Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Robert Sobus, WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5
The Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday held its introductory news conference for newly acquired offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Monken, 57, comes to Baltimore from Georgia, where he served as the offensive coordinator for the NCAA University of Georgia Bulldogs. When speaking to the media, Monken said he wanted to coach somewhere that was similar to Georgia.
“If I was going to do it, it was going to be somewhere that was parallel to Georgia. Part of the reason I went to Georgia — one of the main reasons was because of culture, head coach, winning, really good on defense, obviously trying to find a way to do it better on offense, so I thought [the Ravens job] was a parallel that I thought fit me,” Monken said. “That doesn't mean that I'm not grateful for Kirby Smart and the coaches that I worked with there. I get way too much credit for our success. I came in there and the culture was already set, the players were always recruited, the staff that we put together was tremendous in terms of our success, but this is what was next. That was a great job, and [leaving] was hard. You get close to the players, but you can't be two places at once. This is what's next.”
Monken replaced Greg Roman, whose tenure with the Ravens as offensive coordinator ended after four seasons. Baltimore's new offensive coordinator is not new to working in the NFL.
He served as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2019 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2016-2018. Monken also coached wide receivers for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2007-2010.
The big headline for the Ravens this offseason was the status of quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson is slated to become a free agent on March 15 if the team does not agree on a long-term deal or if he is not placed under the franchise tag.
Monken did not shy away from giving praise to the former NFL MVP.
"Lamar has an elite skill set. It's obvious," Monken said. "When you watch him on film, [you see] the things he can do with the football, the plays that he makes. I think he's underrated as a passer, I think so, in terms of his ability to make plays and throw it down the field."
