A louder Lamar Jackson takes greater control of Ravens offense under new coordinator Todd Monken
Lamar Jackson let Nelson Agholor know he was dissatisfied.
The Ravens quarterback expected his new wide receiver to run a different route during the team’s minicamp practice Tuesday, and Jackson spoke out in a way he might not have in past years.
In this respect, he seemed to draw inspiration from offensive coordinator Todd Monken, a far louder practice critic than his predecessor, Greg Roman.
“Yeah, you could say that. It’s rubbing off a little bit,” Jackson told reporters Wednesday, laughing as he praised Monken’s outspoken style. “Not even talking about [Greg] Roman, when I first signed, when I seen [Monken], I didn’t think he was really that explosive when he was speaking. Even in the meeting room, he’s going to have you laughing and stuff, but he’s dead serious about what he’s saying, and it means a lot, just for him to have that going on with our offense. Everybody’s dialed in and knows what coach is thinking.”
Monken does not want credit for Jackson’s greater assertiveness, but he does want a loud presence orchestrating his offense.
“It has nothing to do with me,” he said. “It has a lot to do with the quarterback and the communication, being the epicenter of what we do. That’s the start of what we do, the quarterback being loud.”
The greater volume from coordinator and quarterback is another mark of change for a Ravens offense that had stagnated under Roman. The full dimension of Monken’s vision won’t be known until September when the real games start, but his offense, ragged though it looks at times during this implementation stage, certainly sounds different.
He’s asking Jackson to take charge at the line of scrimmage and to be confident about making changes in the seconds before each snap.
Jackson said he has yearned for that level of authority.
“Coach Todd Monken is just giving us the keys to the offense, letting us do our thing,” he said. “Yeah, I was definitely eager. There’s certain things we see in the film room that we might not get when we’re playing. And sometimes, I want to make adjustments. Coach Monken is giving us that free will to make things happen.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh believes the new approach will sync with Jackson’s maturation as a quarterback.
“It will be a different lens he’s going to be looking through,” he said. “I do think it’s going to fit Lamar; I’ve told him that. We had a great talk about it [Monday]. I think it’s going to fit the way he sees the game really well; that’s the hope. He feels that way right now, so now we’ve just got to get to work and let it rip and see what happens.”
Though Monken has only worked with his franchise quarterback for a few weeks, he’s seeing the buy-in he had hoped for: “He’s embraced trying to be louder, trying to be in control, and he’s embraced learning the system. We’ve still got a ways to go.”
By that, Monken means that for all his sublime tools, Jackson’s next evolution will be to remain a step ahead of opponents before each snap.
“There’s not a throw he can’t make. There’s not a play he can’t make,” he said. “Like any player, it’s when you get to the line of scrimmage, what is [the defense] doing? What does that mean to us? Are our eyes in the right spot? Are we giving ourselves a chance for the play to be successful?”
Will this summer of change lead to growing pains in the early weeks of the regular season? Jackson does not think so. He noted that the Ravens went 14-2 and posted the most efficient offensive season in their history in Roman’s first season as coordinator.
“I don’t think it’ll take that long,” Jackson said. “The sky’s the limit with this offense.”
Jackson finally had a chance to work with the most famous of his new wide receivers when Odell Beckham Jr. took the field for practice Tuesday. The superstars had talked of playing together before Beckham signed his one-year deal with the Ravens and before Jackson agreed to the reported $260 million extension that would keep him in Baltimore.
How did reality match up to the plans they made?
“I think he looked pretty smooth — crisp routes, great hands,” Jackson said.
Beckham reiterated that he might be in a different NFL city if he was not so intrigued by playing with Jackson.
“It’s one of the reasons why I signed here,” he said Tuesday. “I’ve watched him for years. I watched him when he was at Louisville. … One of my favorite players growing up — I’m sure he’s always used to getting the comparison — was Mike Vick. He just has that ‘it’ to him.”
After minicamp ends Thursday and before training camp commences in late July, Beckham plans to fly to Florida to continue working out with Jackson.
“I believe it’s very important, just so we can keep our chemistry going, because the season is right there,” Jackson said. “The offseason is almost over.”
He hasn’t made a point of changing his body since last season ended with him sidelined by a knee injury. He still has a relationship with private quarterback coach Adam Dedeaux but hasn’t worked with him this offseason.
Does Jackson feel the weight of increased expectations, given the NFL-record contract he signed and the playmakers the Ravens have installed around him under a new offensive coordinator? If the team doesn’t move the ball more efficiently this year, odds are that fans and analysts will point directly at him.
“I feel the same I been feeling,” Jackson said. “I don’t feel like I have pressure on my shoulders about anything.”
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