Thanks to Tom Brady, Raiders Reportedly Were in the Mix for Jesse Minter
The Ravens and Tom Brady had memorable battles during his playing days, and the organization and the legendary quarterback apparently engaged in competition again last week.
This time, the battle was over who would land Jesse Minter as head coach, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Breer said Brady made a pitch to lure Minter to the Las Vegas Raiders before he was hired by the Ravens. Brady is a minority owner of the Raiders and has influence in personnel decisions.
"Minter, who was then the Chargers' defensive coordinator, interviewed on Tuesday with the Raiders in the exclusive Indian Creek neighborhood of Miami, where Las Vegas minority owner Tom Brady resides," Breer wrote. "Minter hit it off quickly with the future Hall of Famer and Raiders GM John Spytek. Both are Michigan football alumni and, as such, were familiar with Minter's work under Jim Harbaugh over the past four years (the first two in Ann Arbor, then in Los Angeles).
"Vegas wasn't quite ready to pull the trigger, but Brady's gravitational pull — a pull that Ben Johnson felt last year before taking the Bears' job — was there as Minter flew to Baltimore on Tuesday night. The Raiders could see him as their head coach. He knew it."
So did the Ravens when they had their second interview with Minter on Wednesday.
"Afterward, he didn't know he was getting the Baltimore job, but had a feeling either the Ravens or Raiders were the place for him," Breer wrote. "So he called the Browns, canceled an interview scheduled for Thursday (he was scheduled to visit the Cardinals on Friday), and decided to stay the night in Baltimore.
"The Ravens interviewed Bills OC Joe Brady (who, interestingly enough, could very well become Minter's OC in Baltimore) on Thursday morning, knowing of the Raiders' interest in Minter. And after sitting down with Brady, whom they'd liked, they moved on Minter."
Breer said the Ravens "hit a home run" by hiring Minter as the fourth head coach in franchise history.
"And as I see it, they knocked it out of the park by acting decisively when they needed to — with even the hint that they could lose Jesse Minter," Breer wrote.
DeAndre Hopkins Feels He Could Have Been Used More, Would Still Welcome Return to Ravens
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said he "has another year or two left," and while he would welcome a return to the Ravens next season, he isn't sure if he fits into their plans.
"The reality of it, having a new offensive coordinator, being an older guy, I know football and I know how the business side works," Hopkins said on the “Up & Adams” show. "Of course I would love to come back, but not every offensive coordinator is wanting a veteran receiver on their team. Some guys have different dynamics of how they go about coaching. It's nothing personal."
Hopkins, 33, said he enjoyed playing with Lamar Jackson but wishes the ball had come his way more. He finished the season with 22 catches, 330 yards, and two touchdowns on 39 targets.
Despite his limited usage, Hopkins showed that he can still win one-on-one battles and make circus catches. He averaged 15 yards per reception, his best mark since 2014.
"Obviously, Lamar and I had a great connection," Hopkins said. "I think when he came to me, I might have been top 10 in productive receivers in the NFL when the ball came my way. Of course I love Baltimore, and me being a competitor, I would have loved to have been used more, even though we had Zay Flowers, and Rashod Bateman, and Isaiah Likely.
"I'm always gonna have that mindset that I want to be in the game every third down, every big down. As long as I'm playing, that will never change, but it doesn't upset me that I wasn't; it doesn't make me become a bad teammate. I'm still cheering the guys on that are in the game, but I felt that I could have been used more."
Could Odafe Oweh Follow Minter to Baltimore?
Former Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh flourished with Minter as his defensive coordinator after he was traded to the Chargers in October. Could the two reunite in Baltimore next season?
The Baltimore Sun’s Michael Howes included Oweh on his list of Chargers free agents who could follow Minter to the Ravens.
"The [trade] rejuvenated a contract year for Oweh, who had disappointed in Baltimore following a 10-sack season in 2024," Howes wrote. "If he's looking to build on that momentum, Oweh could be a candidate to return to Baltimore. Minter's scheme helped spark his late-season breakout, and a reunion would give the Ravens a familiar pass rusher coming off his most productive stretch of the year."
Oweh had 7.5 sacks in 12 regular-season games with the Chargers and another three sacks in a playoff game. He did not have any sacks in five games with the Ravens prior to the trade.
Oweh, 27, figures to have plenty of suitors in free agency.
Howes noted that another former Raven who played well under Minter was veteran safety Tony Jefferson, who spent the past two seasons with the Chargers after a brief retirement in which he joined the Ravens scouting department.
"Even at 34 — a milestone he reaches later this week — the safety remained productive, finishing tied as the Chargers' eighth-best defender this season according to Pro Football Focus," Howes wrote. "He recorded seven passes defended and four interceptions.
"With Baltimore's starting safety spots seemingly locked up by Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks — along with free agent Alohi Gilman, who was acquired in the Oweh trade and previously played under Minter — Jefferson would likely be viewed as a depth option rather than a starter if he returned to the Ravens."
Travis Jones is Ravens' 'Secret Superstar'
Defensive tackle Travis Jones might not be a household name outside of Baltimore, but his impact on the Ravens defense isn't going unnoticed by pundits.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra named Jones the Ravens' 2025 unsung hero.
"The Ravens' defense had issues in 2025; Travis Jones was not one of them," Patra wrote. "The 2022 third-round pick enjoyed his best season, generating career highs in sacks (five), QB hits (nine), tackles (47) and tackles for loss (nine). Despite facing double-teams along a Ravens defense that otherwise lacked oomph, Jones led the club with 46 QB pressures, per Pro Football Focus, tied for 15th-most among interior defenders.
"The 26-year-old is also one of the top interior run defenders, able to shed blocks and clog the middle. Baltimore clearly knows his worth, having inked him to a three-year, $40.5 million extension last month. He deserves more love outside of Maryland, as well."
PFF’s Zach Tantillo identified Jones as the Ravens' "secret superstar."
"He wrapped his 2025 season with a 79.2 PFF overall grade, the second-highest mark on the defense, behind only All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton," Tantillo wrote.
Ravens Select Top Offensive Lineman in Daniel Jeremiah's Mock Draft
Upgrading the offensive line, specifically at guard, is an offseason priority for the Ravens, and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah sees them addressing the position in the first round of the draft.
Jeremiah has the Ravens selecting Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane with the 14th-overall pick.
"Ioane has a strong case to be considered the best offensive lineman in this year's draft," Jeremiah wrote.
