ExtremeRavens Posted August 12 Posted August 12 David Ojabo tapped two fingers against his temple and said, “he got the mentals, man.” Tavius Robinson tacked on to say that outside linebackers coach Matt Robinson is one of the smartest coaches that he’s ever been around. The pass rush group is headed by Chuck Smith, a boisterous guru with a doctorate in teaching knifing past offensive linemen to disrupt quarterbacks. His second in command is a Columbia native and University of Maryland graduate who specializes in the positional nuance. During practice, Matt is the one holding a pad and directing traffic for individual drills. Then he’ll dissect film in meetings. “[Matt] puts us in good positions to make plays on game days,” Tavius said. Broached for an example, Tavius laughed. He couldn’t spill playbook secrets that easily. But there were “a lot of big plays” Tavius made last year that he directly attributes to a previous conversation with Matt in a meeting room or on the practice field that manifested on Sunday. Matt has been an outside linebackers coach in Baltimore for five seasons. Monday was the first time he stepped in front of a microphone to field questions. Those seven-plus-minutes were spent unpacking the scratching and clawing it took to get a job with the Ravens while flipping through the rolodex of players he oversees. The “X’s and O’s guy,” as Ojabo called him, had plenty to report on nearly every individual at a crucial positional group for Baltimore’s defense — one that has outperformed expectations each of the past two seasons. Matt played wide receiver and linebacker at Atholton High School, where he earned first-team All-Metro honors from The Baltimore Sun. After five seasons at Maryland, Matt signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2015 but suffered a hamstring injury during camp. So he pivoted to coaching. He started at Archbishop Spalding, then followed Randy Edsall to Connecticut before he returned to coach at Maryland for two seasons. Matt’s wife, Dallas, is close friends with Ravens outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins’ wife. Both were Terps cheerleaders. That cracked the door open for a connection that became a promotion that kept him home. “While I was at Maryland, I was really trying to get a job here,” Matt said. “I was trying to contact anybody that would listen and give me an opportunity to put my head down and work.” Five years later, he’s left quite an impression. Ravens assistant coach Matt Robinson works with outside linebacker David Ojabo during practice last season. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Smith credited Matt for doing a “fantastic job teaching [Mike Green] in coverage and things like that.” Matt said Green, a controversial second-round draft pick, has been his biggest surprise in training camp thus far. “Mike Green really pops out on tape,” Matt said. “He plays with a relentless mindset. He’s tenacious at the point of attack. I think you guys have seen it in games, his ability to affect the play pretty much every time he’s in there. He’s gonna set a violent edge, get pressure on the quarterback and I really like where he’s at right now.” Tavius is another intriguing piece of this year’s Ravens pass rush. He’s improved year-over-year, setting up what could be a breakout season. For one, this was the first year Tavius did not play a single snap in the first preseason game, a far cry from playing “60 or 70 snaps” last preseason. “He’s more of a physical presence,” Matt said. “He’s a dominant edge setter for us and he’s been more of a power rusher in his first couple years. I think right now, he’s definitely working on some finesse moves on the edge that he can work in some of his transition rushes.” This fall could prove to be another step forward for Odafe Oweh, the fifth-year pass rusher who broke out with a double-digit sack season in 2024 then put on 20 more pounds. Matt sees someone who is “out to prove that he’s a top-5, top-10 edge guy in the league.” Matt’s insight is perhaps most valuable for two guys a bit further down the depth chart. Both Ojabo and Adisa Isaac suffered injuries early in their careers. They’ve been put in the same bucket, having not played a ton of football at this level to show something. And for each, this is a valuable preseason to prove they belong. “They’re a lot alike in a lot of ways,” Matt said. “They’re both contact players. They’re long. They’re strong. They’re physical at the point of attack. They have really good power at the top of their rush.” Matt has seen Ojabo take steps forward but noted the 2022 second-round pick will get a “couple more opportunities to kind of prove” he can affect the game in different ways. Matt also gave a nod to Isaac showing a newfound physicality during training camp. If Smith is the pass rush room’s energetic leader, nicknamed “Dr. Rush,” then Matt is the local wunderkind second-in-command, uplifting that group from behind the scenes. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.