Todd Monken Reflects on His Time With Ravens, Says 'Everything Has a Shelf Life'
There's a lot of positive buzz surrounding new Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle, who is tasked with rejuvenating a unit that was 16th in total offense last season.
Three years ago, Todd Monken was in the same situation.
The Ravens had the 16th-ranked offense in 2022, the year before Monken arrived. Under Monken, the offense rose to No. 6 in 2023 and No. 1 in 2024. The offense regressed last season, due in large part to Lamar Jackson being banged up and missing four games.
Monken's stint with the Ravens ended when Head Coach John Harbaugh was let go after the team finished 8-9. Now an NFL head coach for the first time at age 60 with the Cleveland Browns, Monken reflected on his stint in Baltimore in an interview with The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker.
Monken noted how quickly things can change in the NFL.
"From the year before, if you'd have told me that we'd have been fired after the year we had offensively …" Monken said. "I'll give it this, coaches, for the most part the players, never quit."
He added: "It was just time. Everything has a shelf life."
The Ravens went 25-9 in Monken's first two seasons, but they came up short in the playoffs, including a 17-10 loss at home to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game in January 2024. Monken was criticized for not running the ball enough in that game (the Ravens logged just 16 rushing attempts for 81 yards, both of which were season-lows).
"I didn't coach well enough," Monken said about the playoff losses. "I didn't get Lamar to play at his best when the best was needed. Ultimately, it's a get-it-done business."
Regarding his relationship with Jackson, Monken called him a "tremendous person." After Jackson sent him a congratulatory text for getting the Browns job, Monken said he thanked him for the three years they had together and told him he wouldn't have gotten the position without him.
"Then I said, 'go f— yourself,'" Monken said. "We are going to blitz you every third down. He laughed."
Devontez Walker Named Ravens' Most Surprising Player This Spring
This is an important season for wide receiver Devontez Walker, who is looking to make a leap in Year 3.
So far this offseason, Walker has looked the part. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley named Walker the Ravens' most surprising player of the spring.
"Walker, a fourth-round pick in 2024, was the standout wide receiver this spring, continually stretching the field," Hensley wrote. "The pressure is on Walker after Baltimore drafted two wide receivers: Ja'Kobi Lane in the third round and Elijah Sarratt in the fourth round. Still, Walker is competing for the No. 3 spot behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman."
Walker has shown flashes of big-play ability in his limited opportunities the past two seasons. Four of his seven career catches have gone for touchdowns.
Pundit Predicts Year 3 Leap for Nate Wiggins
Another player looking to make a Year 3 jump is cornerback Nate Wiggins.
Wiggins was inconsistent last year after a solid rookie season, but Russell Street Report’s Darin McCann believes the 2024 first-round pick will level up this season.
"Wiggins' talent is obvious," McCann wrote. "He is long and fast and smooth and plays with a ton of confidence, and that is a combination that typically bodes well for cornerbacks. Like some others on that side of the ball, he will be a fascinating watch this season under a new coaching staff, with new designs on both the back end and pass-rush.
"Wiggins has the look of a potential ball hawk, as well. He jumped from one pick his initial season to three last year, and with his game-changing speed and athleticism, he can make something happen with those — witness his 61-yard pick-and-return last year [against the Browns]."
Jackson and Flowers Make Top QB-WR Duo Rankings
Despite Flowers making the Pro Bowl the past two seasons, there are some pundits who still hesitate to regard him as a No. 1 wide receiver. FOX Sports’ Eric Williams isn't among them.
Williams put Jackson and Flowers at No. 9 in his top 10 quarterback-wide receiver duo rankings.
"The two-time NFL MVP was once again slowed by injuries last season, but Lamar Jackson finally has a No. 1 receiver option on the roster in Zay Flowers," Williams wrote. "The Boston College product finished seventh in the league in receiving yards (1,211) and eleventh in receptions last year (86).
"Last season, Flowers eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second time in his three-year NFL career, and at 25 years old, he still has room to grow as a receiver with the 29-year-old Jackson."
Re-Signing John Jenkins Is a Move That Shouldn't Be Overlooked
Ebony Bird’s Connor Burke said that one move the Ravens made ahead of the 2026 season that shouldn't be overlooked occurred during the final week of the regular season: signing defensive tackle John Jenkins to a one-year contract extension. It was the first extension of the 36-year-old Jenkins' 13-year career.
"While he's not the most flashy or lucrative move of the 2026 calendar year, Jenkins should remain a crucial presence with the Ravens," Burke wrote. "He was one of the most underrated additions last season, and could be that once again this time around."
Burke noted that Jenkins gives the Ravens quality depth on the defensive line.
"When you weigh Jenkins' potential impact in 2026, you also have to factor in Nnamdi Madubuike's status," Burke wrote. "While there's been optimism growing as he works his way back from a scary neck injury that ended his 2025 campaign just two games in, it's anything but guaranteed that he'll be ready to suit up to begin the season. Jenkins' presence should free up guys to rotate into the Madubuike role. Most notably, that would include Travis Jones and late-offseason signing Calais Campbell.
"Jenkins will also naturally help his teammates see more favorable matchups within the trenches. He possesses a massive frame and could easily eat two blocks on every snap. For guys like Jones and Campbell, and even pass rushers like Mike Green and Trey Hendrickson, that could help them seek out the ball carrier with ease. Opposing offensive lines will have to choose their battles wisely."
