And you and I have had conversations on and off the air as to what really motivates Lamar and what will ring out the best to get the best out of Lamar, whatever that is<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 39:36<\/p>\n
right now? Yeah, I mean, it\u2019s going to be fascinating, from the standpoint of they are the same age you have. I mean, Lamar is entering his ninth year. Like, think about that for a second. He\u2019s been around. We\u2019re, you know, he\u2019s only a couple years away from being the Ravens quarterback, as long as Joe Flacco was right. I mean, it\u2019s still a couple years away, but it\u2019s not. Like the way you thought of it five or six years ago, where it\u2019s like this, 2223 24 year old phenom that\u2019s taken the league by storm, and like all that now we still, I mean, he saw, he did it in the regular season finale. I mean, the couple of the plays he made against Pittsburgh that were miraculous in nature. I mean, like, so there\u2019s all that, but he\u2019s, he\u2019s been in the league a long time now, and as fascinating as it is to have someone that\u2019s his age where you say, all right, they should be able to connect in a in a way that\u2019s a little more different, not that they\u2019re exactly the same or anything like that, but just from an age standpoint, it catches your attention more so than you know, Todd monk, and being more than twice as old as Lamar, you know, or about twice as old as Lamar, I suppose. So. You have that factor, but you do also have the factor of someone who hasn\u2019t called plays before. Now, let me be clear, I\u2019m not saying that\u2019s a disqualifier, right? That doesn\u2019t mean someone can\u2019t do the job, but it does make a very real unknown question, right? When you haven\u2019t called the place, and then, to me, what\u2019s the most interesting factor? And look, this will be the case for Declan Doyle with any of these guys. Because, other than, like, rookies, you know, who are 2122 he\u2019s going to be coaching guys that are older than him, even, right? I mean, Ronnie Stanley\u2019s older than Declan Doyle. So you know, some of these other guys on this roster older than Declan Doyle, so how well is he able to the connecting and building rapport part is part of it, but part of part of that is coaching and holding accountable and saying, Hey, that\u2019s not the way we want it. And knowing when to coach someone in a Go get them kind of way where you pat them on the back. But also knowing, and I\u2019m not, this isn\u2019t Lamar, this is just players in general. We\u2019re also knowing those times where you\u2019ve got to call them out a little bit and you\u2019ve got to say, Nope, that that\u2019s not what we want, you know. That\u2019s not what we want, you know. So, so there\u2019s that. So how will he do with that? I would assume the Ravens did plenty of homework, talking to Declan Doyle\u2019s bosses and people who have worked with him to say he\u2019s really good at that, you know, like, don\u2019t, don\u2019t, don\u2019t be. Don\u2019t confuse age with a lack of, you know, fortitude to say that he won\u2019t get in guys, get in a guy\u2019s face when it\u2019s warranted, you know, when it\u2019s constructive to do that. So that\u2019s the part with specifically bringing it back to Lamar that you do ask, how will that work? Yeah, and from Lamar standpoint, again, this is anyone who suddenly has a coach at the same age as you will you respond to that individual in the appropriate manner that you need to, in terms of, like, the buy in, right? That you\u2019re really going to trust and believe in that guy, not, not like that. You\u2019re going to be disrespectful, but like that, you have genuine trust that, hey, that that\u2019s our guy.<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 42:59<\/p>\n
That big trust that guy\u2019s a<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 43:00<\/p>\n
genius, right? And the way that Lamar bought into monkey in 23 and 24 and for whatever reason, it wasn\u2019t, you know, it wasn\u2019t seamless in 25 right? And, and I don\u2019t want to mean that, that there was like this, you know, that they were broken, but it didn\u2019t work as well, right? It didn\u2019t gel as well in year three for any of them, right? I mean, there were plenty of anonymous people going to, you know, going to reporters and talking about this or that, and guys being unhappy with their role and not getting the ball enough at all. I mean, there\u2019s all that<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 43:28<\/p>\n
Isaiah likely was yelling at fans on the way out of the building video about it.<\/p>\n
Luke Jones\u00a0 43:32<\/p>\n
Yeah, you know, you know, Bateman has, has already, you know, there\u2019s already been social media stuff with Bateman earlier this offseason about him saying, like, you know, acknowledging he wasn\u2019t thrilled. This is the time of the year for all of that, right? Well, and that\u2019s you know, that, you know, I mentioned Bateman specifically, like, does he come back? Or do they say, All right, we\u2019ve had too many off seasons where this isn\u2019t working. Well, do you try to work out a trade with him? I don\u2019t know, right? I mean, or do you say, hey, fresh start. Fresh eyes on him. We know he\u2019s a talented guy. We saw what he did not this past year, but the year before, when he caught all the touchdowns and Lamar was throwing deep balls to him. Do we want to really get rid of that? He\u2019s not making that much money, you know, so you\u2019re doing all that evaluation, but, but yeah, you know, specifically with dec, you know, I look at it like this. I mean, would the same idea apply for Anthony Levine? Well, he\u2019s a first time special teams coordinator, but it\u2019s special teams, right? I don\u2019t say that to to mean it\u2019s not important. It is, but it\u2019s not as important or the offense as the offense or the defense. Right? Now, I look at it like this, this ravens defense. My biggest question questions for the Ravens defense at this point are personnel, right? I mean, like players, like they they\u2019ve got to add to their defensive line. They need, they need edge rushers. You know, gonna have to look at corner. If you cut Marlon Humphrey or not, you\u2019re gonna have to look at corner, right? I mean, Wiggins is going to be one of the starting outside corners. Who\u2019s the other one going to be? Is it going to be Humphrey, or is it gonna be someone else? So, but from a coaching standpoint, you have Jesse Minter. And you have Anthony Weaver, the defensive coaching staff better be on point and fine, because on it looks like it should be fine and on point. Well, it\u2019s not the better side of the ball. Well, agreed, but, but the point is, I feel more confident in the coaching leadership on the defensive side right now, because you have two defensive coordinators, basically, right? I mean, so, but with Declan Doyle, that\u2019s that, that\u2019s just a lot, you know, that\u2019s a lot on his plate, that\u2019s new and a lot to manage. So, you know, you asked me at the, you know, I\u2019ve kind of answered everything, but the first thing you mentioned was how much I think they\u2019ve talked Well, you know, the understanding is that Lamar was, you know, what\u2019s getting input with the offensive coordinator search as well, in the same way as he did with the head coach. Now, doesn\u2019t mean he was sitting there conducting the interviews, but I believe they\u2019ve talked, I I would say they probably haven\u2019t talked a ton, because, one, because it\u2019s the nature of this time of year, in the off season, right? I mean, generally, from a CBA standpoint, we can get into the NFL, Pa and all that stuff at some point. I\u2019m sure we will. But, you know, you\u2019re not supposed to have extensive communication with players this time of year anyway, and obviously a coaching search. So there\u2019s, there\u2019s some wiggle room with that, you know, but at the same time, you know, do I think that they\u2019re that they\u2019ve talked for hours day after day since Declan Doyle was hired a couple weeks ago. I\u2019m guessing that probably hasn\u2019t been quite that much, but I do think they asked for input. I do think they had them talk to each other. I do think that Lamar liked the vibes and liked what he heard from what Declan Doyle\u2019s vision is for a Lamar Jackson led offense. I\u2019m guessing they jived in that way. And I\u2019m guessing there\u2019s excitement and optimism about that. That said, My goodness. I mean, think about anyone, anyone, whenever you go into a new place or you get a new boss, you have you might have fantastic first impressions. It doesn\u2019t always stay that way. And on the flip side, sometimes you might have some doubts, and it ends up being great, or you might have a good vibe and it ends up just being good, and then that\u2019ll be great. So you\u2019re hoping, you know, I\u2019m sure there was a good vibe. I don\u2019t think the Ravens. I don\u2019t think the Ravens hire Declan Doyle. If Lamar is very, very lukewarm to the idea, like, I don\u2019t think, you know, I think Lamar gave, signed off on it, you know, with, with at least, you know, a level of enthusiasm that he was capable of giving, knowing that, you know, they\u2019re not like guys that worked together previously or anything like that. So, but time will tell, right? I mean, ultimately, you can do a meet and greet, or, you know, you get an introductory press conference, you know, from a media standpoint. But does that mean you really know that coach just yet? No, I mean, Jesse Minter, I said hello to a couple times over the years when he was previously in Baltimore, that was the extent of the conversation. Had a chance to talk to him a little bit on his introductory day. But media members specifically will, and players, obviously much more. So will get a chance to see what he\u2019s like when you\u2019re working day to day, I mean, and that\u2019s the same thing with Lamar with Declan Doyle, when they\u2019re finally in the meeting rooms and talking and working on ball every single day, then that\u2019s when you get to see how great the relationship is going to be. So you\u2019re projecting, right? You\u2019re trying to make it\u2019s not an educated guess. You know, that would be a little too simplistic, because, my gosh, I mean, I\u2019ll say this much these coaches, you know, these coaching searches, the work they put in, is exhaustive. I mean, it\u2019s exhausting. How much work they do. I don\u2019t doubt that that said history. Now, not the Ravens specifically, because the Ravens have a pretty good track record overall, you know, with hiring head coaches, but with coordinators and all the position coaches you have to hire. I\u2019d be lying to you if I sat here and looked at this entire staff right now and and if you ask me if any, if there\u2019s going to be a couple guys that end up being, you know, maybe not, the best at their job. That\u2019s generally how it works, right? There\u2019s turnover every single year. You know, you the assistant linebackers coach or the assistant O line coach or the running backs coach and, and I\u2019m just not the Raven specifically, just in general, you always have some of that. So a lot of big personalities, loud personalities. There\u2019s a lot of money involved when it comes to these things. You know, coaches and players wanting to be coached and put in the right position to not just go out there and win, but make money and get their next contract and all that. I mean, there\u2019s, it\u2019s a lot. These are a lot of big, big egos at work. You know, coaches and players have huge egos. I mean, you kind of have to to get to that point, right? I mean confidence, you know, maybe ego isn\u2019t always the word, but confidence and swagger and, you know, self belief and all that. You know, there\u2019s a lot of that that works. And to try to sit here and piece, you know, piece work that together and put together a staff and everything, I mean, it\u2019s always going to be some question. But on paper. You know, I think it\u2019s an interesting staff. I think there\u2019s a lot of talent on the staff. Think there\u2019s a lot of youth, but they\u2019ve also mixed in some some veteran coaches at some spots that I think will be beneficial. But yeah, there\u2019s going to be some unknown. And that also goes back to what Eric dicost is going to do from a roster building standpoint, because he\u2019s got work to do. And there\u2019s going to be with HAR ball out of the picture. There\u2019s going to be a brighter spotlight on Da Costa, because, okay, you have all these brilliant young coaches now that you brought in the place, and you know you\u2019re cutting edge in that way. Well, go out and get some players that they can put in the right positions to to be better in the areas that you need to be better. Come 2026<\/p>\n
Nestor Aparicio\u00a0 50:39<\/p>\n
he\u2019s Luke Jones. He\u2019s Baltimore, Luke. We\u2019re gonna prattle on and on about all things ravens, all brought to you by friends at the Maryland lottery as well as GBMC and our newest sponsor, farnander. They are the comfort guys. We\u2019ll be telling you more about them and welcoming their family into ours. Gonna get the Maryland crab cake tour out as well. Big appreciation to everybody that supported a cup of soup or bowl. There are 32 pieces up out of Baltimore positive. You can go check it out, as well as all of our sports coverage. I got some Dear John Harbaugh letters coming. I have a dear Jesse Minter letter coming. Certainly we\u2019re going to be monitoring all things. Craig Albernaz, you know, it\u2019s sort of a Baltimore sports spring for new leadership around here and disappointing teams the last couple of years, Luke and I will be here monitoring all of it with our usual wisdom and candor. And if any breaking news happens, you\u2019ll get it first on the wnst tech service. It\u2019s all brought to you by coal roofing and Gordian energy. He\u2019s Luke. I\u2019m Nestor. Plenty of sports ahead. We are W N, S, T, AM, 1570 Towson, Baltimore, and we never stop talking. And I mean, never Baltimore, positive, you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"They won a lot of football games in Baltimore while John Harbaugh was the coach of the Ravens.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":744397,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2052],"tags":[184,117,2282,7,6,169],"class_list":{"0":"post-757847","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-baltimore-ravens","8":"tag-baltimore","9":"tag-baltimore-ravens","10":"tag-baltimoreravens","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-nfl","13":"tag-ravens"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116085027386419159","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=757847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/744397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=757847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=757847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=757847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}