Baltimore Beatdown Roundtable: Who should the Ravens hire as OC?

After the Ravens officially hired Jessee Minter as their new head coach, focus how now shifted to the rest of the coaching staff. All eyes are on the offensive coordinator vacancy, which will be pivotal hire for Minter and the Ravens to make. Which available candidate should the Ravens choose to be their next offensive coordinator? The Baltimore Beatdown staff shares their thoughts below.

Any one of the offensive-minded coaches the Ravens interviewed already, but did not hire as head coach, would make for solid offensive coordinator. I am not a huge fan of Kliff Kingsbury, although could get on board with him being hired if reports of Lamar Jackson’s personal interest in him are accurate. Newbies Davis Webb and Nate Schleelhaase are enticing options as up-and-comers. However, I think it could benefit the Ravens and Jesse Minter to hire someone with play-calling experience, such as Joe Brady, if he’s not hired as a head coach elsewhere. Brady has overseen a Buffalo Bills’ offense that has ranked as a Top 5 overall unit over the past two seasons. He’s worked well with Josh Allen and helped the Bills overcome having a lower-tier group of receiving weapons. Brady would help the Ravens continue their run game success and identity, while bringing a proven track record of elevating quarterback play to the table. There’s definitely some flight risk potential with him, as he’ll remain a viable head coaching option for teams in the next few years. The Ravens need to prioritize having a championship-level offense above all else, though. — Frank Platko

Kliff Kingsbury is going to be the popular option, but he’s at the bottom of the list of names I’d be ok with. He hasn’t typically run enough under center stuff to benefit having Derrick Henry and Kingsbury’s offense don’t have a great track record for longevity. The names I do like are guys the Ravens interviewed for the head coaching spot: Nate Scheelhaase, Davis Webb, and Joe Brady. The only issue with them is all three are likely to find head coaching gigs quickly. So my favorite option, crazily, is actually Todd Monken. We know the Todd Monken version of this offense works, it’s not like teams “figured” it out last year, and he would offer stability unlike a younger coordinator who could leave for a head coaching job. This probably isn’t likely, both because he seems destined for New York and because I don’t know if DeCosta and company would push Minter to bring him back. — Zach Canter

While Kliff Kingsbury seems to be the name with the most traction to take over as the new offensive coordinator of the Ravens, he would not be my first choice. I am rather intrigued by some of the younger options on the table, most notably Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase and Denver Broncos pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Davis Webb. Both coaches have received buzz this offseason as potential head coach candidates, but age and inexperience may hold them back from landing such a role right now. Scheelhaase, as a Sean McVay disciple, is probably the leading candidate for me. McVay has been at the forefront of innovative offensive football as head coach of the Rams, particularly with passing concepts. As Lamar Jackson grows older and relies less on his legs, continuing to evolve the passing attack will be paramount. — Dustin Cox

Despite getting a head coaching interview with the team, Kliff Kingsbury has been assumed to be the premier option for the Ravens offensive coordinator position, but that is not the direction I would choose. I think the Ravens would be better suited with Nathan Scheelhaase. The current Rams pass-game coordinator has elevated the Rams passing attack to the best in the league and has been molded under Sean McVay. I think the pass game needs to be emphasized with this hire. To choose someone like Kingsbury who specializes in quick reads, rpo’s and quarterback runs would not be in the best interest of the Ravens’ future with Lamar Jackson going forward. His legs are a bonus, but not something to be heavily depended on. As shown under Todd Monken, Jackson can be a deadly threat with his arm alike. Hiring Scheelhaase could take the offense one step further. — Mark Myers