Adam Schefter Says Ravens' Top Candidates Are Still Available
Several candidates the Ravens interviewed to be their next head coach have reportedly accepted jobs elsewhere, but Baltimore's top candidates are still available, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Schefter said the Ravens' approach to hiring a head coach is similar to how they approach the draft.
"They sit back at the end of the round, they watch all the teams in front of them make their moves, and then the Baltimore Ravens step in and make their selection with whatever greatness is left," Schefter said on his podcast. "Whether that's Lamar Jackson at No. 32, or Kyle Hamilton at No. 14, or whatever it is. And I feel like in their coaching process, they're doing the same thing.
"They're sitting back. They're letting Atlanta hire. They're letting Miami hire. They're letting Tennessee hire. And these would not have been the hires that the Ravens would have made anyway. So, all these candidates are coming off the dance floor, and then in the end, they're going to pick some guy that's going to come in there and probably be as much of a success as a coach as many of their top draft picks have been."
Three of the Ravens' candidates have reportedly made it to the second round of interviews with the team: Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter, and Bills Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady.
Former Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel, who interviewed with the Ravens last week, is reportedly expected to become the Chargers' offensive coordinator, but NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said McDaniel is still a candidate for the Ravens' and Las Vegas Raiders' head coach jobs.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec said there is no reason for the Ravens to abandon their deliberate process.
"If they believe that either Weaver, who has long had admirers in the building, or Minter, who is the betting favorite for the job and also has history with the organization, is the best candidate, there's nothing stopping them from making a hire within the next 24 hours and ensuring neither candidate winds up as the new coach in Buffalo, Pittsburgh or Cleveland before Baltimore," Zrebiec wrote. "Yet, if neither has clearly separated himself as the top candidate and the obvious choice in the eyes of the decision-makers, they can continue to work through the decision and bring in more candidates for second interviews.
"The later it gets into this week without a Baltimore hire, the more likely it becomes that the Ravens consider one or more of the coaches still alive in the playoffs as legitimate contenders for the job and are willing to wait for the opportunity, which couldn't come until next week, to bring them in for a second interview."
League Insiders Boldly Predict Jackson Will Get Traded to Raiders
Owner Steve Bisciotti made it clear last week that he wants Jackson to be the Ravens' quarterback for years to come. That hasn't prevented pundits from proposing trade scenarios involving Jackson.
ESPNâs Jeremy Fowler asked industry sources around the league to make bold predictions for the upcoming season. More than one person predicted the Ravens would trade Jackson to the Raiders.
"It just seems like there's been some consternation there with Lamar and the Ravens, and this would be the ultimate Mark Davis move," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "I'm not even convinced everybody with Vegas would be on board with it but it would instantly solve their quarterback problems."
Fowler wrote: "From chemistry issues with the previous coaching staff to concerns about his availability, Jackson's relationship with the Ravens does not seem to be in the best spot. Baltimore probably realizes life with a two-time MVP is better than life without, which would mean a big contract offer is coming. But this is a situation to monitor, and how Jackson hits it off with the new head coach feels significant."
If you think Jackson being traded to the Raiders is bold, try this one on for size: The Athleticâs Mike Sando said an NFL executive wondered if the Ravens would trade Jackson to the Dolphins for four first-round draft picks and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Sporting Newsâ Adam Schultz said Jackson isn't going anywhere.
"If Jackson is traded pre-June 1, per Over The Cap, the Ravens would eat $57 million in dead money, and only save $17 million," Schultz wrote. "But if he were traded after June 1, the Ravens' dead cap hit would drop to $22 million, and the franchise would save $52 million in cap space. So that's good. However, it would leave Baltimore without a quarterback.
"Teams aren't waiting until June 1 to bring in a new starting quarterback to begin getting to know his teammates and new head coach, are they? There are a host of reasons why the Ravens won't trade Lamar. Pick your favorite. Because there isn't a way that Baltimore will part ways with a two-time MVP winner."
John Harbaugh Comments on Relationship With Jackson
On the day that John Harbaugh was introduced as the new head coach of the New York Giants, he was asked again about his relationship with Jackson.
The former Ravens head coach said during an interview on WFANâs âEvan & Tiki Liveâ that speculation about friction between him and Jackson is off base.
"Phenomenal relationship with Lamar," Harbaugh said. "Everything has been absolutely positive. Ask him. He'll tell you. We love each other. We tell each other we love each other. He's one of my favorite human beings. We revolutionized offensive football with Lamar Jackson. I don't know why that didn't get written about more."
Harbaugh also was asked if he regretted taking a knee â which moved the ball back 2 yards â before Tyler Loop's failed 44-yard field-goal attempt in the Ravens' 26-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season finale.
"Oh, yeah. I mean every single time you do something, if it doesn't work, I wish I'd have done the other thing," Harbaugh said. "So, yeah, hand it off and see if Derrick Henry can go score. But in the moment, you think of the downside too. You put some things at risk, and what if the worst thing happens that way? I think you can always look back and have regrets. So, I wouldn't really say regrets. You put everything you have into it, you shouldn't really have regrets. Disappointment? Absolutely."
Harbaugh Said to Have 'Badly Wanted' Puka Nacua in 2023 Draft
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo discussed how much say Harbaugh will have in the Giants' draft selections and noted that Harbaugh "sometimes got the players he wanted and sometimes he didn't" during his time with the Ravens.
One player Harbaugh apparently pushed hard for was wide receiver Puka Nacua in 2023, according to Garafolo.
Nacua was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth round with the 177th-overall pick. The Ravens took cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly earlier in the round at No. 157.
Nacua is a two-time All-Pro who had a league-leading 129 receptions this season for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Ravens waived Kelly as part of the final roster cuts in 2023. He has spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, Washington Commanders, and Las Vegas Raiders over the past three seasons. Kelly has eight career starts, all with the Raiders this season.
"If he got his way, Puka Nacua would be a Raven," Garafolo said. "That's a guy John Harbaugh badly wanted the Ravens to draft. They didn't. But there were other players that he wanted that they did draft that didn't necessarily work out in the process as well. So sometimes he's going to hit, sometimes he's going to miss."
Harbaugh made it known that he was high on Nacua during a media session ahead of the Ravens-Rams game during the 2023 season.
When asked by a reporter if he was surprised by how far Nacua fell in the draft and whether he did homework on him, Harbaugh said: "Oh yes, I liked him. He was one of my highest-rated guys. You can ask anybody here. Ask the wide receivers coach, Greg Lewis [and] ask the scouts. He was way up on my board. He's playing exactly how I thought he would, just for the record."
Bills Edge Ravens for Most Attractive Head Coach Job in Poll of Coaches, Team Executives
Pundits continue to debate whether the Ravens or Bills have the best head coach opening.
The Athletic asked a panel of 10 coaches and high-ranking team executives to rank the head-coaching vacancies by job attractiveness. (None of the voters are employed by a team with a vacancy.) A first-place vote was worth 10 points, a second-place vote was worth nine points, etc.
The Bills (96 points, seven first-place votes) were No. 1, followed by the Ravens (88 points, two first-place votes).
"[The Bills'] roster needs work, as everyone witnessed in the playoffs," The Athletic's Jeff Howe wrote. "And firing [Head Coach Sean] McDermott was a clear declaration Bills ownership has a Super Bowl standard while [quarterback Josh] Allen is in his prime. That's a healthy expectation for any coach, but it's fair for candidates to wonder how quickly the clock will start ticking on their own job security if there's any sort of regression. No matter, the pollsters said: Take Allen and figure out the rest later."
Regarding the Ravens, a coach said they are the "best overall organization" of the teams with vacancies, while a team executive said, "Baltimore is the model of stability."
