ExtremeRavens

New Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has already poached a couple of coaches and front office staff from the Ravens. Now it’s apparently his brother John’s turn. Former Michigan defensive analyst Doug Mallory will join the elder Harbaugh brother in Baltimore as the team’s defensive backs coach, according to 247Sports. Mallory, 59, worked for three seasons with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. He replaces Dennard Wilson, who left to become the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator. A veteran coach with more than 30 years of experience mostly at the college level, including as defensive backs coach at Maryland from 1997 to 2000, Mallory spent six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020 under coach Dan Quinn, first as a defensive assistant then as defensive backs coach and a senior defensive assistant. Like the Harbaugh brothers, Mallory comes from a coaching family. His father, Bill, was a longtime coach at Indiana, among other stops, and his brother Mike was a veteran NFL assistant who most recently spent time on Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan staff as a special teams analyst. His other brother Curt is the football coach at Indiana State. Mallory, who played defensive back for Michigan from 1984 through 1987 under coach Bo Schembechler but was undrafted and never played in the NFL, returned to Ann Arbor in 2021 as a defensive analyst under the younger Harbaugh. This past season, the Wolverines had college football’s top defense, allowing 10.4 points and 247 yards per game en route to the school’s first national championship since 1997. This story might be updated. View the full article

Jerry Rosburg is not returning to the Ravens after all. The team’s former longtime special teams coach will not be back in Baltimore as talks between the two sides did not result in a deal, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday. NFL Network had reported Monday that Rosburg would have a role focused on game management. Rosburg, 68, most recently served as an assistant for the Denver Broncos under coach Nathaniel Hackett in 2022 and then as the Broncos’ interim coach for two games after Hackett was fired in December of that season. Before that, Rosburg was the Ravens’ special teams coordinator from 2008 to 2018 before retiring. Rosburg was also the special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns from 2001 to 2006 and for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007. He is close with Ravens coach John Harbaugh — Rosburg’s daughter is Harbaugh’s assistant — as well and attended some of the team’s practices this past season. View the full article

It’s been just over a week since the Ravens’ season came to a stunning end in the AFC championship. The Kansas City Chiefs will play in their fourth Super Bowl in five years, while Baltimore, which produced the NFL’s best record and was the AFC’s top seed, is left asking what went wrong as it again failed to advance to the sport’s biggest game for the 11th straight season. The Ravens are just 3-6 in six postseason appearances since their 2012 title season, and they haven’t won more than one playoff game in the same postseason during that span. What do they need to do to break that streak? Baltimore Sun reporters Brian Wacker and Childs Walker weigh in on this year’s playoffs, Lamar Jackson and the future. Coach John Harbaugh said it’s a fair criticism that the Ravens’ postseason performance didn’t match its regular-season output, much the way it hasn’t in recent playoff failures, yet was firm in his belief that their process works. What’s your take? Wacker: It works in that there’s a level of consistency the Ravens enjoy that many other teams in the NFL do not. Consider: Baltimore has the eighth-best record in the league since 2013, behind only the Chiefs, Patriots, Seahawks, Steelers, Packers, Cowboys and Saints. Still, something isn’t entirely translating when it comes to the postseason. Their 2019 failures can perhaps be pinned on a young quarterback in the spotlight for the first time, 2020 to a windy game on the road with a quarterback who was pressing and this season a quarterback who looked to be playing tight as the favorite against the league’s best at the position. Notice a trend? But for all the fans’ exasperation, the Ravens did take a step forward and got within a game of the Super Bowl. Now there’s only one thing left to do. Walker: What else was he going to say, really? The Ravens did about everything their fans could have asked right up to the moment they took the field for the AFC championship game, and they’ve made it clear they’re not about judging their season through the lens of one disappointing performance. Their destiny is inextricably bound to Jackson’s progress toward becoming a championship-level quarterback, and as Harbaugh noted, Jackson will only have a greater hand in shaping their attack in year two under Todd Monken. They don’t really have a choice other than to steam forward and hope Jackson takes the final step in 2024, as Joe Flacco and company did after their massive championship game disappointment at the end of the 2011 season. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson beats Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins to the end zone during a playoff game last month. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) What does Lamar Jackson need to do to get the Ravens to a Super Bowl? Wacker: Play like Lamar Jackson. What’s always made him so dangerous is his ability to run, by design or off script. That doesn’t make him any less “quarterback-y.” Though the next few years feel like his best window to get to/win a Super Bowl, this was also Jackson’s slowest season in terms of top speed (19.62 mph, per Next Gen Stats) and that number figures to only decline with each passing year, thus diminishing his threat to defenses. Jackson said earlier this season that he doesn’t like to run, and there seems to be a desire to win by passing. It’s a fine line between running less and throwing more, but while Jackson is plenty good as a passer it’s his ability to run that makes him impossible to stop, and he can’t forget that. Walker: He did it right up until the Chiefs game, playing with exceptional confidence and command of Monken’s offense in key late-season wins over the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins and again in the second half of the team’s divisional round trouncing of the Houston Texans. That was a quarterback more than capable of leading his team to a Super Bowl win. So where did that Jackson go after Kansas City jumped on the Ravens early? He was off-rhythm, off-target and visibly angry at himself as the Ravens’ chances slipped away in the second half. It’s difficult to say how Jackson might jump this last hurdle in a career that will soon feature two Most Valuable Player Awards. Is the necessary work more technical or psychological? Will simple experience serve him as it did previous greats Peyton Manning and John Elway, who did not win Super Bowls until deep in their careers? If the answer was simple, Jackson would have already found it. Harbaugh and his teammates have expressed absolute confidence that he’s thinking the right way to get there. The Ravens will have more than 20 unrestricted free agents come March 13. Who are the biggest priorities? Wacker: Keeping Justin Madubuike, who led all interior defensive linemen with 13 sacks, is easily the highest priority. Expect the Ravens to use a franchise tag on him, which allows general manager Eric DeCosta time to perhaps work out a long-term extension. Doing so also gives them an All-Pro at each level of the defense, along with inside linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton. Re-signing right guard Kevin Zeitler would also provide some stability on the offensive line, while bringing back wide receiver Nelson Agholor, cornerback Ronald Darby and running back Gus Edwards would affordably fill some holes. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens, former special teams coach Jerry Rosburg not reuniting after all Baltimore Ravens | Pennsylvania man charged with flying drone over Ravens-Chiefs AFC title game Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg returning to team in new role Baltimore Ravens | 2024 NFL mock draft (Version 2.0): Two-round projections entering Super Bowl week Baltimore Ravens | Ravens assistant head coach Anthony Weaver named Dolphins defensive coordinator Walker: Madubuike, Madubuike and Madubuike. Elite interior pass rushers are among the rarest gems in the league, and that’s what he became in his fourth season. Madubuike also has a chance to be the best pass rusher of any type the Ravens have developed since Terrell Suggs. They cannot let him reach the open market, even if that means using the franchise tag to extend their negotiating window. A shorter-term reunion with Zeitler, who’s still as dependable as any lineman on the team and wants to be back, would also make sense. In a perfect world, the Ravens would line up Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith side by side for the next four years, but Queen right now feels like the top free agent the Ravens cannot afford. The Ravens have the 30th pick of the NFL draft plus six other picks. What’s their biggest need(s)? Wacker: With the exception of tight end and quarterback, the Ravens need help just about everywhere, most notably along the offensive line with two aging, injury-prone tackles and two starting guards who are free agents and little in the pipeline behind them. After that, outside linebacker is a big need with uncertainty about how David Ojabo will fare coming back from a torn ACL after suffering a torn Achilles tendon the year before and Odafe Oweh’s performance having flattened out as the season went on (though his ankle injury could’ve played a part). Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, meanwhile, are both free agents and coming off career years, likely making them unaffordable. Cornerback, wide receiver and running back are also areas that will need to be addressed. Walker: They need at least one young offensive lineman who could start in 2024 and preferably another to compete for a starting job by 2025. They could go a win-now route in 2024 and bring back most of their line, save penalty-prone left guard John Simpson, but major change will be in order the following season, with center Tyler Linderbaum the only long-term building block on the current roster. They also need a cornerback given that Brandon Stephens is headed for free agency after next season and Marlon Humphrey missed eight games with a variety of injuries in 2023. A plug-and-play running back would help given that Keaton Mitchell will be coming back from knee surgery. Baltimore’s 2024 schedule includes eight teams that made the playoffs this season, down one from this past season. What’s your way-too-early prediction on how the Ravens will fare next season? Wacker: Given all the turnover on the roster and among the coaching staff, it’s hard to imagine the Ravens matching what they did in the regular season. Plus, division foes the Bengals and Steelers should both be better next year, along with other teams like the Chargers. But maybe that’s not the worst thing. Perhaps Jackson plays better as the underdog than a Super Bowl favorite. Maybe the Ravens are better off having to go on the road and can somehow avoid the Chiefs. Still, based on Baltimore’s opponents I see a 10-7 record at best and another season without a Super Bowl appearance. Walker: It’s worth remembering that for all our hand-wringing over his postseason performance, Jackson is 58-19 as a regular-season starter. This was the NFL’s best team, with a string of resounding victories over elite opponents. They’ll still have a top defense led by All-Pros Smith and Hamilton and coordinated by Mike Macdonald’s sharp, charismatic young protege, Zach Orr. Even if the Ravens take a step back, they’ll be plenty good, with 11 wins as a reasonable baseline. And their fans won’t be convinced by any of it until the Ravens show up with a great performance in late January. View the full article

A Pennsylvania man faces up to four years in federal prison for flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during the first quarter of the AFC championship game. NFL security temporarily suspended the game, and Maryland State Police tracked the movement of the drone from directly over the stadium to a landing spot about half a mile away in the 500 block of South Sharp Street, where FBI agents and state police located 44-year-old Matthew Hebert, according to a news release. “Temporary flight restrictions are always in place during large sporting events,” United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron said in a news release. A temporary flight restriction issued by the Federal Aviation Administration outlawed drones operating within a three nautical mile radius of the stadium starting an hour before kickoff and lasting until an hour after the final whistle, according to the news release. The drone was not registered, and Herbert did not have a remote pilot certification to operate it, according to the news release. Herbert told officers that in the past, the application he uses to operate the drone warned him of flight restrictions but offered no such warning during the game, according to an affidavit. Hebert allegedly flew the drone approximately 100 meters or higher for around two minutes, taking six photos and possibly a video. If convicted, Hebert faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for knowingly operating an unregistered drone and for knowingly serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate and a maximum of one year in federal prison for willfully violating United States National Defense Airspace, according to the news release, which also notes actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. An initial appearance and arraignment will be scheduled later this month. “Operating a drone requires users to act responsibly and educate themselves on when and how to use them safely,” said FBI agent R. Joseph Rothrock of the Baltimore Field Office said in the news release.. “The FBI would like to remind the public of the potential dangers of operating a drone in violation of federal laws and regulations.” View the full article

Jerry Rosburg is set to return to the Ravens. The team’s former longtime special teams coach will be back in Baltimore, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. NFL Network reported that he will have a role focused on game management. Rosburg, 68, was most recently with the Denver Broncos, where he served as an assistant under coach Nathaniel Hackett in 2022 and then as interim coach for two games after Hackett was fired in December of that season. Before that, Rosburg was Baltimore’s special teams coordinator from 2008 to 2018 before retiring. Rosburg was also the special teams coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 and the Cleveland Browns from 2001 to 2006. He is close with Ravens coach John Harbaugh as well and attended some of the team’s practices this past season. “He’s been the best associate head coach and the best friend that a head coach can have,” Harbaugh said of Rosburg in 2019. “Without Jerry Rosburg here, there’s no way we would have had the success that we’ve had.” Rosburg’s relationship with Harbaugh extends back a ways. He coached with Harbaugh at the University of Cincinnati from 1992 to 1995, then joined the Ravens when Baltimore hired Harbaugh as head coach in 2008. While in Baltimore, Rosburg helped turn the team’s special teams into one of the best in the NFL, with the Ravens’ unit ranking in the top five in each of his final seven seasons. This story might be updated. View the full article

Just one day after the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game, general manager Eric DeCosta arrived in Mobile, Alabama, for the annual Senior Bowl to observe some of the nation’s top draft prospects. As quickly as the Ravens’ dominant season ended, DeCosta and his staff turned their attention toward rebuilding the roster. “I don’t have the luxury of really dwelling on a season,” DeCosta said Friday at the team’s end-of-season news conference. “We’ve moved on. I know I’ve moved on. I think the scouts have moved on, and now we’re excited about the future.” That future will be shaped in large part by the NFL draft, which begins April 25 in Detroit. There’s still a Super Bowl to be played between the Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s rookie class. With the draft order one game away from being officially set, here are The Baltimore Sun’s projections for the first two rounds: 1. Chicago Bears (via Carolina Panthers): Caleb Williams, QB, USC The Bears still have a decision to make with Justin Fields, but it makes the most sense to trade him and bring in a cost-controlled rookie. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Williams has the creativity and scrambling ability to be a star, though he’ll have to find the right balance between playing on schedule and hunting for big plays. 2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU There’s a lot of Lamar Jackson to Daniels’ game, and that should be exciting for a franchise that has lacked star power since the early years of Robert Griffin III. The 6-4, 210-pound Daniels is lean and doesn’t always protect himself in the open field, but he’s a smooth passer with electric feet who could become an elite dual-threat player. 3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina Maybe the Patriots are confident enough in their evaluations to trade down and pass on a quarterback here, but it would be quite the gamble. The 6-4, 230-pound Maye might be the third player off the board here, but he has the athletic traits and competitiveness to be the best from this class when it’s all said and done. 4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State This might be the most popular mock draft pairing, and for good reason. The Cardinals have a glaring need at wide receiver, and the 6-4, 205-pound Harrison is perhaps the best one to enter the draft since Ja’Marr Chase. Quarterback Kyler Murray should be happy. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers could be the Chargers’ first draft pick of the Jim Harbaugh era. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) 5. Los Angeles Chargers: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams both entering the final years of their contracts and Quentin Johnston coming off a disappointing rookie season, wide receiver should be at the top of the Chargers’ wish list. But new coach Jim Harbaugh made tight ends a big part of his passing game at Michigan and should fall in love with the 6-4, 240-pound Bowers, who looked ready for the NFL as a freshman. 6. New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington It would not be shocking to see the Giants reach for a quarterback here and look to move on from Daniel Jones in 2025. But if they do give Jones another chance, adding a stud receiver like the 6-3, 215-pound Odunze, a versatile and polished prospect coming off a dominant season, would give the offense a fighting chance. 7. Tennessee Titans: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU New coach Brian Callahan comes from Cincinnati, which enjoyed an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver during his time there. The Titans need more talent at the position to help quarterback Will Levis grow, and the 6-foot, 200-pound Nabers is an electric playmaker who would immediately give opposing defensive coordinators someone to worry about. 8. Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama The Falcons have selected just one defensive player (cornerback AJ Terrell) in the first round in their past six drafts. That changes with new coach Raheem Morris, who takes over after serving as the Rams’ defensive coordinator. The 6-4, 245-pound Turner should help provide the pass-rushing punch this team has lacked for years. 9. Chicago Bears: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama With the top receivers off the board, this feels like an easy decision. The NFC North is loaded with receiving talent, and star cornerback Jaylon Johnson could be headed elsewhere. The 6-foot, 196-pound Arnold is a fast-rising prospect who has earned the label of the top corner in this class. 10. New York Jets: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame Didn’t this work out nicely for the Jets? The offensive line needs an upgrade at left tackle, even if Aaron Rodgers’ old friend David Bakhtiari makes his way to New York. The 6-8, 322-pound Alt was dominant in college and can help keep Rodgers clean as the 40-year-old quarterback returns from a torn Achilles tendon. 11. Minnesota Vikings: Jared Verse, EDGE, Florida State The Vikings need to rebuild their defensive line this offseason, especially if they lose Danielle Hunter in free agency. The 6-4, 248-pound Verse plays with an edge and would be a great fit for defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy could be the replacement for Russell Wilson in Denver. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong) 12. Denver Broncos: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan The Broncos made Russell Wilson the scapegoat for their failed 2023 season, so it seems likely they’ll go in a new direction at quarterback. The 6-3, 202-pound McCarthy did not always look the part of a first-round pick in college, but he’s young, athletic and went 27-1 as the starter for the reigning national champions. Coach Sean Payton might see a ball of clay he can mold into a star. 13. Las Vegas Raiders: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State The Raiders have three starting offensive linemen headed for free agency, including right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. The 6-6, 317-pound Fashanu did not become the top-five lock many expected him to be after a breakout 2022 season, but he’s still an elite prospect. 14. New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Former Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg reportedly returning to team in new role Baltimore Ravens | Ravens assistant head coach Anthony Weaver named Dolphins defensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens | Ravens brain trust does not see failed process behind playoff disappointments | TAKEAWAYS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh says Chiefs had better plan, laments lack of rushing attempts in AFC title game loss Baltimore Ravens | Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 2023 season The Saints, who whiffed on Trevor Penning and are facing an uncertain future with Ryan Ramczyk, need to get better up front. The 6-6, 325-pound Fuaga, a dominant run blocker, could play tackle or kick inside to guard. 15. Indianapolis Colts: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo Even if the Colts bring back pending free agent Kenny Moore II, cornerback should be an area of focus this offseason. The 6-1, 200-pound Mitchell cemented his status as a first-round pick with his standout performance at the Senior Bowl. 16. Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu, OT/G, Washington New coach Mike Macdonald might want to go defense here to recapture some of the magic of his Ravens units, but the offensive line needs improvement. The 6-4, 317-pound Fautanu played left tackle at Washington but can also step in at guard. 17. Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU There are plenty of areas for the Jaguars to improve after their late-season collapse, and wide receiver jumps near the top of the list if Calvin Ridley doesn’t return. With his size and speed, the 6-4, 205-pound Thomas would give quarterback Trevor Lawrence a big-play threat. 18. Cincinnati Bengals: JC Latham, OT, Alabama The Bengals can’t mess around when it comes to improving their offensive line. The 6-6, 335-pound Latham is a bowling ball in the running game and can anchor the right side of the line to protect quarterback Joe Burrow. 19. Los Angeles Rams: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA Maybe the Rams see an opportunity to draft and develop a young quarterback behind Matthew Stafford, but that doesn’t seem like something coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead have the patience for. The 6-4, 265-pound Latu isn’t the quickest or strongest athlete, but he’s a relentless, skilled pass rusher who piled up 23 1/2 sacks over the past two seasons. Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean might be a fit in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, file) 20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cooper DeJean, CB/S, Iowa Rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. breathed some new life into an aging secondary, but the Steelers shouldn’t stop there. The 6-1, 209-pound DeJean is an outstanding athlete who can line up all over the defense and wreak havoc. 21. Miami Dolphins: Jackson Powers-Johnson, G/C, Oregon Perhaps the biggest winner of the Senior Bowl, Powers-Johnson is gaining steam as a potential top-20 pick. The Dolphins might lose both their starting center and right guard, opening a spot for the 6-3, 320-pound lineman to step in immediately. 22. Philadelphia Eagles: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia The Georgia-to-Philadelphia pipeline continues, this time on offense. The Eagles love to draft linemen early, and the 6-7, 330-pound Mims offers an extremely high ceiling despite making just eight college starts. This feels like a natural succession plan for right tackle Lane Johnson. 23. Houston Texans (via Cleveland Browns): Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas For the Texans to return to the playoffs, the defense needs to be retooled quickly. The 6-1, 308-pound Murphy is an explosive athlete who can make an impact as both a run defender and a pass rusher for defensive-minded coach DeMeco Ryans. 24. Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma Star left tackle Tyron Smith is a pending free agent at 33 years old and Terence Steele was one of the league’s worst right tackles last season. The 6-7, 327-pound Guyton, who stood out during Senior Bowl practices, has room to grow for a franchise that has always valued the offensive line. 25. Green Bay Packers: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson The Packers covet athleticism and physical traits, and the 6-2, 185-pound Wiggins checks all the boxes in that regard. Offensive line could be in play here too, but the secondary is a more pressing need. Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman would be a worthy successor to Mike Evans in Tampa Bay. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) 26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State It would be strange to see Mike Evans playing in anything other than a Buccaneers uniform, but there’s no guarantee the pending free agent returns for an 11th season in Tampa Bay. The 6-4, 215-pound Coleman would be a worthy successor with his size and ability to make contested catches. 27. Arizona Cardinals (via Houston): Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois Coach Jonathan Gannon simply needs more playmakers for his league-worst defense. The 6-2, 295-pound Newton doesn’t have ideal size or length, but he’s disruptive and tough to block. 28. Buffalo Bills: Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas Even if you think the lack of production from Stefon Diggs down the stretch was overblown, the Bills could stand to add another receiver, especially a cheap one. The 6-4, 196-pound Mitchell could be the steal of the first round after flashing some highlight-reel plays in college. 29. Detroit Lions: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri The Lions’ secondary struggled to overcome injuries this past season, particularly at outside corner. The 6-foot, 188-pound Rakestraw is tough and physical and a perfect fit for what Detroit wants to build on defense. 30. Ravens: Darius Robinson, DL/EDGE, Missouri With several pending free agents on defense, including Justin Madubuike, Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, the Ravens need plenty of help to reach the heights of their league-best unit under Macdonald. The Athletic’s draft guru Dane Brugler labeled Robinson a player the Ravens would love because of his size, skill set and versatility. At 6-5 and 295 pounds, he’s an imposing presence who can hold the edge against the run and also rush the passer from the interior. A standout week at the Senior Bowl has pushed him into the first-round conversation. 31. San Francisco 49ers: Graham Barton, OT/G, Duke With experience at both left tackle and center, where he’s projected to play at the next level, the 6-5, 314-pound Barton provides valuable depth at perhaps the only weak spot on the 49ers’ roster. 32. Kansas City Chiefs: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona Everyone wants to give the Chiefs a wide receiver in the first round, but there are more important positions to address with several starters entering free agency. The 6-6, 320-pound Morgan could be the long-term answer at left tackle. Second round 33. Carolina Panthers: Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina 34. New England Patriots: Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington 35. Arizona Cardinals: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama 36. Washington Commanders: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State 37. Los Angeles Chargers: Junior Colson, LB, Michigan 38. Tennessee Titans: T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas 39. New York Giants: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon 40. Washington Commanders (via Chicago): Zach Frazier, G/C, West Virginia 41. Green Bay Packers (via N.Y. Jets): Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU 42. Minnesota Vikings: Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia 43. Atlanta Falcons: Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon 44. Las Vegas Raiders: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington 45. New Orleans Saints (via Denver): Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan 46. Indianapolis Colts: Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington 47. New York Giants (via Seattle): Chris Braswell, EDGE, Alabama 48. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota 49. Cincinnati Bengals: Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia 50. Philadelphia Eagles (via New Orleans): T.J. Tampa, CB, Iowa State 51. Pittsburgh Steelers: Patrick Paul, OT, Houston 52. Los Angeles Rams: Calen Bullock, S, USC 53. Philadelphia Eagles: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M 54. Cleveland Browns: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas 55. Miami Dolphins: Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE, Texas 56. Dallas Cowboys: Kamren Kinchens, S, Miami 57. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Payton Wilson, LB, NC State 58. Green Bay Packers: Javon Bullard, S, Georgia 59. Houston Texans: Dominick Puni, OT/G, Kansas 60. Buffalo Bills: Jonah Elliss, EDGE, Utah 61. Detroit Lions: Marshawn Kneeland, EDGE, Western Michigan 62. Ravens: Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale 63. San Francisco 49ers: Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State 64. Kansas City Chiefs: Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky View the full article

The Ravens are losing another assistant from their defensive staff. Baltimore defensive line coach and assistant head coach Anthony Weaver has agreed to become the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator, according to a source with direct knowledge of the deal. He’s the third defensive assistant to leave the Ravens this offseason after defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was named head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson was hired as the Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator. Weaver, 43, had head coaching interviews with the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers. He has ties to Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, whom he previously worked with in Cleveland. In Friday’s end-of-season news conference, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he was unsure whether Weaver would stay but predicted he would become “a great head coach” one day. “He didn’t get hired this cycle, and great coaches got hired, but someday, some people are going to look back, and they’re going to say, ‘We had a chance to hire Anthony Weaver.’ I guarantee you that,” Harbaugh said. “They’re going to see that they missed their chance. The next time around, somebody’s not going to miss their chance. That’s how I feel about Anthony.” The Ravens on Thursday promoted 31-year-old inside linebackers coach Zach Orr to defensive coordinator over Weaver, who was also a candidate for the job before Macdonald was hired in 2022. Harbaugh said Friday he’s confident in his remaining staff to rebuild a defense that became the first team to lead the NFL in sacks, takeaways and points allowed this past season. “The guys that we have on defense and some of the younger coaches that are already here including [outside linebackers coach] Chuck Smith — those guys are going to build another great defense, and I’m going to be in the middle of it, just like I’m in the middle of the offense and special teams,” he said. “I’m going to lean on those guys and trust those guys and empower those guys to build a great defense.” Weaver joined the Ravens in 2021 as the run game coordinator and defensive line coach after spending four seasons with the Houston Texans, where he became defensive coordinator in 2020. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens brain trust does not see failed process behind playoff disappointments | TAKEAWAYS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh says Chiefs had better plan, laments lack of rushing attempts in AFC title game loss Baltimore Ravens | Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 2023 season Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With new DC Zach Orr, Ravens and John Harbaugh have history on their side | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | In Mike Macdonald, Seahawks hope they’ve found a disruptor who can again make them contenders In Houston, his defense ranked 30th in yards (416.8) and 27th in points (29) allowed per game, but the unit had very little talent outside of then-31-year-old defensive lineman J.J. Watt. Four of the team’s top five players in total tackles that season are either out of the league or playing reserve roles elsewhere. During Weaver’s time in Baltimore, the Ravens’ defensive line has consistently been among the league’s best, particularly against the run. A 2002 second-round draft pick by the Ravens out of Notre Dame, Weaver played seven seasons in the NFL with Baltimore and Houston before joining the coaching ranks in 2010 as a graduate assistant at Florida under coach Urban Meyer. He’s also spent time on staff with the New York Jets (2012), Buffalo Bills (2013) and Browns (2014-15). In Miami, Weaver takes over for Vic Fangio, who left after one season to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator. The Dolphins ranked 22nd in points (23) and 10th in yards (318.3) allowed per game in 2023 while dealing with a slew of injuries to cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard and pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. Miami, once a contender to secure the AFC’s top seed before suffering a 56-19 loss to the Ravens in Week 17, finished the regular season 11-6 and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 26-7, in the wild-card round. This story might be updated. View the full article

Ravens fans are still processing their intense disappointment with the team’s letdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. In their season-ending news conference, coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta said the loss hurt them too, but they see a team that’s still on a winning course as they begin an offseason filled with difficult roster decisions. Here are three takeaways from Harbaugh and DeCosta’s 42-minute question-and-answer session. The Ravens brain trust does not see a failed process behind the team’s playoff disappointments If exasperated fans were hoping to hear Harbaugh and DeCosta speak in terms of crisis management, Friday’s news conference was not for them. Harbaugh conceded that the Ravens did not run as much as planned against the Chiefs after falling behind early and said he sees validity in fan frustrations with the Ravens’ execution in recent elimination games, going back to their divisional round loss against the Tennessee Titans four years ago. But he did not betray any dissatisfaction with the preparations that led to those defeats or any feeling that his team lost its identity with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. “It was the same team. It was the same guys. It’s the game plan that was devised against that particular team that day,” he said. “But we didn’t play better than the team we played. They had the better game plan. They executed their game plan better. They made some great throws, some great catches, a few great runs. … We didn’t come up with those great plays. In that sense, it’s not the same team. But in the sense of the effort, the preparation, what we bring to the table schematically, it was exactly the same team. It was just a different result. “Every single team is going to have that feeling after losing in the playoffs. I feel the same way. I’m telling you, I’m heartbroken that we didn’t win that game at home.” That answer won’t be entirely satisfying for fans who might have accepted the loss more calmly if the Ravens had at least put their best foot forward. Plenty of skeptics believe the Ravens will win a bunch of games again next year only to run into the same wall come January. Harbaugh and DeCosta painted a very different picture and said owner Steve Bisciotti is equally optimistic about the path forward. “I think Steve was extremely happy that we could bring an AFC championship game to Baltimore, and I think he was just really happy with the season in general,” DeCosta said. “He’s a huge draftnik, so I think he’s starting to look at that. It’s always hard for all of us. We all love what we do, and we want to see this thing finish in a great way, but it didn’t. That’s a challenge for everybody, but we move on, and we get excited.” Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager, Eric DeCosta hold an end of season press conference in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager, Eric DeCosta hold an end of season press conference in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager, Eric DeCosta hold an end of season press conference in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager, Eric DeCosta, not shown, hold an end of season press conference in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager, Eric DeCosta hold an end of season press conference in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager, Eric DeCosta hold an end of season press conference in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager, Eric DeCosta hold an end of season press conference in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager, Eric DeCosta hold an end of season press conference in Owings Mills, Md. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Ravens coach John Harbaugh, left, and general manager Eric DeCosta, right, see a team that's still on a winning course as they begin an offseason filled with difficult roster decisions. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Show Caption of Expand Their affirming words extended to quarterback Lamar Jackson, whose record in playoff starts dropped to 2-4 with his subpar performance against the Chiefs. “I had a great conversation with Lamar yesterday,” Harbaugh said. “We were both in lockstep, already thinking the same way.” He noted that the franchise quarterback is just coming off his first season in coordinator Todd Monken’s offense and will have an even greater role in crafting the attack going forward. “Lamar Jackson is a phenomenal success,” Harbaugh said. “There’s nobody better in this league, especially nobody better for the Baltimore Ravens, for this organization, for this city. I’m excited about taking this offense to the next level next year, an opportunity to pick up where we are and dig deeper with what we can give him. It’s like setting up a car; we’ve got to build a car. Lamar’s the driver, and he’s got to be involved in the set-up of the car, even more.” Nowhere in his words did he evince any concern that Jackson will never break his pattern of underwhelming playoff performances. No one could have expected different from Harbaugh. Jackson did deliver a terrific season that will almost certainly earn him his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award. And the Ravens have already built everything around him, both financially and schematically, so there’s really nowhere to go but forward. Eric DeCosta offered only the slightest hints to his plans for the team’s free agents DeCosta was asked about most of the key players approaching free agency — more than 20 Ravens in all — but set the tone for his responses early, nodding back to his protracted extension negotiations with Jackson last year. “I learned a lesson,” he said. “It’s beneficial to just not talk about things. There is a value sometimes in not eally showing your cards.” So he didn’t say much, whether the subject was defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, linebacker Patrick Queen or right guard Kevin Zeitler. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ John Harbaugh says Chiefs had better plan, laments lack of rushing attempts in AFC title game loss Baltimore Ravens | Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 2023 season Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With new DC Zach Orr, Ravens and John Harbaugh have history on their side | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | In Mike Macdonald, Seahawks hope they’ve found a disruptor who can again make them contenders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews springs into action during medical emergency on flight Asked about the possibility of using the franchise tag to keep Madubuike off the market, he said, “Justin had a great year, as did Patrick Queen. … We’ll have a good plan in place for those guys.” A few minutes later, he said Queen has “put himself in a great position,” the type of comment he’d typically make about a player who will be too expensive to re-sign, much as guard Ben Powers was after last season. Meanwhile, he said he spoke to Zeitler last week, seeming to indicate that re-signing the dependable veteran might be a priority, if we’re reading between the lines. He gave no indication of whether he plans to pick up fifth-year options on the team’s 2021 first-round draft picks, wide receiver Rashod Bateman and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. He and Harbaugh did push back on the notion that Bateman lacks chemistry with Jackson, with both predicting a 2024 breakout from the talented pass catcher after he banked a season’s worth of healthy reps this year. In sum, good luck guessing how the 2024 Ravens will look different from the 2023 edition based on anything DeCosta said Friday. The Ravens have great faith in their coaching and front office succession plan Harbaugh took a risk promoting 31-year old Zach Orr to fill Mike Macdonald’s boat-sized shoes at defensive coordinator. He had more experienced in-house options in Anthony Weaver, Chris Hewitt and Dennard Wilson, who left to take over the Titans’ defense. But he stuck to the same approach that led him to hire Macdonald two years ago, betting on a sharp, charismatic young linebackers coach who grew up in the Ravens’ system. “There’s no reason not to put Zach in that position in my mind, right now,” Harbaugh said. “I think he’ll do a great job, and I also think he’ll do a great job because of the support he’s going to get from two veteran coaches who are great coaches, Chris Hewitt and Anthony Weaver.” Harbaugh acknowledged Orr will have to “work through” becoming the team’s defensive play caller. Macdonald had done it at Michigan the year before he returned to the Ravens as the league’s youngest defensive coordinator in 2022. But Orr comes with the credibility of having played linebacker for the Ravens until 2016 and of having learned the art of coaching from Macdonald with some of the same players he’ll coordinate next season. Harbaugh’s choices at defensive coordinator have generally worked out, and he had no reason not to trust his judgment on Orr. If the Ravens hold on to Weaver, who’s still a candidate to take over the Miami Dolphins’ defense, all the better. “Those guys are going to build another great defense, and I’m going to be in the middle of it,” Harbaugh said. “But I’m going to lean on those guys and trust those guys and empower those guys to build a great defense. Zach is super-talented, super-enthusiastic, he’s very smart, he’s prepared for that job. He’s in the middle of the defense; I think when you’re a linebackers coach, that’s an advantage, because you understand the whole defense.” Joe Hortiz’s departure to become general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers did not create as much angst as the loss of Macdonald, but DeCosta said he’ll miss the man who has been his closest lieutenant in draft preparations for more than a decade. It’s a bittersweet parting, because Hortiz had deserved a chance to run his own team for years. At the same time, DeCosta expressed absolute confidence that the executives coming up behind Hortiz — assistant director of player personnel Mark Azevedo, director of college scouting David Blackburn — will thrive along with veteran director of pro personnel George Kokinas. “I really valued Joe as an evaluator and as a person, as a friend, but I think we have the people to take care of the process for us,” he said. When it comes to home growing coaches and future general managers, the Ravens have not lost their aura, as we saw from the rest of the league’s interest in poaching their people over the last few weeks. View the full article

There was a lot to digest from the Ravens’ season-ending news conference with general manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh on Friday in Owings Mills, which lasted just over 40 minutes. But for a fan base looking for answers five days after Baltimore was embarrassed by the Kansas City Chiefs, 17-10, in the AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium, there was little to ease the pain. One number that continued to stick out like a sore thumb less than a week after the Ravens’ season came to a stunning yet familiar end: six. That was the number of carries Baltimore running backs had in the game, with half of those coming in the first quarter alone. Incredibly, the Ravens ran the ball just 16 times compared with 37 passes, a stunningly disproportionate ratio for a team that, with a dynamic and explosive quarterback and strong ground game, had bullied its way to the NFL’s best record, the top seed in the AFC and home-field advantage. “That’s not the number you want to have,” Harbaugh said. “When you look back at it, that’s not going to win us an AFC championship.” It was also inexplicable for a team that led the league in rushing yards and indefensible against a Chiefs team that ranked 25th in the NFL in yards per carry allowed and had just surrendered 182 yards on 39 attempts against the Buffalo Bills the week before. Harbaugh said that running the ball, including several run-pass option plays, was a big part of the Ravens’ game plan but that the Chiefs took it away by lining up to stop the run and by putting Baltimore in a hole, dominating time of possession and scoring on each of their first two possessions. “It’s not an excuse,” he said. “Sometimes you want to run the ball more. Sometimes you gotta be willing to get big and run the ball that way. We just didn’t want to do it that way in the game. “You want to run the ball against the Chiefs.” And yet, the Ravens did not. Justice Hill had just three carries, two of them coming in the first quarter. Gus Edwards also had three, including one he popped for 15 yards in the first quarter on the Ravens’ second possession of the game. Ravens running back Gus Edwards, left, tries to get past Chiefs safety Justin Reid during the AFC championship game. Edwards had just three carries in the loss. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Then there’s Jackson. Four years ago, he led the league in touchdown passes and set a single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback on his way to being the unanimous choice for NFL Most Valuable Player. The Ravens went 14-2 in the regular season but fell on their face in a divisional round loss at home to the Tennessee Titans in which Jackson had three turnovers. Sunday, after another presumptive MVP season, he was on the precipice of his first Super Bowl and armed with the best collection of talent he’s had in his six years in Baltimore. Jackson ran the ball eight times for 54 yards, though there were plenty of opportunities in which he chose not to, instead opting to stay in the pocket. He also had two turnovers, with a fumble on a strip-sack after holding the ball too long and an interception after throwing into triple coverage in the fourth quarter. Harbaugh said he spoke with Jackson by phone Thursday and the two were in “lock step” on their plan of attack moving forward. But the stench of this loss will likely linger in Baltimore for months. Instead of playing in his first Super Bowl, Jackson and the Ravens were again bounced out of the playoffs in remarkably similar fashion to the way they were in 2019 and 2020, when the Ravens lost to the Bills, 17-3, in the divisional round. “Definitely a fair criticism because that’s what you see,” Harbaugh said. “You look at it, and it’s not the same. It wasn’t a 30-point win over a division leader, obviously, and that’s the result of it. It was the same team, it’s the same guys. It was the game plan that was devised against that particular team that day, but we didn’t play better than the team we played. They played better than us. They had a better game plan. They executed their game plan better. They made plays. They made some great throws, [and] great catches [and] a few great runs in the first half, especially, and they scored those points. Their defense came up and made plays. They tackled well. They kept us bottled up. They covered us well. “We didn’t come up with those great plays. That’s really the difference. So, in that sense, it’s not the same team, but the sense of the effort, the preparation, what we were bringing to the table, schematically, was exactly the same team, it was just a different result. Every single team in the league is going to have that feeling after losing in the playoffs. I get it, I feel the same way. I’m telling you, I’m heartbroken. I’m heartbroken. The fact that we didn’t win that game at home in front of our crowd for the first time in all these years and get a chance to play in the Super Bowl.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Five things we learned from the Ravens’ 2023 season Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With new DC Zach Orr, Ravens and John Harbaugh have history on their side | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | In Mike Macdonald, Seahawks hope they’ve found a disruptor who can again make them contenders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews springs into action during medical emergency on flight Baltimore Ravens | Ravens promote Zach Orr to replace Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator Instead, the Ravens now turn their focus to the offseason sooner than they hoped yet again. That started with replacing defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who earlier this week was named head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. As has often been the case, they promoted from within, with Harbaugh naming 31-year-old inside linebackers coach and former Ravens player Zach Orr to the position Thursday. “What made Zach so good as a player was [that] he had a great instinct for the game,” DeCosta said. “He was very, very quick to key and diagnose, and he played with a passion, and he was just relentless to the football. Those qualities make a great coach, so I have no doubt that Zach is going to be a great defensive coordinator and probably, if I had a crystal ball, a head coach someday.” What that means for associate head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver remains to be seen. Weaver, 43, has been passed over for the job twice. He also interviewed for the Washington Commanders’ head coach opening before they hired Dan Quinn, and he remains in the mix for the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator job. “If he gets that job, I’ll be happy for him, if he takes the job,” Harbaugh said. “But he’ll be a great head coach.” Meanwhile, DeCosta, who was at the Senior Bowl all week scouting college prospects, has already moved on and turned his attention to the Ravens’ more than 20 free agents and preparing for April’s draft. Most notable among Ravens players set to hit the open market is defensive tackle Justin Madbubuike, who led all interior linemen with 13 sacks this season. If the team uses a franchise tag on him, it would cost about $20 million. Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike sacks Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the AFC championship game. Madubuike is a pending free agent after a standout season. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) But DeCosta said he learned a lesson when handling Jackson’s contract negotiations last year and was mum on what his plans are for the 26-year-old rising defensive star and others, such as inside linebacker Patrick Queen. The Ravens didn’t pick up the 2020 first-round draft pick’s fifth-year option last year, meaning Queen will be an expensive free agent after posting a career high in tackles and being selected to his first Pro Bowl. “You never know,” DeCosta said when asked if he regretted that decision. “If you pick up an option, that’s less money you can spend on somebody else, so how do those dominos fall? Really hard to say. I can say that Patrick … he had an excellent season, a Pro Bowl season. His future is extremely bright.” What the Ravens’ immediate future looks like, however, is a bit more murky, given staff departures, free agency and their history in big moments in recent years. Harbaugh is optimistic, of course. He has no other choice. “Unless you don’t make the playoffs, your last game is not a success unless you win the Super Bowl,” Harbaugh said. “When you don’t win the last game, especially at home, AFC championship game, which is so rare and so hard to get to … is it success [or] is it a failure? “Lamar Jackson is a phenomenal success. … There’s nobody better in this league, especially nobody better for the Baltimore Ravens and for this organization and for this city and just from a historical perspective. I’m excited about the future. I’m excited about taking this offense to the next level next year.” View the full article

The Ravens were the best team in football, right up until the last Sunday of their season, when they failed to muster a representative performance against the Kansas City Chiefs with a Super Bowl trip on the line. How do we weigh that final failure against the many successes from their previous 18 games? Where do they go from here? Here are five things we learned from the 2023 season. Lamar Jackson still has a hump to get over We start with the Ravens’ most important player, the man who will almost certainly receive his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award a few days before the Super Bowl he planned to play in. Jackson seemed to hit a new level of preparedness in the days leading up to his showdown with the Chiefs and the gold standard at his position, Patrick Mahomes. He was eager and intently focused on the task at hand but also loose. Teammates expressed complete faith in his command of an offense that first-year coordinator Todd Monken placed in his hands. He had steered it impeccably in late-season blowouts of the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins and again in the Ravens’ divisional round win over the Houston Texans. He had put to rest old narratives about how you could beat him with relentless blitzes or by forcing him to throw from the pocket. Which made his flustered performance against the Chiefs all the more puzzling. Yes, Monken could have called a better game, could have attacked a suspect run defense with Jackson’s legs and those of Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, who combined for six carries. Even so, if Jackson had played a normal game, reflective of his 2023 season, the Ravens probably would have won. Instead, we saw him hold the ball too long on some plays, rush throws with sloppy mechanics on others. His downfield radar was off, and with victory still very much in reach in the fourth quarter, he threw a crushing interception into triple coverage. Jackson is an emotive player even when things are going well, but his anger was apparent when he spiked his helmet after that last turnover. So how do we reconcile that performance with the player who could not have done any more to lift the Ravens to a No. 1 seed? How do we account for the discrepancy between his 58-19 career record and 98 passer rating in the regular season and his 2-4 record and 75.7 rating in the postseason? Will experience help him make that last step, the way great players such as Peyton Manning and John Elway did before him? If there are demons gnawing at Jackson in relation to his playoff disappointments, he never lets on. He’s always calm in the aftermath — angry about what happened in the game but resolute that he’ll work harder and do better the next time. It’s fascinating to ponder how the Ravens can help him from here. They built last offseason around Jackson, signing and drafting wide receivers and replacing Greg Roman with Monken, who seemed to click with the quarterback. It all worked right up until the AFC championship game, when it didn’t. Lamar Jackson will be back at the center of an unpleasantly familiar narrative in 2024. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) There will be changes going into next season. Wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor are free agents. Rashod Bateman, the team’s 2021 first-round draft pick, did a great job getting open and staying on the field this year, but he and Jackson have yet to find real chemistry. Tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are terrific, but can they both thrive in the same game? Monken will still call the plays but will face an extra layer of skepticism from fans because of the Chiefs stinker. And Jackson will be back at the center of an unpleasantly familiar narrative, celebrated for all he does but with a hint of doubt until he does it on the grandest stage. That final loss sent Ravens fans spiraling, but the team can’t overreact to it Steve Bisciotti, on the rare occasions he speaks publicly, will tell you he reacts to bad losses with fierce dismay, much like any fan of the team he owns. He’ll add that he does not make major decisions in those hours and days when his emotions are spiking. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: With new DC Zach Orr, Ravens and John Harbaugh have history on their side | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | In Mike Macdonald, Seahawks hope they’ve found a disruptor who can again make them contenders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews springs into action during medical emergency on flight Baltimore Ravens | Ravens promote Zach Orr to replace Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens | Mount St. Mary’s students meet ‘extraordinary’ and ‘down-to-earth’ Taylor Swift in Baltimore His tempered style, which he brought to the franchise and was reinforced by longtime general manager Ozzie Newsome, is by now the official mood of the Ravens. They don’t rush. They don’t reset based on small samples. They aspire to be urgent but never drastic. And that was the last thing fervent fans wanted to hear in the days after they sat numbly through the Ravens’ tepid performance against the Chiefs. It was the fourth time in the past six seasons the team came up conspicuously small in an elimination game with Jackson as quarterback and Harbaugh as coach. Meanwhile, the one guy who clearly figured it out against the Chiefs, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, is now the Seahawks’ head coach. A loud contingent of fans online jumped to an aggressive conclusion: Harbaugh, who had just coached the Ravens to the league’s best record in his 16th season, should be dumped (or “elevated” to a front office job) to clear space for his protege, Macdonald, who might be the next Bill Belichick for all we know. At the very least, they hoped Bisciotti would pony up a hefty salary to keep Macdonald in place as a coach in waiting, much as he had in creating a plan for Eric DeCosta to succeed Newsome. The following is not meant as a slight on Macdonald, who at age 36 is incredibly impressive in preparation, player relations and game management, but such a move would have violated everything we’ve learned about the way Bisciotti’s Ravens do business. Harbaugh has made the playoffs 11 times in 16 seasons and has won at least one playoff game in eight of those postseasons. The team he just coached was his best by many analytical measures and came within seven points of reaching the Super Bowl, even on an off day against the best quarterback of our time. Players still respond to him over the six-month grind of a season. Beckham, for example, said Harbaugh would be on his “Mt. Rushmore of coaches” because of the genuine connections he forges. For his part, Harbaugh said during a recent conversation that he still feels “like a young coach” at age 61. He helped build the culture in which Macdonald learned to excel at his craft. That’s not to dismiss the flaws highlighted by the Kansas City loss. Whatever arrangement Harbaugh maintains with Monken, he was unable to help shock the Ravens’ offense back into rhythm, to bring the team’s powerful ground game to bear against a vulnerable Chiefs defensive front. As good as he is at managing the Ravens’ big picture, Harbaugh’s best teams of the past five years, this one and 2019, proved curiously unable to assert their style in playoff losses. It’s hard to know what grand lesson to draw from this, especially for a coach whose teams perhaps overperformed in the playoffs early in his career. These disappointments cannot be ignored, but they should not prompt Bisciotti to burn his sturdy castle to the ground. That’s not the owner’s style, and there’s simply not much evidence that a Ravens roster talented enough to make another deep push in 2024 has tuned Harbaugh out. And, oh by the way, the move to replace Macdonald with Zach Orr — a young, sharp, personable coach who might have gone to work for his old boss in Seattle if Harbaugh had not promoted him — was pure Ravens. They applaud when head coaching chances arise for their assistants and often have a promising in-house candidate primed to step up. It’s a healthy ecosystem. Justin Madubuike, a free agent to be, could easily command a -0 million deal on the open market. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) Justin Madubuike is the player who must be kept DeCosta is in for a busy few months, with more than 20 players — including 2023 standouts Patrick Queen, Jadeveon Clowney, Kevin Zeitler, Kyle Van Noy and Geno Stone — headed for unrestricted free agency. How painful would it be for the Ravens to wave goodbye to Zeitler, still the team’s most dependable offensive lineman at age 33 and a deeply respected citizen of the locker room, or Queen, who made the Pro Bowl in his fourth season while wincing and limping through injuries? Very. But one impending free agent nudged ahead of the others on the indispensability power rankings, and that’s Madubuike, who just put together the best interior pass rushing season we’ve seen from a Raven. This franchise has lined up some magnificent behemoths on the interior, from Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa on the 2000 Super Bowl team to two-time All-Pro Haloti Ngata on Harbaugh’s early teams. None of them got to quarterbacks as persistently as Madubuike did in 2023, when he put himself in a rare class of interior linemen topped by the likes of Aaron Donald and Chris Jones. These guys are so rare that Madubuike could easily command a $100 million deal on the open market. No one has to tell the Ravens their fourth-year defensive tackle is special. They watched his incremental, dogged improvement over three seasons, even as he achieved big-time results only in flashes. They celebrated with him as all the pieces came together, as he produced multiple pressures in all but two games this season, with seven in the divisional round win over the Texans and six in the loss to the Chiefs. At age 26, Madubuike is just now entering his prime. Which is why DeCosta cannot let him walk, even if that means using the franchise tag while extension negotiations continue. We’ve watched the Ravens use this tool with foundational talents. They have not developed and kept a great pass rusher since Terrell Suggs, but Madubuike is that guy. 2023 NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore RavensKarl Merton Ferron/Baltimore SunRavens right guard Kevin Zeitler is set to become a free agent. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) It’s time for the Ravens to build their offensive line of the future DeCosta and Harbaugh have said repeatedly that no offensive tweaks amount to more than a hill of beans without a top offensive line as the foundation. The Ravens’ line held up its end of the bargain in 2023, even as the coaching staff had to help tackles Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses play through lingering injuries by rotating in Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele. But this was a veteran group. Stanley will be 30 and Moses 33 at the start of next season. Zeitler, whom the Ravens would have to re-sign, will be 34. The Ravens could go the experienced route again in 2024, figuring the short-term play is a smart one for a contender, but the odds of any of these guys being around in 2025 are probably 50-50 at best. DeCosta could also go the other way and move on from Moses and Zeitler, though they have given the Ravens very good work at a modest cost. Though the Ravens would eat almost $18 million in dead money if they cut Stanley before June 1, he’s also not the foundational piece he was four years ago. Center Tyler Linderbaum made the Pro Bowl in his second season and is the one guaranteed building block. His locker room sparring buddy, Mekari, is a capable tackle, even if the Ravens prefer him in a super-utility role. Faalele made strides in his second season, but it’s not clear he’s nimble enough as a pass blocker or powerful enough as a run blocker to start. John Simpson performed competently at left guard, but he’s still penalty-prone and headed for free agency regardless. DeCosta used a 2023 seventh-round pick on Andrew Vorhees and stashed him as an injury redshirt, but it would be a big ask to plug the powerful former USC star in as a day-one starter at guard. Sixth-round pick Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu gave little indication he was ready to help this season after he briefly appeared in line to start ahead of Simpson early in training camp. Though the stories are different for each player, the collective message is apparent: The Ravens don’t have all the linemen they will need to protect Jackson in 2024, much less 2025 and 2026. DeCosta has to draft blockers who are ready to play right away. There’s no clearer priority for this year’s draft. Ravens vs. BrownsKenneth K. Lam/Baltimore SunRoquan Smith, left, and Kyle Hamilton will keep the Ravens’ defense humming in 2024. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton will keep the defense humming In the final tally, we can’t put the Ravens’ 2023 defense ahead of the 2000 edition that carried the franchise to its first Super Bowl with Ray Lewis at his absolute zenith. But it belongs in that next tier with the 2006 crew, which allowed the fewest points and yards in the league while ranking second in sacks and takeaways and sending five players to the Pro Bowl. Like this year’s defense, that one did its part in an agonizing playoff defeat (the infamous divisional round game that Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts won without scoring a touchdown). Anyhow, the Ravens came at opponents in so many ways, from Madubuike’s relentless inside pressure to Clowney’s still formidable power off the edge to a disciplined secondary that was rarely beaten over the top. Macdonald delighted in mixing and matching all the pieces at his disposal, blitzing cornerbacks while nose tackles dropped into coverage and looping defensive tackles behind oncoming inside linebackers at the line of scrimmage. They had an answer for everyone, even the great Mahomes after he carved them up on the first two drives of the AFC championship game. For all this group’s versatility and unselfishness, its breakout stars were clear. It’s blasphemy in Baltimore to compare a middle linebacker and a safety with Lewis and Ed Reed, but it’s difficult not to think in those terms with Smith and Hamilton. Smith has overtly taken up Lewis’ shield with his fiery pregame speeches — he “brought the Ray Lewis juice” back to Baltimore, in Jackson’s words — and sideline-to-sideline hunting of ball carriers. His play slipped a bit at the end of the year as he nursed a significant pectoral injury, but there’s no denying the Ravens’ defense took off when he arrived midway through the 2022 season and has never looked back. Even other star players defer to him as the alpha. Beckham said he’s never had a better teammate. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey said Smith kept his spirits up when he was trying to come back from a calf injury. Smith doesn’t mind a cliche or two about protecting his home when he’s hyping a matchup, but there’s an authenticity to his personal interactions that keeps any of it from feeling hokey. If Smith is the voice and soul of the defense, Hamilton is its most unique talent. He doesn’t much resemble Reed, who could change a game at any moment by out-thinking the quarterback. But his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame makes him such an unusual weapon around the line of scrimmage, where he blitzes, dives in to drop ball carriers and glides laterally to defend screens with equal facility. All that and he can still cover Travis Kelce step for step. Hamilton was the best Raven on the field against the Chiefs, much as he had been in the team’s playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals a year earlier. It was not uncommon to hear smart evaluators call him the best safety in the sport in recent weeks. He’s whip-smart — remember, secondary coach Chris Hewitt said he never made the same mistake twice, even when he was a struggling rookie — and professional off the field. It will be an upset if Hamilton does not end up in the Ravens’ Ring of Honor. Orr won’t have all the same players in his first season as defensive coordinator, but he’ll be off to quite a start with this pair of All-Pros. View the full article

Ravens coach John Harbaugh is taking a gamble by naming Zach Orr his new defensive coordinator, but at least his record is more proven on that side of the ball than on offense. Orr, 31, was named the successor to Mike Macdonald, who reportedly signed a six-year contract to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The decision to hire Orr was not surprising, especially since he became an in-house favorite once he rejoined the franchise as a coaching analyst in 2017. A former Ravens linebacker who retired because of a congenital spinal condition, Orr has spent the past two seasons as the team’s inside linebackers coach, where he has worked with Roquan Smith in the middle and Patrick Queen on the outside. They were the only teammates in the NFL to each have more than 130 tackles this season. Orr has a history of working well with players, and he was also well-liked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who named Orr the Jaguars’ outside linebackers coach when he was Jacksonville’s defensive coordinator in 2021. Cullen, 56, along with former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, 64, are both more proven than Orr, who has to rebuild the league’s top defense. It’s a risk, especially with a coordinator so young and inexperienced, but Harbaugh has more credibility on defense. His list of former offensive coordinators is like a Who’s Who? The Ravens have had Cam Cameron (2008-12), Jim Caldwell (2013), Gary Kubiak (2014), Marc Trestman (2015-16), Marty Mornhinweg (2017-18), Greg Roman (2019-22) and currently Todd Monken. With the exceptions of Caldwell, Kubiak and the yet unproven Monken, all have been disappointments. Harbaugh’s slate is cleaner on the other side of the ball, having had Rex Ryan (2008), Greg Mattison (2009-10), Chuck Pagano (2011), Dean Pees (2012-17), Don “Wink” Martindale (2018-21) and Macdonald (2022-23) as defensive coordinators. All, except Mattison, were successful. Ryan, Pagano and Macdonald went on to become head coaches. Ryan had stints with the New York Jets and Bills, while Pagano led the Indianapolis Colts from 2012 to 2017. That’s a pretty good pedigree. Playing tough, physical defense has been the trademark of the franchise since the record-setting 2000 unit led the team to the Super Bowl title. Macdonald kept the tradition going in 2023 as the Ravens became the first team to lead the league in sacks (60), takeaways (31) and points allowed per game (16.5). The Ravens had seven Pro Bowl selections this past season, including Smith, Queen, safety Kyle Hamilton and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. A major key for Macdonald-led defenses were the in-game adjustments he made, including in the first half in San Francisco and the second half against Jacksonville. Harbaugh’s background has probably been a major part of having defensive success. He spent eight seasons as Philadelphia’s special teams coach from 1998 to 2006 and one year as the Eagles’ defensive backs coach in 2007 before the Ravens hired him. He spent a lot of time learning the game under former Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, who died in 2009. Harbaugh knows about blitz packages, stunts and other schemes and philosophies. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | In Mike Macdonald, Seahawks hope they’ve found a disruptor who can again make them contenders Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews springs into action during medical emergency on flight Baltimore Ravens | Ravens promote Zach Orr to replace Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens | Mount St. Mary’s students meet ‘extraordinary’ and ‘down-to-earth’ Taylor Swift in Baltimore Baltimore Ravens | What Mike Macdonald’s departure means for the Ravens and their defense Orr has a tough act to follow. The Ravens have several top players who are set to become free agents in March, including Madubuike, Queen, outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Jadeveon Clowney and Malik Harrison, cornerbacks Arthur Maulet and Daryl Worley and defensive end Brent Urban. Just a few years removed from his playing career, Orr is part of the youth movement among NFL coaches. Owners want them young. These coaches can identify and communicate with the players. They can interact with them because they are in the same peer group. Orr is unique because he originally signed with the Ravens in 2014 as an undrafted rookie free agent from North Texas. He played in 46 career games over three seasons (2014-16), posting 163 tackles, one sack, eight tackles for loss, six passes defended, three interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He was named second-team All-Pro in 2016. He knows about the struggles of getting into the NFL but has also coached Pro Bowl players such as Queen and Smith and assisted with outside linebackers such as former Ravens star Terrell Suggs and Jacksonville’s Josh Allen. Does that translate into victories? We’ll find out, but at least the Ravens have history on their side. View the full article

RENTON, Wash. — There wasn’t anything personal with John Schneider’s heavy rooting interest for the AFC championship game last weekend and wanting to see Kansas City, and not Baltimore, in the Super Bowl. The Seattle Seahawks general manager was simply thinking about the future of his organization and the desire to finally get an interview with Mike Macdonald. It was quite a first meeting. “I don’t know how to describe it other than it was a feeling, it’s a connection, there’s clarity, and then everything everybody said about his great reputation came to life very quickly,” Schneider said. “It was very evident.” Barely 48 hours after having that first interview on the East Coast, the duo sat together on a stage inside the Seahawks’ headquarters on Thursday after Macdonald was introduced as the ninth head coach in team history. He becomes the youngest head coach in the NFL at age 36, taking over a franchise that was led for the past 14 seasons by Pete Carroll — the oldest coach in the league when he was let go following the season. “When we started talking about vision and how we wanted to play and the direction that I felt like how I’d like to take the team and how that paralleled what they saw, it just became very clear that was the thing that you’re looking for,” Macdonald said. The decision to go with Macdonald is a decided departure from the Carroll regime — from being half of Carroll’s age to the casual hoodie under a sportscoat that Macdonald wore for his introduction. Although in Macdonald’s defense, he said he brought limited clothing options when he flew from the East Coast to Seattle late Tuesday night. Seahawks general manager John Schneider, left, poses with new coach Mike Macdonald on Thursday in Renton, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) Schneider described his new coach as a “disruptor,” and said one of the guiding principles through the interview process was, “who is going to change the marketplace?” “I have a different personality and you’ll get to know me, but my plan is to be myself every day. And you’re just going to get me. It’s not a facade. There’s no alter agendas or anything like that,” Macdonald said. “But it’s all about what’s the best interest for the team, what’s the best interest for the players and how we can be successful.” Seattle’s search was extensive, partly because it was the first run by Schneider. Seattle did a second round of interviews with six candidates and while there was familiarity with some — most notably Dan Quinn — Schneider was intent the search wouldn’t be complete without final visits with Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Macdonald. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens TE Mark Andrews springs into action during medical emergency on flight Baltimore Ravens | Ravens promote Zach Orr to replace Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens | Mount St. Mary’s students meet ‘extraordinary’ and ‘down-to-earth’ Taylor Swift in Baltimore Baltimore Ravens | What Mike Macdonald’s departure means for the Ravens and their defense Baltimore Ravens | 25 Black Marylanders to Watch for 2024, plus 5 Living Legends Hence his desire to see a Kansas City-San Francisco matchup in Las Vegas so there wouldn’t be any need to wait until after the Super Bowl to move ahead with the coaching search. Macdonald called the decision to take the Seahawks job a “leap of faith,” leaving behind all he’s previously known living on the East Coast for the chance to be an NFL coach. There’s an amount of faith involved too on the Seahawks side of the equation. When Carroll took the job in January 2010, he was a known commodity coming off a major run of success in college as a head coach and had NFL head coaching experience previously. With Macdonald, there’s no such background like that. He impressively worked his way up through the Ravens organization, but has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for only two years. And while those two years were overwhelmingly dominant — along with his one year as the defensive coordinator in college at Michigan — there’s still situations and experiences he has yet to face that he will as a head coach. Schneider and his staff seemed undeterred by the inexperience. “I talked to several people that interviewed him already and they’re like, ‘wait until you look in this guy’s eyes. He’s there. He’s present. He’s on it,’” Schneider said. “He was and everybody in that room felt it.” Macdonald wouldn’t commit to much on the second day of his employment with the Seahawks, other than he intends on calling the defense to start. Schemes and system, and the best use of players will all be determined over the coming weeks and months. “The spirit of how we play and the principles of how we play, what you’ve seen on the tape in Baltimore will be the same,” Macdonald said. “But I can’t guarantee you the schematics will be the same here because we’re not sure what we’re good at yet.” That statement shows Macdonald has research still to do in trying to find areas where Seattle can go from being a team hovering around .500 to one that is again contending for division titles and deep playoff runs. “It’s a young core and so we got a great opportunity to build these guys and build a really competitive team sooner than later,” Macdonald said. View the full article

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was on his way from Baltimore to Phoenix on Thursday when he sprung into action. A woman on a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Andrews’ hometown was experiencing a medical emergency mid-flight when the Ravens star helped come to her rescue. According to Andrew Springs, a passenger on the flight, the doctor and nurse tending to the woman couldn’t find a strong pulse. Her blood pressure was extremely low, and she required oxygen to breathe. That’s when Andrews intervened. Andrews, 28, popped up from his aisle seat, Springs wrote on X (formerly Twitter), and asked if it could be her blood sugar, informing the doctor and nurse that he had a diabetic testing kit in his possession. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 9, Andrews monitors his blood sugar regularly. He then instructed the doctor and nurse on how to use the kit, the woman’s heart rate was stabilized and paramedics met the plane when it landed, according to Springs, a Maryland native who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, and attended Sunday’s AFC championship game at M&T Bank Stadium. “Watching complete strangers spring into action to help save someone’s life is truly amazing,” wrote Springs, who also described the ordeal as “genuinely scary.” Andrews, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who’d just wrapped up his sixth season with the Ravens after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated Baltimore, 17-10, on Sunday, took little in the way of credit, however. “In addition to the fast-acting flight attendants, the real heroes are the nurse and doctor who also happened to be on the plane,” he said in a statement issued through the Ravens. “Thankfully they were able to provide thee woman the quick assistance she needed.” Andrews, who missed more than two months because of an ankle injury suffered during a Nov. 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, had 45 catches for 544 yards and six touchdowns this season. View the full article

The Ravens didn’t wait long to find their replacement for Mike Macdonald. Baltimore announced Thursday that Zach Orr will take over as defensive coordinator. The 31-year-old spent the past two seasons as the team’s inside linebackers coach after serving as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ outside linebackers coach in 2021. The news comes a day after the Seattle Seahawks announced that Macdonald would be its new head coach. Orr, meanwhile, is a familiar face, and like Macdonald, has been on the fast track in his coaching career. After spending three seasons as a Ravens linebacker, Orr retired in 2016 because of a congenital neck/spine condition. He moved into coaching in 2017 and began with Baltimore as a defensive coaching analyst and was promoted to coaching and personnel assistant before leaving for the Jaguars in 2021. “Zach is a homegrown Raven in every way,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “His energy, intelligence, work ethic and strong communication skills have been on display since the day he joined our organization as a player in 2014. “From making our team as an undrafted rookie, to becoming an All-Pro linebacker, then later transitioning to an assistant coach who helped mentor multiple Pro Bowl defenders, Zach has excelled at every level of his football journey. “He knows our players and understands our standard as well as anyone. I’m confident that he is prepared to take on the challenge of continuing to develop our players and scheme as our next defensive coordinator.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mount St. Mary’s students meet ‘extraordinary’ and ‘down-to-earth’ Taylor Swift in Baltimore Baltimore Ravens | What Mike Macdonald’s departure means for the Ravens and their defense Baltimore Ravens | 25 Black Marylanders to Watch for 2024, plus 5 Living Legends Baltimore Ravens | Titans reportedly hiring Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs’ Travis Kelce to Ravens kicker Justin Tucker: ‘I can one-up you every time’ This season under Orr, inside linebackers Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith had career years and became the only duo to post at least 130 tackles this season for a defense that led the league in sacks (60), takeaways (31) and points allowed per game (16.5). Smith was selected as an All-Pro for the second straight year as well as to the Pro Bowl, while Queen was selected to his first Pro Bowl this year. Over the past two seasons, the Ravens’ defense ranked in the top 10 in yards allowed per game (312.8), rushing yards allowed per game (100.8), passing yards allowed per game (212.1), points allowed per game (17.5), opponent third-down conversion percentage (35.7%), opponent red zone efficiency (43.8%) and takeaways (56). As a player, Orr signed with the Ravens as a 2014 undrafted rookie free agent from North Texas and played in 46 games over three seasons, racking up 163 tackles, one sack, eight tackles for loss, six passes defensed, three interceptions, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. A native of DeSoto, Texas, Orr’s father, Terry, was a tight end for the now-Washington Commanders (from 1986 to 1993), while his younger brother, Chris, is a former linebacker who played for the Carolina Panthers in 2020. His older brother, Terrance, is the offensive coordinator at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas, and his younger brother, Nick, played college football at TCU and spent time with the Chicago Bears in 2018. This story might be updated. View the full article

For Mount St. Mary’s University students spending a Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore as the Ravens take on an NFL opponent is all in a day’s work. Those studying sport management can take advantage of a behind-the-scenes look at how events come together at the stadium by volunteering to take on jobs like ticket scanning, ushering or checking visitor credentials, said Professor Sarah Zipp, director for the sport management, undergraduate and master’s programs at Mount St. Mary’s. The gig often starts in the morning — the college is in Emmitsburg, so students have to leave before 7 a.m. on a Sunday so they can make it to Baltimore before kick-off. Then they stand on their feet all day before returning home often hours after the game ends. It’s not exactly glamorous. Well, not until Taylor Swift shows up and asks to take a picture with you. Then it’s an “extraordinary” and “once-in-a-lifetime” experience, according to four Mount St. Mary’s students who met the pop icon on Sunday. “We were all just starstruck,’ said Patrick Rankin, 21, a rising senior and president of the sport management club at Mount St. Mary’s, who volunteered to help at the game along with about a dozen other students, including his friends Lyla Kline, Katie Farrell and Andrea Cabrera Vargas. Rankin was working an NFL football game at the stadium for the third time this season, he said. And while he and his friends were aware it was likely that Swift would attend the AFC championship game pitting the Ravens against the Kansas City Chiefs, their expectations of actually seeing the superstar were pretty low. “I thought that we would have a chance to possibly see Taylor on the big screen,” he said, referring to the jumbotrons at either end of the stadium. Farrell, 21 and a longtime Swift fan, said she thought it would be cool to “be in the same vicinity as Taylor Swift.” At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the students had finished scanning tickets at Gate A and were waiting for instructions on their next task. One of the security managers came over and told them they would be escorting family members of the Kansas City Chiefs down onto the field so that if the Chiefs won, the loved ones could celebrate with the players. The students checked family members’ credentials and then escorted them to an entrance to the field, where they all waited. Swift was not part of the group, at first. But a few minutes later, she came down on an elevator with her security team and the family of her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. “So the elevator opens and Taylor Swift is in the back,” said Cabrera Vargas, who was stationed with Kline near the elevators. “It felt like a movie scene. … She was very tall so we could see her directly. She had her red lipstick on and her bangs.” “I’m not a die hard fan,” Cabrera Vargas, 22, said. “But at that moment I was.” While Swift joined family and friends on the field for the celebration, the students stayed back in the basement area, waiting and watching. ‘We were all excited,” said Farrell, a senior majoring in human services. “I was tearing up because, you know, it’s like my dream to meet her. She’s the biggest pop star on the planet.” The students said they were told not to take any pictures and they followed that rule strictly. That is until Swift, on her way back up to the suite, noticed the students standing there — barely hanging onto their composure and some making the universal Swift fan heart symbol. Farrell said Swift “started waving to us! ‘Hi guys, how are you?'” before coming over to her group. “I think she could also tell that, like, we were big fans,” said Kline, 22, a senior fine arts major who missed out on seeing the sold-out Eras Tour in the U.S. last year and instead is headed to Europe to see the show. “I got tickets to see Swift’s concert in France this summer. … and I got a chance to tell her that. She was extremely excited … she like couldn’t believe it when I told her.” Swift then asked the four students if they wanted to take a picture with her. With shaking hands, Cabrera Vargas grabbed her phone and snapped a single picture of the group. “The angle of that picture — I always take pictures like that,” said Cabrera Vargas. “So my friends have told me that it was destined to happen since I was preparing for this moment. Because everyone said that the picture turned out great.” Still, Cabrera Vargas wasn’t certain she actually got the shot. So she checked her phone. “By the time I looked down and looked up she was already walking into the elevator,” said the senior business marketing major from Silver Spring. “It was very, very quick.” Even so, Cabrera Vargas is grateful she and her friends got to meet Swift. “It made me think that things that seem impossible are definitely possible.” While Zipp organizes the volunteer groups for game days and other events like the Preakness Stakes, she doesn’t always attend with her students. A lifelong Chiefs fan who hails from Kansas City, Zipp decided to watch Sunday’s game from home. “I am, yes, indeed, kicking myself a little bit for that.” View the full article

The Ravens lost the AFC championship, lost their director of player personnel and now lost their defensive coordinator. Bouncing back from a difficult defeat on the field is one thing. Replacing the people who helped construct one of the best rosters in the NFL and a historically great defense is another. Of course, having the staff of a successful team plundered is business as usual in the NFL. But what does losing Joe Hortiz, who was named general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this week, and Mike Macdonald, who takes over as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, mean for Baltimore? Consider: Hortiz had been with the Ravens since 1998, steadfastly working his way up through the organization, and Macdonald since 2014, save for the one season he spent in 2021 as Michigan’s defensive coordinator. Continuity is a hallmark of success in the NFL, and the Ravens, who were not caught off-guard by the departures, took a hit losing both, especially since it’s likely just the beginning. Never mind having a roster that is rife with unrestricted free agents, most of whom were key contributors to a team that had the league’s best regular-season record. Under Macdonald, Baltimore also had a dominant defense this season, becoming the first team in the modern era of the NFL to lead the league in sacks (60), takeaways (31) and points allowed per game (16.1). That just scratches the surface, too. The Ravens were also first in passing yards allowed per play, first in rushing touchdowns allowed per game and second in overall yards allowed per play. Over the past two seasons under Macdonald, Baltimore’s defense ranked in the top five in scoring, total yards, rushing yards, red zone touchdown rate and third-down conversion rate. It wasn’t just the gaudy numbers the Ravens put up, it was how they achieved them. Baltimore generated 143 quarterback pressures this season. That was just the 16th highest total in the league, but the Ravens also blitzed just 21.9% of the time, the eighth-lowest rate in the NFL. Only four teams — the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and Houston Texans — generated more pressures with a lower blitz rate, and three of them made the playoffs, including the 49ers, who are in the Super Bowl. Macdonald achieved that success by disguising his rushes, sometimes rushing linebackers and dropping defensive linemen into coverage and rushing a cornerback off the edge, among other things, as a way to create chaos and confusion without using more than four rushers. Karl Merton Ferron/The Baltimore SunRavens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, left, and coach John Harbaugh look on during a game in 2022. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Even in Sunday’s AFC title game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Macdonald’s brilliance eventually shined. After the Chiefs moved the ball at will in the first half, the Ravens mostly stonewalled them over the final 30 minutes, holding them scoreless and allowing just 98 yards on 30 plays. Then there’s the way that Macdonald relates to and empowers players, which presumably went a long way to him becoming the NFL’s youngest coach at age 36 in Seattle, an organization that Ravens outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney said was run similarly to Baltimore’s. “I’ve been saying it since I got here, Mike Macdonald is the smartest defensive coordinator I’ve ever had,” Clowney said. “He puts the guys in the right position. … He leaves nothing that we haven’t seen going into a game that we haven’t seen during the week.” It’s just one of many reasons his loss could be stinging for the organization. “I think he’s the best candidate out there right now,” Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen said Monday of Macdonald. “I don’t think anybody does it like him. Nobody cares like him. Nobody will do what he does. He will not rest until he has everything right. … The guy is all around just the best person I’ve ever been around, coach-wise, person-wise. He really cares and truly cares about the players, the people around the organization and the fans.” Added safety Kyle Hamilton on why he is fond of Macdonald’s scheme: “I like the duality of it. We have guys up front who allow us to do a bunch of stuff on the back end, in terms of doing their job correctly. Moving around, everybody doing different things, it doesn’t make us one-dimensional.” Who might the Ravens replace him with? Anthony Weaver was passed over in favor of Mike Macdonald in 2022, but he has experience in the role, having served as the Texans’ defensive coordinator in 2020. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) There are some internal possibilities, starting with associate head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver. The 43-year-old was passed over in favor of Macdonald in 2022, but he has experience in the role, having served as the Texans’ defensive coordinator in 2020. He also brings familiarity, having spent four seasons in Baltimore as a player and three as a coach. Passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt could also be a possibility. He also brings a level of continuity, having worked his way up in the organization from assistant special teams coach to assistant secondary coach to defensive backs coach to pass defense coordinator to his current role. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mount St. Mary’s students meet ‘extraordinary’ and ‘down-to-earth’ Taylor Swift in Baltimore Baltimore Ravens | 25 Black Marylanders to Watch for 2024, plus 5 Living Legends Baltimore Ravens | Titans reportedly hiring Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs’ Travis Kelce to Ravens kicker Justin Tucker: ‘I can one-up you every time’ Baltimore Ravens | Seahawks hire Ravens DC Mike Macdonald as next head coach There’s also inside linebackers coach Zach Orr, who, like Macdonald once was, is on the fast track. Unlike Macdonald, he played in the NFL for three seasons with Baltimore before a spinal condition ended his career in 2016. The 31-year-old then spent four seasons with the Ravens as a coaching analyst, was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ outside linebackers coach for a year, then returned to Baltimore in 2022. Of course, he (or other staff members) also could follow Macdonald to Seattle to be the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator. The Ravens could also turn to someone outside the organization for the job. Former Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell recently interviewed for the Buffalo Bills opening, but he also has connections to Baltimore, having played for the Ravens for a year in 1996 and been in the mix for the defensive coordinator job when the Ravens hired Macdonald. There’s also Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who was previously the Ravens’ defensive line coach and is close to Harbaugh. Other names potentially in the mix include former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and Dallas Cowboys secondary coach and passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., all of whom have some level of history with the Ravens. Whoever the Ravens hire, though, one thing seems certain: He’ll have a tough act to follow. View the full article

The Baltimore Sun celebrates Black History Month by honoring a wide range of notables who are working to improve the lives, health, education and experiences of all Maryland residents. The third annual 25 Black Marylanders to Watch includes activists and artists, CEOs and presidents, venture startups and adventurous restaurateurs. The names were chosen by The Sun’s editors and reporters, who cover these topics and communities and see the progress these honorees are making in their fields. In addition, we honor five Living Legends, who continue to give back while still leading in their own ways. Jump to a section: Activism | Arts | Business | Education | Food | Health | Legal | Politics | Religion | Sports | Living Legends Activism Annette March-Grier. Annette March-Grier President and co-founder, Roberta’s House Growing up on the second floor of a funeral parlor, Annette March-Grier has always been familiar with mourning. But it was when her mother died in 2006 that she realized supporting families through loss was her calling. “I often tell people: this is where my grief became my growth, where I turned my pain into passion,” March-Grier said. March-Grier is the president and co-founder of Roberta’s House, which provides grief education and support in the form of trauma-informed care in Baltimore City and Prince George’s County. In 2021, Roberta’s House opened a $14 million building on East North Avenue. March-Grier said about 95% of her clientele is African-American. She added that the lack of clinicians in Baltimore who specialize in grief and trauma and treat Black people highlights the need for the free, culturally sensitive services she provides that reach over 2,000 people annually. “No one should grieve alone,” March-Grier said. — Maya Lora Back to top Arts Jerry Jackson/Baltimore SunTerri Lee Freeman. Terri Lee Freeman Director, Reginald F. Lewis Museum Terri Lee Freeman has never met a mountain she couldn’t move. As the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture emerges from the pandemic, Freeman’s staff is beginning to inch the taxpayer-supported institution forward. Freeman is pleased that attendance at Maryland’s premiere Black museum crept up from 19,236 in-person and virtual visitors last year to 20,614 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, as visitors responded to an Afro-Futurist art exhibit and an interactive display inviting guests to imagine the future of Black Baltimore. There’s still a way to go before the Lewis hits the benchmark of 70,000 visitors annually, but Freeman is confident the goal is achievable. And though the museum just missed the state-mandated requirement to raise 50% of its annual budget last year, Freeman expects the Lewis to meet or surpass that target in 2023-24. In August, a new permanent installation exploring the history of lynching in Maryland will open. “I’m really pleased at how the community is engaging with our content,” Freeman said. — Mary Carole McCauley SHAN Wallace. SHAN Wallace Artist, photographer and muralist Much like the Orioles last year, artist SHAN Wallace had the city behind her for the unveiling of her new Orioles stadium mural in May. “I’ve received so much love and encouragement around it,” Wallace said. Over the summer, the East Baltimorean — whose work has appeared in the Baltimore Museum of Art and in exhibits across the country — concluded her stint as the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s inaugural artist-in-residence. She kicked off 2024 teaching a teen photography class at the Walters Art Museum; creating a large piece for D.C.’s National Museum of Women in the Arts, where she’ll be featured in this year’s “Women to Watch” exhibit; and pushing forward on “Glory Days,” a documentary that she said captures her experience as a partygoer in Baltimore’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene. “The gay scene really raised me,” Wallace said. “I wouldn’t be who I am without gay nightlife in Baltimore, which at one point was just so vivid, and so active and so lively.” — Abigail Gruskin WordsmithJerry Jackson/Baltimore SunWordsmith. Wordsmith Songwriter, poet and BSO Partner Ask the hip-hop artist and activist Wordsmith (aka Anthony Parker) what he’s looking forward to in 2024, and he responds with a “to-do” list that would wear out a battalion. He is about to embark on a national tour as part of a musical trio performing “Concerts for the Human Family” based on themes of love, unity and reconciliation. He’ll spend March and April working with students at the Enoch Pratt Free Library’s Penn North branch to rehearse and perform a play inspired by a museum exhibit celebrating Black female geniuses. He has a big Black History Month concert coming up in Montgomery County. Oh, and did we mention that the community action group he founded, Rise With a Purpose, serves lunch every Friday to homeless members of the Penn North neighborhood? “I don’t want people to remember me primarily as a musician,” Wordsmith said, “but as a good man who was reliable and who tried to lift his city up.” — Mary Carole McCauley Back to top Business P. David Bramble. P. David Bramble Managing partner, MCB Real Estate P. David Bramble had a negative view of developers until he became one himself. Now the West Baltimore native looks back with pride at local and national projects his MCB Real Estate has worked on since 2007. The Baltimore firm, founded with partner Peter Pinkard, has brought new homes and grocers to distressed areas and transformed contaminated sites. The MCB managing partner considers the reinvention of Baltimore’s Harborplace his most challenging project yet. MCB is seeking city approval to demolish retail pavilions it bought out of receivership for a mixed-use project set in parkland. Bramble, a lawyer who began rehabbing rowhouses after law school, is encouraged by support from both city residents and officials, despite some strong opposition to proposed apartments and offices. While MCB expects to pose a ballot question allowing the project, opponents are exploring one to block it. “Most people recognize that it’s time for really big, sweeping change, huge change, and this project can be the trajectory setter for that change.” — Lorraine Mirabella Delali Dzirasa. Delali Dzirasa CEO, Fearless Delali Dzirasa’s Baltimore software company was at a crossroads. Fearless had been building software with a social or civic impact since 2009, growing in 14 years from a basement startup to about 260 employees as it expanded from government to commercial contracts. “We looked at our mission and vision, to create a world where good software powers things that matter,” said Dzirasa. But some societal sectors seemed left out, he said, and it was time to “think a little bit bigger about how we actually drive this kind of impact around the world.” In August, Fearless launched a new business model to overcome blockers that can derail digital transformation, establishing two new divisions. Fearless Digital develops software, while Denver-based Fearless Guides, an acquisition, coaches leaders in developing people, operations and strategies. Fearless now aims to generate $1 billion in revenue, work in 10 countries and improve 100 million lives, by 2030. Dzirasa looks forward to “the blank canvas of how are we going to solve this? …I’ve always been driven by impact and how do we build things that help people.” — Lorraine Mirabella Maurissa Stone (LaKaye Mbah Photography/handout) Maurissa Stone Organizer, The Black Canni Maurissa Stone got into her line of work “as a result of a painful problem.” Stone, who has worked in community development, non-profit management and consulting, saw racism embedded in policies and practices throughout workplaces and organizations, meaning “your ability to survive as a Black person has less to do with what you’re bringing to the table and more to do with your ability to negotiate the culture.” Seeking solutions, she started Living Well Center, now at Baltimore Unity Hall on Eutaw Place, as director of innovation. It started in Remington in 2009 “to house a community that’s focused on addressing harm and healing for Black people.” In October, hoping to broaden access to Maryland’s legalized recreational cannabis industry and as a healing tool, she launched the Black Canni conference of pharmacists, growers, and business and legal experts. “There’s a stigma attached to cannabis. But cannabis today is not the scary dude on the corner anymore.” Stone, who offers DEI consulting through Iona Concepts, hopes to spread a Black Canni movement beyond Baltimore. “My work is rooted in liberation for Black people.” — Lorraine Mirabella Back to top Education Heidi M. Anderson. Heidi M. Anderson President, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore Heidi M. Anderson became president of the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, one of Maryland’s four historically Black colleges and universities, in 2018. Under her tenure, the university, located in Princess Anne, saw increased enrollment along with HBCU’s nationwide. Additionally, the school saw its first U.S. News & World Report ranking in 2023 after the publication listed it as one of the top HBCUs in the nation.. “One great year of rankings does not make a great university,” Anderson said in a news release. “But our sustained rise in the rankings indicates that we are on the right trajectory of performance. Our rise in the rankings is a reflection of the quality of our students and faculty and the commitment of our leadership team to sustained excellence.” Anderson did not make herself available for an interview. Anderson holds a Ph.D. in pharmacy administration and was previously the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Texas A&M University-Kingsville from 2015 to 2017. She served as the provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015. — Caitlyn Freeman Katrina Caldwell. Katrina Caldwell Vice provost for diversity and inclusion, Johns Hopkins University Katrina Caldwell had a busy first month when she joined the Johns Hopkins University in 2020 as vice provost for diversity and inclusion. In addition to being in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, a swastika was found in a campus building. Caldwell has 30 years of experience leading colleges and universities’ diversity missions, primarily in Chicago. As DEI initiatives are scrutinized as a zero-sum game at a national level, Caldwell remains clear-eyed that diversity means everyone deserves to be in environments that support their goals, needs and what they need to feel safe to thrive. Higher education institutions, whether public or private, have a responsibility to change the conditions of their community, especially if that community is marginalized, Caldwell said. Community members, in conversations with Caldwell’s office, have said they want a stronger, mutually beneficial relationship with the university. “It’s not about just giving out money,” Caldwell said. “It really is about building relationships.” She’s leading Hopkins’ $6 million, five-year Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, which evaluates the institution’s culture and advances future goals in areas like research, health equity and academics. Hopkins just completed a year-long campus-wide climate study that will be presented in February. — Lilly Price David Heiber. David Heiber Founder, Concentric Education Solutions Just 1% of all venture capital funding in 2022 went to Black-founded companies. This fall, David Heiber was in that 1%, having received a $5 million series A round from Maryland-based New Markets Venture Partners. Heiber’s education technology start-up, Concentric Education Solutions, is used by 200 schools in six states to conduct home visits that reconnect chronically absent students with school, in addition to tutoring and mentoring services. His employees visited 20,000 homes in Baltimore last year. “It’s an anomaly in and of itself,” Heiber said of the $5 million investment. “It gives us a tremendous visibility.” A former teacher and school administrator in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., he started his company in 2010. He plans to use the funding to hire chief executives and scale the company’s software infrastructure. Concentric created an re-engagement app to track why students miss school and to share that information with educators. The company also provides mental health counseling. — Lilly Price Back to top Food Jasmine Norton. Jasmine Norton Owner, The Urban Oyster In just seven years, Jasmine Norton has been through the highs and the lows of the restaurant industry. But 2024 is looking particularly bright. Norton, a self-taught chef, launched her seafood business, The Urban Oyster, in 2017 after leaving a career as a sales manager in New York City. She started out shucking oysters at farmers markets, festivals and brewery pop-ups before opening her first brick-and-mortar, in Locust Point, in 2019. The restaurant proved to be short-lived, shutting down in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Norton, however, was determined to make a comeback. She moved into the kitchen at the Hotel Revival in Mount Vernon, turning out chargrilled oysters and shrimp tacos for curbside pickup. Later, she launched a spinoff business, The Urban Burger Bar, inside of Hampden’s Whitehall Market. As a new year begins, she’s about to open a new dining room for The Urban Oyster. The restaurant will debut in February at 914 W. 36th St. It’s garnering buzz not only for the food — new dishes will include lobster cavatelli and oxtail lasagna — but also for its significance: Norton believes she is the first Black woman to own an oyster bar in Baltimore. “I’m a woman of my word,” she said recently, standing in front of the restaurant. “This is not only redemption for the brand, this is redemption for the community, for everyone who supports us. We’re bigger and better being here.” — Amanda Yeager Chris Simon. Chris Simon Founder, BLK Swan and BTST Services Baltimore foodies have likely heard of BLK Swan, the trendy Harbor East restaurant and nightlife spot that Chris Simon opened in 2021. What they may not know is that Simon has also found success in a very different field: mental health treatment. Simon, who has a master’s degree in social work from Morgan State University, founded BTST Services in 2008, inspired by a job working as a mentor in group homes. The company offers psychiatric rehabilitation, medication management and therapy to clients throughout Maryland. Sixteen years in, BTST has nearly 300 employees and offices in Baltimore, Lanham, Frederick and Hagerstown. Simon has partnered with celebrities like Taraji P. Henson and Charlamagne tha God to destigmatize mental health treatment. The company is poised to expand after a recent investment by Webster Equity Partners. Simon declined to share a dollar amount, but said he wants to offer services outside of Maryland next. He’s getting ready for growth on the restaurant front, as well. In February, he’ll open Prim & Proper, a new restaurant and social club in downtown Baltimore with chef Calvin Riley and partners Berry and Janell Clark of Papi Cuisine. Simon’s vision is for the restaurant to bring an upscale experience to the downtown dining scene. “I’m always working to fill the void,” he said. — Amanda Yeager Back to top Health Dr. Esa Davis. Dr. Esa Davis Associate vice president for community health, University of Maryland Baltimore and senior associate dean for population and community medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine Dr. Esa Davis is quick to say that she stands on the shoulders of giants – more specifically, the shoulders of her grandmother, who worked as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit in North Carolina for more than 40 years. Her grandmother, a bright and caring woman who ran her own hair salon when she wasn’t working the night shift, had always wanted to be a physician, Davis said. But as a child born in the segregated South, that wasn’t possible. She hoped one of her five children would go into medicine, but although all of them graduated from college and received master’s degrees, none of them chose that path. “She then tried to work on her grandchildren,” Davis said with a laugh. Inspired by her grandmother, Davis became a family physician, treating patients for more than 20 years. She has a particular passion for helping mothers and their babies, and is a widely published researcher funded by the National Institutes of Health. In May, the University of Maryland School of Medicine said that Davis would serve as the University of Maryland Baltimore’s inaugural associate vice president for community health and the senior associate dean for population and community medicine for the school of medicine. In these roles, Davis will work with the communities surrounding the schools to promote public health and will help direct the development of a population health strategy for the School of Medicine. — Angela Roberts Tiffany Tate. Tiffany Tate Executive director, Maryland Partnership for Prevention Tiffany Tate had every intention of returning to California when she came to Baltimore in the 1990s to get her master’s degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. And yet, nearly 30 years after she graduated, Tate still lives in the city and loves it as much as she did when she first learned about its many strengths and challenges as a student. Tate, executive director of the Maryland Partnership for Prevention — a nonprofit that aims to boost national and local immunization efforts — sees public health as a calling, rather than a career. She particularly believes in the power of technology to give health workers the freedom to more creatively and efficiently serve their community. Before the coronavirus pandemic began, Tate created software to help parents register their children for flu shot clinics at their local schools and prevent workers from being “buried under 10,000 pieces of paper.” That same software ultimately became key to Maryland’s pandemic response, when the state health department contracted with Tate’s organization to allow Marylanders to use it to schedule vaccine appointments and for health care providers to report immunization data to the state. The software, PrepMod, was also used in two dozen other jurisdictions and states around the country, and Tate’s nonprofit donated it to historically Black colleges and universities. “I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be able to contribute to my field in this way,” Tate said. — Angela Roberts Dr. Michael Zollicoffer. Dr. Michael Zollicoffer Baltimore pediatrician Dr. Michael Zollicoffer, or Dr. Z, as he is better known to his patients, is proud to say that he followed in his father’s footsteps. In 1962, his father, Dr. Lawrence Zollicoffer, became the fourth African American to graduate from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. While the elder Zollicoffer had graduated from the historically Black North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University at 17 years old, he waited for 10 years — until the University of North Carolina would admit him — to begin studying for his medical degree. The younger Zollicoffer also graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. And just as his father joined other Black physicians to open the Garwyn Medical Center in Baltimore, Zollicoffer opened his own medical practice almost 40 years ago. Throughout his career, Zollicoffer has mentored dozens of medical students, training them to champion the needs of their underserved patients. Zollicoffer is still known to make house calls to people who are too ill to come to his office or who don’t have transportation. “If the insurance is good or not, we’ll still see you,” he said, “and if you don’t have anything to pay, then you don’t pay.” — Angela Roberts Back to top Legal Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead. Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead Adjutant General, Maryland National Guard Where “opportunity meets preparation” is how Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead describes her 30-year military career. Before assuming her current post as Adjutant General of Maryland, the two-star Army general came from a family that prized community service and civic engagement. As a teenager growing up in Snow Hill, her mother, civil rights icon Fannie Ward Birckhead, urged her daughter to serve her community, from raising money via bikeathons, to volunteering as a candy striper at Peninsula Regional Hospital in Salisbury. Now, as the only Black woman leading a state military, Birckhead oversees 6,000 Guard members and civilian federal and state employees as they navigate everything from operating COVID testing sites, to preparing Marylanders for natural disasters and beefing up the state’s cybersecurity infrastructure. Service is a “part of who I am at the grassroots level,” she said. “I see that in this role I’m able to impact people’s lives for the better.” — Lia Russell Kerri-Ann Lawrence. Kerri-Ann Lawrence Lab Director, Forensic Services Section, Baltimore County Police Department Kerri-Ann Lawrence is a stickler for procedure with a strong sense of justice, useful qualities for the head of Baltimore County Police Department’s forensics lab. “When something is wrong, it just irks me so much,” Lawrence said. “I might not be a lawyer but I’m still fighting for others.” At 17, she immigrated to Baltimore from Jamaica with her family. After a semester at Towson University, she joined the U.S. Army, serving her first year in South Korea. Lawrence began her career in Baltimore County as a crime scene technician in 2004, earning master’s degrees in intelligence analysis from Johns Hopkins University and forensic science from National University. She became lab director in September. “I was filled with so much emotion: ‘Little me, all the way from Jamaica,’” she said. “A vet in the military, all of this and now I’m here.” — Cassidy Jensen Back to top Politics Angela Crenshaw. Angela Crenshaw Superintendent, Maryland Park Service Angela Crenshaw called her role as the first Black woman to lead Maryland’s Park Service “astounding” — but she also understands the responsibility of restructuring an agency that, in her words, has had “a trying year and a half, two years.” Crenshaw was named the Park Service’s acting superintendent following the arrest of former Gunpowder Falls manager Michael Browning on rape charges. He was convicted of a misdemeanor sex offense. Crenshaw was officially appointed superintendent of Maryland’s Park Service late last year. “What’s that saying – life comes at you fast?” she said. Crenshaw started at the Department of Natural Resources in 2008 in its Boating Services division and became a park ranger in 2013. As she moves the Park Service forward, Crenshaw wants to be available to her staff to provide a safe and welcoming environment for rangers and visitors, noting Maryland’s “history of segregation” on its public lands. “I know that sounds simple, but it hasn’t been in the past — the recent past and way back,” said Crenshaw. — Hannah Gaskill Darlene Hammond. Darlene Hammond Councilwoman, Federalsburg Darlene Hammond had become used to working behind the scenes for her community — whether she was mentoring young people, volunteering during elections or serving on the board of a Caroline County-created advisory group to improve services for residents. So when she stepped into the spotlight in her small town last summer by running and winning a seat on the Federalsburg town council, it was something of a new experience, and in more ways than one. Hammond, a former pharmacy technician, became one of the first two Black council members in Federalsburg’s 200-year history after an NAACP and ACLU-led lawsuit to create a more equitable voting system there. Hammond said she’s trying to use her new platform to inspire civic engagement for a community that still struggles to get involved, even after a historic victory. “Your vote is your voice, and it does matter,” Hammond said. “If you want change you have to show up. You have to sit in that seat. It can’t be an empty seat.” — Sam Janesch Brandy James. Brandy James Councilwoman, Federalsburg More than four months after a monumental victory that made her and a colleague the first two Black residents of Federalsburg to win seats on the town council in history, Brandy James said she’s still just getting started. “It does bring a different mindset to the council, a different perspective,” James said. A crisis intervention expert who conducts trainings for police agencies, James was elected to the four-person town council in Caroline County in September after an NCAA and ACLU-led federal lawsuit to create a more equitable voting system. The lawsuit followed a long line of similar cases over several decades, particularly across Maryland’s Eastern Shore, to align with the Voting Rights Act. James said while the council hasn’t made any major decisions in her short tenure so far, she’s looking forward to focusing on issues like affordable housing, developing programs for the elderly and bringing more daycare centers to the 2,800-person town. — Sam Janesch Back to top Religion Rev. Robert Turner. Rev. Robert Turner Senior pastor, Empowerment Temple AME Church Martin Luther King Day found the Rev. Robert Turner taking on the same challenge he’d tackled 15 times since taking over as senior pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church in West Baltimore: walking the 42.9 miles from its campus on Primrose Avenue to the White House. The preacher with the booming voice chatted with passers-by and Instagram followers along the way. Thirteen hours later, he led a demonstration calling for the creation of a commission to explore how the government could make reparations for slavery. Each of his 16 walks has drawn attention to a civil or human rights issue, and for Turner, the soreness and shredded sneakers are well worth the trouble. “With Maryland’s large Black population, it should be a no-brainer that people in its largest city should lead on these issues,” he says. “Baltimore and America are still suffering from the issue of race.” Since taking over at Empowerment, the megachurch founded by the charismatic Rev. Dr. Jamaal H. Bryant in 2000, he has stabilized its once shaky financial picture, spearheaded a building renovation, started a monthly fresh-food giveaway program, created community prayer stations, founded a benevolence committee to help locals with bills, and even found time to write a book. “Creating a Culture of Repair,” which offers 120 ideas for helping to heal racial divides, is to be published in April. He’ll be making another walk to Washington in honor of Black History Month on Presidents’ Day (Feb. 19), where he again hopes to convince political leaders and others to see the urgency of the reparations issue. “We are growing for Christ,” he says. — Jonathan Pitts Back to top Sports LSU Lady Tigers forward Angel Reese gestures for a three point basket scored by a teammate3 against the Coppin State Eagles during a non conference homecoming game for the St. Frances Academy Panthers alum and NCAA basketball champion…(Karl Merton Ferron/Staff Photo) Angel Reese Power forward, LSU women’s basketball team As long as she’s playing for the Tigers, Angel Reese will be known there as “The Bayou Barbie.” But after leading the reigning NCAA champions to an 80-48 rout of Coppin State at the Eagles’ Physical Education Complex Arena on Dec. 20, the 6-foot-3 junior reminded media members that she was “The Baltimore Barbie” first. That loyalty has endeared the Randallstown native and St. Frances graduate to thousands of basketball fans in and around the Baltimore area. It wasn’t that long ago when Reese herself was enthralled by another Baltimore star, Angel McCoughtry. “Seeing what Angel did in college and the WNBA, winning Olympic gold medals with Team USA, that inspired me to dream big,” she said. “Being someone that this next generation of kids can latch onto and build their dreams around means a lot to me, and I take that responsibility seriously.” — Ed Lee Chad Steele. Chad Steele Senior vice president of communications, Baltimore Ravens Chad Steele and his family were at a hibachi restaurant in Hunt Valley in 2016 when a nearby table overheard him talking about leaving for the Super Bowl the next day. When Steele said he worked for the Ravens, the man’s young son from the other table started glowing over the jersey and autographed picture of wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. he’d received for Christmas. Seeing the reaction, Steele handed his phone to the boy: Smith was on the other end. “What did that cost the Ravens?” Steele says. As the son of an Army colonel, Steele moved 14 times growing up, so community has always been important. “Some of them I was accepted, some of them I wasn’t,” he says. Which is why he finds his role with the Ravens so rewarding. Whether it’s connecting the media to the team, or connecting with fans, relationships and having an impact is what matters most to the father of two. Said Steele: “That’s the best part.” — Brian Wacker Larry Stewart. Larry Stewart Coach, Coppin State men’s basketball team Reviving the Eagles basketball program wasn’t going to be simple — even for someone with the gravitas of Larry Stewart, a two-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a five-year NBA veteran who is regarded as one of the greatest players in the school’s history. Still, Coppin State’s lackluster record thus far is a sobering reminder that expectations should be reasonable. Stewart remains committed to restoring the Eagles to their previous heights of four MEAC Tournament championships with the last occurring in 2008. “There’s a fiery side because I love the game of basketball and I want to win,” he said. “But I also understand that it’s about patience. I see the game a certain way, and I played the game a certain way. So if your team is not on that level, you have to have patience with them. Over time and with that patience will come the wins.” — Ed Lee Frances Tiafoe. Frances Tiafoe Professional tennis player When tennis phenom Frances Tiafoe reached the 2022 U.S. Open semifinals, he was the first American man to do so since 2006 — and the first Black American man in 50 years. The next year, “Big Foe,” currently ranked no. 14 in the world, reached a career-high ranking of no. 10. It wouldn’t have been possible if not for his early training at College Park’s Junior Tennis Champions Center, which the Hyattsville native credited as “the only reason why I am where I am in my career.” “It gave me 24/7 access to play the sport and made me fall in love with the game,” Tiafoe said in an email interview. He launched a charitable fund there last summer with the USTA foundation and was inducted into the USTA Mid-Atlantic Hall of Fame in December. With three ATP singles titles under his belt, his sights are set on breaking into the sport’s top five. “I want to keep making the DMV proud,” he said. — Abigail Gruskin Back to top Living Legends Alvin O. Gillard. Alvin O. Gillard Executive director, Maryland Commission on Civil Rights This month is Alvin O. Gillard’s last as executive director of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, a position he’s held for nearly 10 years. The commission is the state’s anti-discrimination agency which investigates complaints in areas like employment, housing and public accommodations. Gillard manages the day-to-day operations and will retire at the end of February. “This agency is as relevant today as it was when it was created,” Gillard said. “We’d like to think the progress that we’ve made renders agencies like this obsolete. But that absolutely is not based in reality.” By Gillard’s own estimation, he has spent over 40 years promoting civil rights. And he doesn’t see a future where work like his won’t be needed. He encouraged Marylanders to not “rest on past gains” and to be proactive about attacks on voting rights, reproductive rights and affirmative action. “While we make progress, we are also fighting many of the same fights over and over again,” Gillard said. — Maya Lora Warren C. Hayman. Warren C. Hayman Former Morgan State University educator Warren C. Hayman has shaped generations of students through his decades of work in education. “My motivation for my work is helping students of color to succeed in school and in life at all levels,” Hayman said in an email. He worked for 42 years at Morgan State University as assistant dean of education until 2004. Then, he joined the school’s Urban Educational Leadership Program, which prepares future leaders, as a program coordinator until retiring in 2021. Along with his work at Morgan, Hayman was on the Baltimore County School Board for 10 years. He has been the president of the Dunbar High School advisory board for the last 10 years. Hayman said his greatest accomplishment was helping develop the Dunbar High School Health Partnership, which pairs Dunbar students with Johns Hopkins resources. The program has produced doctors, pharmacists, college professors and nurses, among other professions. — Tony Roberts Joanne Martin. Joanne Martin President and co-founder, The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum Forty years ago, Joanne Martin pawned her wedding ring to help establish the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum. Now, the celebrated gallery boasts 150 life-sized exhibits, draws 80,000 visitors annually and — thanks in part to a $2 million grant last year from the federal government — will complete an expansion at its site on North Avenue in 2026. Martin, who has two masters degrees and a Ph.D. in educational psychology, stays determined to build on the legacy of the museum set forth by her late husband, Elmer, who died in 2001. “I have commitment, passion and drive to tell our [African-American] story, uncompromisingly and unapologetically, and to light a spark in children and make them want to learn our past,” said Martin, a historian and author who lives in Gwynn Oak. “If I can make young people cry [at the starkest museum displays], then they have grabbed hold of history in an emotional way,” she said. “They must feel the importance of human life through the sacrifices [their forebears] have made, and how precious their own lives are now.” — Mike Klingaman Ernestine Shepherd. Ernestine Shepherd Bodybuilder and community health activist Decades ago, Ernestine Shepherd’s sister inspired the now 87-year-old to adopt a fitness regime many in their 20s would struggle to emulate. Today, Shepherd keeps a tribute to her sister in her bedroom: Christian Larson’s “The Optimist Creed,” which she reads every day. “When she died, she said to me, ‘I want you to keep doing what we have been doing and help as many people as we can to live a healthy, happy, positive, confident lifestyle,'” Shepherd said. Recognized twice as the oldest female bodybuilder in the world, Shepherd trains clients at YouFit gym in Randallstown and hosts a community walk in Druid Hill Park once a month. The lifelong Baltimorean also travels all over the country to speak on the importance of walking and encourages others to pursue healthier lifestyles through exercise. Living according to the creed, Shepherd strives to “give so much time to improving myself that I have no time whatsoever to criticize others.” — Maya Lora Kevin Richardson / Baltimore SunBernard C. ‘Jack’ Young. Bernard C. ‘Jack’ Young Former mayor of Baltimore Bernard C. “Jack” Young has been busy since leaving Baltimore City Hall in 2020. He alternates days as a “climate volunteer” at Dunbar High School and NAF Academy, and at his church when he isn’t spending time with his five grandchildren. On top of that, the longtime East Baltimore councilman is still who people turn to when they need help finding a job, paying water bills, or getting their trash picked up. “Just issues that make a person’s life better,” said Young. Young left office as acting mayor in December 2020 after shepherding the city through a ransomware attack, disgraced Mayor Catherine Pugh’s “Healthy Holly scandal,” and the pandemic. Observers applauded him for steering the city through some “troubled times,” stepping up after representing East Baltimore for nearly 25 years on the council. “Public service was my life,” Young said of his 25-year career in politics. “People knew to turn to me because I got stuff done.” — Lia Russell Back to top View the full article

Dennard Wilson’s stay in Baltimore turned out to be a short one. The Tennessee Titans are set to hire the Ravens’ defensive backs coach to be their defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports. Wilson, 41, spent just one season in Baltimore after being passed over for the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator job last year. A former safety who was born in Upper Marlboro and starred at DeMatha Catholic High School, then Maryland, Wilson signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent in 2004 but suffered a career-ending knee injury in the preseason. He then turned to coaching, spending time with the St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets and then the Eagles. In his one season in Baltimore, the Ravens had one of the best secondaries in the league. This season, the Ravens allowed the fewest yards per pass (5.7) in the NFL, were seventh in completion rate allowed (61.3%) and sixth in passing yards allowed per game (193.1). Second-year safety Kyle Hamilton was also named an All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl, safety Geno Stone was second in the NFL in interceptions with seven, and cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Ronald Darby emerged as dependable defenders on the outside after injuries hampered 2019 All-Pro Marlon Humphrey. Wilson would replace Shane Bowen, who is a holdover from coach Mike Vrbael’s staff. Vrabel was fired earlier this month after six seasons in Tennessee. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Chiefs’ Travis Kelce to Ravens kicker Justin Tucker: ‘I can one-up you every time’ Baltimore Ravens | Seahawks hire Ravens DC Mike Macdonald as next head coach Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 offseason guide: Pressing questions, salary cap space, team needs and more Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s final report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 2023 season | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens have the 30th pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are five potential targets. Titans general manager Ran Carthon also worked with Wilson when the two were with the Rams, where Carthon was director of player personnel and Wilson served as defensive quality control coach from 2012 to 2014 and defensive backs coach from 2015 to 2016. Tennessee had one of the league’s better run defenses this past season, but its pass defense was porous, ranking 29th in completion percentage allowed, 23rd in yards per pass and 18th in passing yards allowed per game. Wilson is the second Ravens coach to leave Baltimore this offseason after defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was officially introduced as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday. View the full article

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker said Monday he’s “willing to let it all go” when it comes to the dustup with Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes before Sunday’s AFC championship game, but the Kansas City Chiefs stars apparently are not. Speaking Wednesday on his “New Heights” podcast, Kelce said Tucker violated an “unwritten rule” and “poked the bear” by stretching and placing his equipment where Mahomes decided to warm up in the end zone at M&T Bank Stadium. Kelce reacted by tossing Tucker’s helmet, footballs and kicking tee aside, which was caught on video and shared widely on social media. “If you want to be a [expletive] about it, you keep your helmet and your football and your [expletive] kicking tee right where the quarterbacks are warming up . … If you’re not going to pick that up, I’ll happily move that for you,” Kelce said on the podcast, which he hosts weekly with his brother and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. Tucker said Monday, after the Ravens’ 17-10 loss, that he’s done the same thing during his 12-year career and “never really had a problem with anybody.” Several users on X, formerly Twitter, also shared photos of Tucker warming up in the same spot in the opposing team’s end zone before several games during his decorated 12-year career, in which he’s become the most accurate kicker in NFL history. However, Mahomes, the star quarterback and two-time league Most Valuable Player, also took issue with Tucker, who he thought was trying “to get under our skin.” “I’ve had seven years of doing that same warmup routine, and there’s only been like three occasions where there’s been a kicker that wasn’t … moving out of the way,” Mahomes told a Kansas City radio station Tuesday. “It was in Baltimore all three times.” Tucker said he “just thought it was all just some gamesmanship, all in good fun, but they seem to be taking it a little bit more seriously and I’m totally willing to let it all go.” Jason Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl champion, agreed with his brother, saying Tucker is “a legendary kicker and he knows how to poke the buttons.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Titans reportedly hiring Ravens defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens | Seahawks hire Ravens DC Mike Macdonald as next head coach Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 offseason guide: Pressing questions, salary cap space, team needs and more Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s final report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 2023 season | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens have the 30th pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are five potential targets. “He does this. And there’s other kickers that will do it, too, other punters. You know, it’s definitely unwritten that you stay out of the way of the other team when they’re trying to utilize the field. You find a way to work on the other side of the field when it makes sense. That’s part of the game within the game. You can tell he’s playing it in these clips, you can see his facial expressions — he knows what he’s doing.” Travis Kelce said Tucker was “poking the bear” and making the star tight end — and boyfriend of pop star Taylor Swift — look like the “bad guy.” “I mean, he was kind of winking at me, being a [expletive] about it, trying to get under the skin. I get it. But me and Pat? We’ve been having the same mentality for this game all week long, man. And it was a — you’ve got to go in there and have the right mindframe, right mindset, and we just weren’t in a joking mood. We were ready to get after it. “So, Justin, sorry if we took it to a level that you didn’t think it’d get to that way, but if you’re going to be a [expletive], I promise you I can one-up you every time, dude.” He did on Sunday, at least, as Kelce caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs advanced to their fourth Super Bowl in the past five seasons. They’ll meet the San Francisco 49ers on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. View the full article

After masterminding a historic defense for the Ravens in 2023, Mike Macdonald will get a shot to run his own team next season. The Seattle Seahawks are hiring Baltimore’s defensive coordinator to be their next coach, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Baltimore Sun. At 36 years old, he will be the NFL’s youngest head coach. NFL Network, which was first to report the news alongside ESPN, reported Macdonald has signed a six-year deal. He replaces Pete Carroll, 72, who stepped down earlier this month after 14 seasons in Seattle, where he led the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl title in 2013. This season, Seattle finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs. Macdonald, meanwhile, had become one of the hottest candidates in the league, interviewing this year with at least a half-dozen teams after helming a Baltimore defense that over the past two seasons ranked in the top five in scoring, total yards, rushing yards, red-zone touchdown rate and third-down conversion rate. Along the way, he also drew high praise for his intelligence, high-level defensive schemes that wreaked havoc for opposing offenses, as well as his ability to connect with players. This season, the Ravens became the first team in NFL history to have a defense that led the league in sacks (60), takeaways (31) and points allowed per game (16.1), despite fielding a unit that entered the year with questions about its secondary and defensive front and was without a bona fide pass rusher. They also ranked first in passing yards allowed per play, first in rushing touchdowns allowed per game, second in overall yards allowed per play and had several players who flourished in his scheme. Veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy had a career-high nine sacks in the regular season, while fellow outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney also experienced a resurgence, matching his career high with 9 1/2 sacks. Defensive tackle Justin Madbuike, meanwhile, led all interior linemen with 13 sacks, while inside linebacker Roquan Smith led the team with 158 tackles and inside linebacker Patrick Queen surpassed his previous career high from a season ago with 133 tackles. Dubbed a “mad scientist” by Smith, Clowney, a 10-year NFL veteran, called Macdonald the smartest defensive coordinator he’s ever been around. He’s also been dubbed in league circles as a defensive-minded version of Sean McVay, the Los Angeles Rams coach who, at age 30, was the youngest NFL coach in history when they hired him in 2017. McVay then became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl and be named NFL Coach of the Year when the Rams won the title in the 2021 season. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 offseason guide: Pressing questions, salary cap space, team needs and more Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s final report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 2023 season | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens have the 30th pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are five potential targets. Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, facing heavy criticism after Ravens loss, still has his teammates’ faith Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens, this season was supposed to be different. In the end, it wasn’t. Like McVay, Macdonald’s rise has been rapid. He first arrived in the Ravens’ Owings Mills offices in 2014 as a coaching intern after serving as a graduate assistant and safeties and defensive quality control coach at the University of Georgia, and his brilliance and tireless work ethic quickly paid off. Macdonald was promoted to a defensive assistant the following year then continued to work his way up the ranks, serving as defensive backs coach in 2017 before being promoted to linebackers coach the next year. When the University of Michigan had an opening for a defensive coordinator after its 2020 season, Harbaugh suggested Macdonald to his younger brother Jim. In his first and only season in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines went from ranking 84th in total defense the year before to 20th. Michigan also routed Ohio State and went on to the College Football Playoff, with three of its defensive players being selected in the first 45 picks of the NFL draft. Following the departure of defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale after Baltimore’s 2021 season, Harbaugh lured Macdonald back for the opening, and in his first season as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator, only four teams had more sacks. This season, Baltimore’s defense produced two All-Pros — Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton — and four Pro Bowl selections, including Queen and Madubuike. Said Clowney: “I’ve been saying it since I got here, Mike Macdonald is the smartest defensive coordinator I’ve ever had.” And now he’ll take his talents to Seattle. This story might be updated. View the full article

Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers said he’s already turned the page on this season to the next, preferring to put a costly goal line fumble in the fourth quarter of the AFC championship against the Kansas City Chiefs behind him. Now that the offseason is here, team brass will do the same. General manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh will meet with the media Friday in Owings Mills, where there are plenty of questions to be asked. Baltimore reached its first conference title game in 11 years, but it ultimately fell short in disastrous fashion. The Ravens also have a tidal wave of players set to hit free agency, making the climb back to the precipice of the Super Bowl that much harder. Here’s a look at that, and more, as Baltimore heads into the offseason. Free agents The Ravens have more than two dozen free agents as they enter the offseason, many of whom were significant contributors all over the field this season. The most notable ones on offense include wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor, running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, and guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson. On defense, inside linebacker Patrick Queen, outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Van Noy and Malik Harrison, along with defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, cornerbacks Arthur Maulet and Ronald Darby, and safety Geno Stone are all unrestricted free agents as well. Some of them are unlikely to be back because of age, cost, both or for other reasons. In terms of who would be a priority to bring back among the group, Madubuike and Queen top the list but the Ravens likely won’t be able to retain both. They already have $100 million over five years tied up in inside linebacker Roquan Smith, so issuing the franchise tag for Madubuike, whose 13 sacks led all interior defensive linemen and who was a disruptive force anchoring the line, seems the likely path with that decision costing about $21 million, per Over The Cap. Ravens linebackers Patrick Queen, right, and Jadeveon Clowney, left, are both slated to be free agents. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Clowney has said he’d like to be back, and he showed plenty of juice in tying his career high with 9 1/2 sacks, but he’d probably have to be willing to take less money than what another team would likely be willing to pay him. On offense, the line is a concern given age and injuries to tackles Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley, and there are decisions to be made on what to do about Zeitler, 33, and Simpson, who won the job at left guard and performed solidly most of the season. Beckham, meanwhile, was in part signed to get quarterback Lamar Jackson to re-sign, and though he flashed at times he will be 32 next season and cost prohibitive. Losing coaches and front office staff Already, one important member of the Ravens’ front office staff has been snatched up by another team with the Los Angeles Chargers hiring director of player personnel Joe Hortiz from Baltimore to be their general manager alongside new coach Jim Harbaugh. Hortiz was long overdue, and that hardly figures to be the only departure. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s final report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 2023 season | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens have the 30th pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are five potential targets. Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, facing heavy criticism after Ravens loss, still has his teammates’ faith Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens, this season was supposed to be different. In the end, it wasn’t. Baltimore Ravens | Chargers name Joe Hortiz, the Ravens director of player personnel, as general manager Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has already interviewed with several teams and is in the running for both head coach openings that remain, the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks. That’s only the beginning. Assistant head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, inside linebackers coach Zach Orr and defensive passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt have all received head coach or defensive coordinator interviews as well, with Weaver getting a second interview with the Commanders for its head coach opening. Some of these guys, or others, are going to go elsewhere. Baltimore has the personnel to promote from within and is an attractive destination for those on the outside, but continuity is often a hallmark of continued success in the NFL. Salary cap At the top of the salary cap pyramid are the Commanders, with a whopping $73,649,626 in cap space. Just north of the beltway, things are little more, well, tight, with the Ravens sitting at 19th with just under $14 million in room. On the surface, that might not seem so bad considering they had even less than that last offseason and reached the AFC championship game. Of course, they didn’t have more than two dozen free agents then, either. Plus, there will be more draft picks to sign this year than last. In other words, when considering their effective cap space, which factors in the cost of filling out the roster and signing a draft class, the Ravens will have only $5.1 million to spare. There are myriad ways to create more space such as restructuring deals and adding void years, and there will be teams in worse shape than Baltimore when it comes to the numbers, but filling out the roster the way it did this past season will be much tougher this year, particularly given the array of needs. Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley had an up-and-down 2023 season. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Needs One thing that got exposed against the Chiefs was the Ravens’ offensive line. It was, by and large, mediocre this season and simply got bullied at times against Kansas City. With Moses and Stanley getting older and dealing with injuries, and with both starting guards hitting free agency, finding a dependable tackle should be the first goal. From there, the Ravens will need help at cornerback, outside linebacker, wide receiver and running back. Or put another way, at just about every level of offense and defense. Draft After being the top seed in the AFC and reaching the conference championship, the Ravens won’t draft until 30th in the first round. The last time they picked that late in the first round was in 2013, when they, of course, won the Super Bowl and selected defensive back Matt Elam with the 32nd pick. In terms of need, it’s hard to imagine them getting, for example, a top-tier left tackle that far down. They also have a history of picking the best player available at whatever spot they pick. They’ll also have more picks this year (seven) than they did entering the draft last year (five), though they ended up with six last year after making a late-round deal with the Cleveland Browns to acquire a seventh-round pick. Baltimore’s other picks this year are in the second (62nd overall), third (93), fourth (130), fifth (163) and seventh (247) rounds, along with an extra seventh-round pick (225) from the 2023 trade with the New York Jets for safety Chuck Clark. The Ravens are also projected to earn a fourth-round compensatory pick for guard Ben Powers, who signed with the Denver Broncos last offseason. Key dates Feb. 1: East-West Shrine Bowl (Frisco, Texas) Feb. 3: Senior Bowl (Mobile, Alabama) Feb. 29-March 3: NFL scouting combine (Indianapolis) March 5: Deadline for clubs to designate franchise or transition players March 11-13: Clubs are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents March 13: The start of the new league year at 4 p.m. All 2023 player contracts expire and clubs can begin officially signing free agents and making trades March 24-27: NFL annual meeting (Orlando, Florida) April 1: Start of offseason workouts for teams with new coaches April 15: Start of offseason workouts for teams with incumbent coaches April 19: Last day for teams to match offer sheets for restricted free agents April 24: Deadline for teams to time, test and interview draft-eligible prospects April 25-27: NFL draft (Detroit) View the full article

The city of Baltimore got hit by a sudden change. It occurred Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Ravens, 17-10, to advance to Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas on Feb. 11 against the San Francisco 49ers. Life as we knew it came to a standstill. Some local fans cried. The euphoria died and so did some nice new traditions such as “The Harbaugh” dance. The purple eyes of the Ravens logo on car windows have disappeared along with the purple pennants on automobile antennas. They faded soon after Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, embraced and kissed on the field at M&T Bank Stadium and quarterback Patrick Mahomes took a short victory lap. There is talk about next year. Oh, always next year … It’s just so hard to have another season like this past one where the Ravens had their most complete team in franchise history. They also had perhaps the NFL’s best defense and a favorite to win the Most Valuable Player Award in quarterback Lamar Jackson. Swoosh, all gone. But before we move on to next year, here is my final report card of the 2023 season. Quarterback Lamar Jackson dominated this season for the Ravens, despite the disappointing finish. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Quarterback During the regular season, Jackson threw for a career-high 3,678 yards with 24 touchdowns while leading the team in rushing with 821 yards. He also had career highs in completion rate (67.2) and average yards per attempt (8.0). There is no doubt he improved under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken as far as accuracy, leadership and the ability to call his own plays. He is the best scrambler to ever play the game, and his ability to extend plays is elite. But the narrative for Jackson won’t change this offseason. He didn’t get it done in the conference championship game, misfiring on short and intermediate passes. He wasn’t fundamentally sound and will be remembered for throwing an interception into triple coverage to tight end Isaiah Likely in the end zone in the fourth quarter of a two-score game. The criticisms of his 2-4 mark in the postseason are justified and part of the nature of the job. Go ask Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, who lost three Super Bowls. The same things were said about John Elway until he won back-to-back Super Bowl titles. He needs to focus and lock in even more. Grade: A- Running backs Gus Edwards was No. 2 in rushing behind Jackson during the regular season, gaining 810 yards on 198 carries. He was the power back who occasionally could jump cut out to the tackles. Justice Hill proved to be a commodity for the team as both a rusher (387 yards on 84 carries) and receiver (206 yards on 30 catches). The big mystery will always be why Monken didn’t use either Edwards or Hill much in the AFC title game against Kansas City. They had a combined six carries for 23 yards against a team that was ranked No. 18 in rushing defense allowing 113.2 yards per game. The Ravens also missed speedster and rookie Keaton Mitchell, who rushed for 396 yards on 47 carries before suffering a season-ending injury against Jacksonville on Dec. 17. His speed provided the Ravens with the missing element of having a player who could score from anywhere on the field. After a slow start because of offseason surgery, Patrick Ricard again proved he was one of the best blocking fullbacks in the league. Grade: B- Zay Flowers was the Ravens’ best wide receiver as a rookie. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Receivers The Ravens had more talent this season than in recent memory. They had possession types in Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor, and a quick change of direction performer in rookie Zay Flowers, who could also play outside if needed. Flowers put pressure on opposing defenses because of his ability as both a receiver in the slot, or as a runner going in motion. The Ravens had one of the better tight end duos in Mark Andrews and Likely, and Likely played well after Andrews went down and missed seven games because of an ankle injury he suffered on Nov. 12 against the Bengals. Andrews, who returned for the AFC title game versus Kansas City, had better hands but Likely showed more breakaway ability. The missing piece from this group was a big, fast receiver on the outside who could challenge talented cornerbacks such as Kansas City’s L’Jarius Sneed or Trent McDuffie. The Ravens need to upgrade at this position in the offseason to get faster and younger. Grade: B Offensive line Like in years past, the Ravens need to find more versatile linemen who can pass protect as well as run block. The inability to protect Jackson was key in the AFC title game as Jackson was sacked four times and pressured several others. As a group, the Ravens were good at running the ball. They had power and could climb up on linebackers in the second level, which is why they ranked No. 1 in rushing offense during the regular season. But both offensive tackles, Morgan Moses and Ronnie Stanley, were bothered by injuries, forcing the Ravens to rotate them in with Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele. Both starters were liabilities in pass protection; Stanley versus bull rushers and Moses handling speed. The Ravens will probably select an offensive tackle or two in the draft, but it will be interesting to see what they do at guard because both starters, John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler, are free agents. Jackson was sacked 60 times during the regular season. Grade: C+ Ravens defensive end Justin Madubuike had a team-high 13 sacks in the regular season. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Defensive line Overall, the Ravens were overwhelming on defense but could use more versatility up front. End Justin Madubuike had a career year with 56 tackles during the regular season and he led the team in sacks with 13. He will command a big contract as a free agent, though Baltimore could use the franchise tag on him. His quickness and penetration were exceptional against both the run and pass. Nose tackle Michael Pierce started the season strong but appeared to slow down midseason. The Ravens had counted on Broderick Washington to be more of a steadier influence at tackle, but he struggled even in his forte, run defense. After Madubuike, reserve Brent Urban played reasonably well and became somewhat of a force in pass rushing, even knocking down passes at times. Look for third-year tackle Travis Jones to gain more playing time next season, even though he needs to be more disciplined. Grade: B Linebackers Along with Jackson, these were the most dominant guys on the roster. Roquan Smith led the team in tackles during the regular season with 158 and weakside linebacker Patrick Queen was second with 133. Smith became a head-hunter at times with some vicious hits. Queen had momentary lapses but made significant progress this season with his open-field tackling. He also seemed to turn up his intensity this season (must be a contract year). The Ravens got surprisingly strong efforts from veteran outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, who had nine sacks. Clowney probably played well enough, finishing with 9 1/2 sacks, to earn a big contract this offseason. The only problem was that these guys seemed to have a meltdown in the loss to Kansas City. Several of those unnecessary roughness penalties were, to say the least, unnecessary. Grade: A- Secondary Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 offseason guide: Pressing questions, salary cap space, team needs and more Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens have the 30th pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Here are five potential targets. Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, facing heavy criticism after Ravens loss, still has his teammates’ faith Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens, this season was supposed to be different. In the end, it wasn’t. Baltimore Ravens | Chargers name Joe Hortiz, the Ravens director of player personnel, as general manager This unit was supposed to be the biggest weakness on defense but turned out to be a major strength. Hamilton was third on the team in tackles with 81, including 10 for loss in the regular season that led all NFL safeties. He just didn’t miss tackles and was excellent coming off the corner as either a run-stopper or a pass-rusher. The second best player in the group was cornerback Brandon Stephens, who was fourth on the team with 71 tackles. He was a surprise because he seemed too stiff to play corner after years as a safety, but he was extremely physical and could match receivers step for step down the field. The Ravens had a rash of injuries in the secondary, but players such as safety Geno Stone and cornerback Arthur Maulet stepped up. It will be interesting to see what the Ravens do with cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Marcus Williams, both of whom missed time during the season because of injuries. Grade: A- Special teams Justin Tucker converted on 32 of 37 field goals and was 3 of 3 in the postseason, including a 50-plus yarder. Jordan Stout had a good regular season and averaged 47.9 yards on 67 punts, and he landed 28 inside the 20-yard line. He was slightly below his average in the playoffs putting four inside the 20, but averaging 46.7 on nine kicks. The Ravens had Tylan Wallace as a returner during part of the regular season when Devin Duvernay was out with an injury, and he seemed more decisive. But Duvernay looked good in the postseason and the Ravens were hoping he might break one against the Chiefs, but Kansas City stayed away from him in the return game. Grade: B Coaching Coach John Harbaugh did a good job of directing a tight-knit group. The Ravens were unselfish and that is difficult to accomplish in this day and age. The special teams struggled early but Chris Horton got them to come around in the end. Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald got his group to play hard and the Ravens always adjusted to the opposition. Monken will get criticized for not running the ball much against the Chiefs, but he made a big difference in the performance of Jackson and upgraded a passing game that had been stagnant for years. Harbaugh lets his assistants coach but there needs to be times when he dictates the pace and calls. He is the key voice and should determine the outcome. In the final game, the Ravens, especially the veterans, were selfish and lost their composure. That was a bad look for the entire staff. Grade: B+ View the full article

The Ravens’ dominant season ended Sunday in a mistake-filled 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. Instead of Baltimore spending the next two weeks soaking in all the Super Bowl has to offer, attention turns toward the harsh reality of the offseason. There are no questions as important as last year’s unresolved contract situation with quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is expected to win his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award in the first season of his five-year, $260 million deal. But the Ravens have plenty of work to do to reshape one of the best rosters in team history. The list of pending free agents is long and includes several standouts and key contributors from a 2023 team that finished with the NFL’s best record and came one win away from reaching its first Super Bowl in 11 years. The Ravens have long built through the draft, and that won’t change as they move forward with one of the league’s highest-paid players. Baltimore owns the No. 30 overall pick in the first round, which begins April 25 in Detroit. With an expected compensatory selection in the fourth round for the loss of free agent guard Ben Powers last offseason, it has a projected eight picks: No. 30 (first), No. 62 (second), No. 93 (third), No. 130 (fourth), No. 133 (compensatory), No. 163 (fifth), No. 225 (seventh) and No. 247 (seventh). If recent history is any guide, the Ravens should expect another impact player with their top selection. In his past four drafts, general manager Eric DeCosta picked wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, inside linebacker Patrick Queen, outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton in the first round. Here are five players at positions of need who could be targets at No. 30. Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan The Ravens’ offensive line could look very different next season. Guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson are pending free agents, and tackles Ronnie Stanley and Morgan Moses are coming off a season in which they rotated in and out of the lineup down the stretch. While Stanley is likely coming back, the Ravens could move on from Moses, who turns 33 in March and is entering the final year of his contract. Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari are capable backups on team-friendly deals, but the Ravens need to invest in a long-term starter at tackle. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Morgan might be the best fit. He played left tackle during his five-year career at Arizona, but he could also shift inside to guard. The 22-year-old put together his best season as a senior, allowing only two sacks in 787 snaps over 12 games for one of the nation’s best passing teams. A first-team All-Pac 12 selection, Morgan led the Wildcats in total blocking grade (84.3), run-blocking grade (77.0) and pass-blocking grade (87.3), per Pro Football Focus. Utah cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn tackles Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin on Oct. 28. Franklin was one of two Football Bowl Subdivision receivers with 1,300-plus receiving yards and 14-plus touchdowns in 2023. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin With Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor entering free agency, the Ravens need another young wide receiver to pair with Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. Franklin would be an intriguing addition. The 6-3, 187-pound Franklin was an explosive playmaker during his junior season at Oregon, joining LSU’s Malik Nabers as the only Football Bowl Subdivision receivers with 1,300-plus receiving yards and 14-plus touchdowns. Playing in the Ducks’ up-tempo spread offense led by star quarterback Bo Nix, Franklin had 15 catches of 30-plus yards and eight receptions of 40-plus yards, which both ranked among the top three in the country. Alabama edge defender Chris Braswell The Ravens relied heavily on veteran outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy to finish first in the NFL with 60 sacks, but both are headed for free agency. Odafe Oweh looks ready to hold down a starting spot, but David Ojabo has played just five games in two seasons and Tyus Bowser will likely be released in a cost-cutting move after a knee injury kept him out all year. That leaves a thin group on the edge. Braswell’s name should be familiar to local fans. Before a standout career at Alabama, he was a five-star prospect at St. Frances and the No. 2 ranked player in Maryland. After playing behind standout prospects Will Anderson and Dallas Turner early in his Crimson Tide career, the 6-3, 255-pound Braswell enjoyed a breakout senior season, recording eight sacks, 10 1/2 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and an interception that he returned for a touchdown. He finished with 56 quarterback pressures, the most in the SEC. The Baltimore native might crush the NFL scouting combine, too. Braswell was ranked seventh on Bruce Feldman’s annual “Freaks List” entering the 2023 season after being clocked at 21.9 mph on the GPS and bench-pressing 405 pounds. Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter allowed just 15 receptions for 136 yards as a junior. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter With Ronald Darby, Arthur Maulet and Rock Ya-Sin entering free agency and Marlon Humphrey coming off an injury-hampered season, cornerback is once again an area of focus entering the draft. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens 2024 offseason guide: Pressing questions, salary cap space, team needs and more Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s final report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 2023 season | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, facing heavy criticism after Ravens loss, still has his teammates’ faith Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens, this season was supposed to be different. In the end, it wasn’t. Baltimore Ravens | Chargers name Joe Hortiz, the Ravens director of player personnel, as general manager While most of the top corners are expected to come off the board early, there might be some good options at the end of the first round. The 6-foot, 180-pound Lassiter is perhaps the best of that second tier after a standout career at Georgia. As a junior, he allowed just 15 receptions for 136 yards and a 48.7 passer rating in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, earning second-team All-SEC honors from the coaches. Although he’s a bit undersized and lacks the strength to consistently beat blocks, the former four-star prospect doesn’t shy away from making tackles in run support. Miami defensive lineman Leonard Taylor III The Ravens might need to use the franchise tag to bring back breakout star Justin Madubuike, who led the team with 13 sacks this past season. Brent Urban is also entering free agency, and Broderick Washington was a disappointment in the first season of his three-year, $15.8 million deal. That leaves some question marks on the defensive front. Adding a former five-star prospect to the mix could be the answer. The 6-3, 305-pound Taylor did not dominate in college the way many had hoped, recording six sacks in three seasons, but he flashed the quickness, strength and technique that could make him a standout interior pass rusher at the next level. He’s far from a finished product, but the Ravens could bring him along slowly before giving him a bigger role in 2025. View the full article

One by one, they stood up for Lamar Jackson. He had taken the Ravens all the way to the AFC championship game, and they were not going to abandon him, just because talking heads had spent the morning labeling him a choker, saying he was out of excuses for his subpar postseason performance. “They got a job to do, I guess, but I don’t think Lamar cares, nor do I care what other people have to say outside this building,” All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton said. “That just comes with the territory. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. There’s a lot of people out there, hoping for people like Lamar to fail, but we all know that he’s the best player in this league, and I’m happy to have him on this team.” Ravens players still felt shocked and pained by their 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs as they cleaned out their lockers Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the final seconds of a wildly promising season had ticked away. Jackson had spoken immediately after the loss — “I’m not frustrated at all. I’m angry about losing” — so he was not around to comment on the aftermath. But teammates wanted the world to know that they’re eager to move forward with him leading the flock. A year earlier, they had faced questions about whether Jackson would be back with the Ravens at all as he approached free agency. A difficult loss felt better than that grim alternative. “Lamar’s the man,” veteran guard Kevin Zeitler said. “He’s the leader of this team. He’s fiery. He cares more than anyone. I think it’s very obvious when you watch it. No matter what people want to say, I know he’s going to be back, ready to work when it’s time and take us all the way.” The Ravens had built their entire offseason around helping Jackson put his best foot forward in year six of his career. They signed him to a $260 million extension, remade his wide receiver corps, replaced offensive coordinator Greg Roman with a more sophisticated pass designer in Todd Monken. From the beginning of training camp, Jackson met the challenge, insisting that the team remain laser-focused on each granular moment, managing more of the offense while throwing more accurately than he ever had, rallying the Ravens in rare moments when they veered off course. Eight days before he met the Chiefs, he played the first truly splendid playoff game of his career as the Ravens raced past the Houston Texans with 24 unanswered points in the second half. He seemed loose and eager throughout last week. And then, Jackson crashed with the world watching. He either rushed or held the ball too long. He overshot deep targets and failed to sense pressure coming from behind him on a strip sack. When the Ravens still had a chance to get back in the game in the fourth quarter thanks to their stout defense, he threw an interception into triple coverage. Jackson’s statistical line — 20 of 37 for 272 yards, one touchdown and one interception — wasn’t good but did not fully capture how far he fell into his worst tendencies. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is stripped of the ball by Chiefs defensive end Charles Onenihu in the second quarter Sunday. (Jerry Jackson/Staff) There were many other reasons the Ravens lost, from Monken’s curious game plan to immature penalties to wide receiver Zay Flowers’ fumble at the goal line. But the story of their ultimate failure could not center on anyone but Jackson, who had made himself the league’s presumptive Most Valuable Player over his previous 17 games. Here’s a mere sampling of the Lamar takes that cascaded forth Sunday night and Monday morning: Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s “First Take”: “With all due respect, it was a choke job. Let’s call it what it is. It’s doing what you’re accustomed to doing until the moment arrives, and then, you don’t.” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons on his podcast: “The Ravens … got haymakered coming out of the gate and then just keeled over, and all of the fears about that Ravens team and Lamar and the whole era just came seeping out for three solid hours.” Andscape columnist Martenzie Johnson: “On Sunday night, there was nothing defensible about what Jackson did.” Teammates anticipated this barrage coming for their leader. As much as they wanted to win the Super Bowl for themselves, they wanted to win it for Jackson. They know how much it means to him and how much weight crashes on his shoulders when the team falls short. “Honestly, what hurts me the most is that I wanted to get him the recognition that he deserves,” linebacker Patrick Queen said. “It’s a team sport, it’s a team effort, but that guy was the main guy I was playing for, honestly. So much stuff he gets that he doesn’t deserve. This was his opportunity to be able to write some of that stuff off and move on to the next thing. That’s why it hurts, because you want to see people like that, teammates that you love and care about, get what they’re supposed to get, and that didn’t happen.” Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is the rare player who understands how it feels to be as famous as Jackson is. He was one of the first to console the younger man as the game slipped away. Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. consoles quarterback Lamar Jackson, left, late in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) “When you have a player like Lamar, who — 30 years from now, we’ll speak Lamar Jackson’s name, and everyone is going to know and remember — there are certain moments that define you, and this is just one that will be in his career,” Beckham said. “The greats have all been through tough times, and I don’t think this is going to stop him from wanting to get to the ultimate goal. I think, if anything, he’s going to work even harder. He wants it bad. I had never seen somebody so locked in and just in their flow and in their era, and I just felt like it was his time. And like I say, sometimes things happen in life, and it doesn’t go the way that we plan. It’s just about, what do you do from here?” As Beckham noted, Jackson is far from the first Hall of Fame quarterback talent to confront cries of “can’t win the big one.” Dan Marino rewrote the league’s passing records in the 1980s and 1990s but was badly outplayed by Joe Montana in his lone Super Bowl. John Elway awed NFL evaluators with his package of arm and leg talent but did not lead the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl win until the penultimate season of his 16-year career. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | For Ravens, this season was supposed to be different. In the end, it wasn’t. Baltimore Ravens | Chargers set to name Joe Hortiz, the Ravens director of player personnel, as general manager Baltimore Ravens | ‘It feels unfinished’: Ravens still numb after disappointing loss to Chiefs in AFC title game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Justin Tucker on pregame interactions with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Ravens kicker Justin Tucker says Travis Kelce throwing his helmet pregame was ‘just some gamesmanship’ Peyton Manning won two MVP awards and finished second two other times before he finally reached and won the Super Bowl in his ninth season. Quarterbacks who sparkle on the biggest stages almost from the moment they hit the NFL — Mahomes, Tom Brady, Johnny Unitas — are the rarest kind. Jackson, for all his brilliance, is navigating a more jagged path. He did not seem shaken when he spoke after Sunday’s loss. He was angry that he turned the ball over when the Ravens were in striking distance, dissatisfied that the offense did not meet the standard it had set over a string of dominant late-season victories. But he’s not one to sink into gloom, and he gave no indication that will change after this loss, his fourth in six career playoff contests. “We’ve been waiting all this time, all these moments for an opportunity like this, and we fell short,” he said. “But I feel like our team is going to build.” Outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 pick in the 2014 draft, is another in the select group of teammates who can identify with the intense spotlight on Jackson. “I love him regardless of how that game shook out; it’s just like my brother forever,” Clowney said. “Keep your head up, man. I dealt with that scrutiny throughout my career. I just kept my head up, kept the people around me who love me — kept them close, and you build from there. You continue to move forward.” View the full article

All season long, Zay Flowers was a boundless font of boyhood fun, a broad smile stretching across his face and a constant energy emanating from the Ravens’ rookie wide receiver. Monday afternoon in Owings Mills, that energy was directed in a much different manner as he angrily threw his belongings into the large, black, industrial-size garbage bag sitting in front of his locker. Locker cleanout is the day every player and team around the NFL dreads, and this one came with a mix of emotions for a team that had produced the best record in the league during the regular season, reached the first AFC championship game of Lamar Jackson’s career and came within a game of reaching its first Super Bowl in 11 years only to fall on its face Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Among them: disappointment, anger, uncertainty. It was also a somber reminder of missed opportunity. “Probably the best year I had playing football in my life,” Flowers said when asked about a season playing alongside the presumptive NFL Most Valuable Player, quarterback Lamar Jackson. “That should tell you. “We wouldn’t be here without him. He know. The love for him in here and everything, we all got his back and we gonna be right back at it next year. He ain’t going anywhere, I ain’t going nowhere, so let’s get it.” First, though, came gathering personal items, reflecting on what could’ve and should’ve been and saying goodbye. This year, after all, was supposed to be different. The Ravens re-signed Jackson to a lucrative five-year, $260 million extension after two years of sometimes acrimonious negotiations that at one point included a trade request from the star quarterback. They spent more money in the offseason on offense than any team in the NFL and surrounded him with the most talent he’s ever had in his six years in Baltimore, particularly at wide receiver, with a first-round draft pick spent on Flowers and the additions of solid veteran receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers talks with the media on Monday. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Baltimore also bolstered things on the other side of the ball, with free agent additions such as outside linebackers Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, and under coordinator Mike Macdonald fielded a historically great defense that became the first in league history to lead the NFL in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game. The Ravens then went out and played like the sport’s best team, compiling a 13-4 regular season record that included nine wins in their last 11 games, including blowouts of the NFC runner-up Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, the Super Bowl-bound San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins. The stars seemed to be aligned for a trip to the sport’s biggest stage, with dominant victories, an MVP quarterback, a harmonious blend of veteran and rising young stars and even their share of magical moments, like backup punt returner Tylan Wallace’s overtime touchdown to lift the Ravens to victory over the Los Angeles Rams. They entered the postseason as the top seed in the AFC and with home-field advantage through the conference championship and hosted the city’s first title game in more than a half-century. This season was supposed to be different. Different from 2019 when Jackson, in his first full year as the starter, and the Ravens flamed out in a divisional round stunner against the Tennessee Titans after going 14-2 in the regular season. Different from each of the past two seasons when Jackson’s year was cut short by injury. Different from the past 11 years when the Ravens won just two playoff games and failed to advance past the divisional round. If it felt like Groundhog Day, it’s because in so many ways it was. The Ravens’ immaturity for the big moment was exposed again. From undisciplined penalties to costly turnovers, including by Jackson and Flowers, Baltimore squandered nearly every opportunity it had. They were all contributors to a disastrous, mistake-filled performance against a mature and poised Chiefs team that was playing in its sixth straight AFC title game and is headed to its fourth Super Bowl in the past five years, while Ravens players dispersed and headed home. “It doesn’t feel good at all,” left tackle Ronnie Stanley said. “We didn’t handle the business that we came to handle, but we got to move forward as a team and we’re just on the mindset that we’re going to use in the offseason to do everything we can to get better.” John Brown, of Phoenix, reacts after the Ravens fail to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Chiefs. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) That’s easier said than done, though, with nearly two dozen players hitting free agency this offseason, many of them notable contributors from this season. Among the players who are unrestricted free agents: defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, inside linebacker Patrick Queen, Clowney and Kyle Van Noy, safety Geno Stone, cornerback Arthur Maulet, Beckham and Agholor, running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, and guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson. And with less than $14 million in available salary cap space, according to Over The Cap, the roster will, simply put, look significantly different in 2024. Its coaching staff and front office will, too, with director of player personnel Joe Hortiz headed to Los Angeles to be the Chargers’ general manager and defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald in the running head coaching jobs with the Commanders and Seahawks. Others have drawn interest from organizations around the league. The finality of the moment and the difficulty of getting back to this point next season amid a sea of expected change was not lost on the players who trudged through the locker room Monday. “[It’s a] special group,” said Clowney, who had a resurgence with 9 1/2 sacks in the regular season. “The group, you won’t get it back again next year, but I felt like we had a squad to win it. It kind of hurt more than anything that has happened in my career to lose that game yesterday. “But we’re back to the drawing board. Life continues.” Slowly. One by one players made their way out of a final team meeting, through exit interviews and into the locker room to gather their things and face a litany of questions from reporters. Not every player was there, as is always the case, but the ones who were said the stir of emotions were palpable. “It’s still a little raw,” outside linebacker Odafe Oweh said. “I don’t think it’ll really set in until after the Super Bowl. Definitely a tough situation. “So close, working hard in the offseason, all the blood sweat and tears with your brothers, a lot of guys who are not gonna be on the team next year, so that’s the part of it that hurts. … It’s probably gonna stick with me for a while.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Lamar Jackson, facing heavy criticism after Ravens loss, still has his teammates’ faith Baltimore Ravens | Chargers set to name Joe Hortiz, the Ravens director of player personnel, as general manager Baltimore Ravens | ‘It feels unfinished’: Ravens still numb after disappointing loss to Chiefs in AFC title game Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Justin Tucker on pregame interactions with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce | VIDEO Baltimore Ravens | Ravens kicker Justin Tucker says Travis Kelce throwing his helmet pregame was ‘just some gamesmanship’ Longer for some than for others. “It takes probably the whole offseason,” Queen said. “You don’t wanna lose like that. Just too many opportunities that we had to be able to capitalize on, and we didn’t. That’s what stings the most, and that’s why it just takes so long to get over. You don’t get another chance until next season starts. We have to make our way there again, if we even get a chance. That’s why it hurts.” Added Zeitler: “When you have potential that’s unrealized, it hurts a lot. You’re so close to the end, and it just didn’t happen. But that’s life in this league. Only one team can win again. You use it as fuel, got to move on to next year.” There were other lingering questions, too, including about the Ravens’ game plan, which included just six running plays for its backs against a Kansas City defense that was one of the worst in the league against the run this season. Despite leading the league in rushing during the regular season, Baltimore ran the ball just 16 times Sunday and threw it 37 times. Running back Justice Hill, who is one of two running backs from the active roster under contract for next season (along with rookie Keaton Mitchell), got just three carries that went for 3 yards Sunday. “Those were the plays that were called,” he said diplomatically. “I don’t call the plays, I just run them.” There were, however, plenty of bright spots from the season, individually and collectively. The players who will be back will take those and try to build on them here next season. It will be a long wait for some and less so for others. Asked when he’ll turn the page on this season and focus on the next one, Flowers offered a terse but direct answer: “I already did.” The rest of Baltimore, meanwhile, will have to wait seven long months. View the full article