The Baltimore Ravens moved on from offensive coordinator Greg Roman this offseason and hired Todd Monken to jump-start a stalled passing attack. By proxy, that means relying less on Lamar Jackson's legs to move the ball.
Monken noted Wednesday that the upgraded weapons around Jackson will allow the quarterback to lessen the ground work.
"I think the more talented you are around your quarterback, the less he has to burden -- take on that burden -- shoulder the load, because you're excited about getting others the football where they can utilize their skill set," Monken said, via the team's official website.
That's not to say the Ravens will abandon the QB run. It would be silly to have a sportscar like Jackson and never take it out of the garage, but the offense won't revolve around the run as it has in the past.
"As you get further into your career, as Lamar gets older -- as everybody does -- you want to take some of that off of the player as best you can," Monken said. "But he has a unique trait, a unique skillset. You can't take that completely out of his toolbox because that's a huge weapon for him and for us, is using his feet."
Jackson didn't attend the Ravens' football school practice, a voluntary portion of the offseason. Monken isn't worried in the least about when the starting QB will attend workouts this spring -- Baltimore opens OTAs on May 22 -- nor should Ravens fans be.
"Well, first off, we're excited about the guys who are here," Monken said. "I know Lamar is working hard. I know the guys that aren't here are working hard; they're pros. When they're here, they're here. We look forward to getting them here and getting up to speed to what we're doing offensively. I think that's probably the biggest challenge, but it's football. When they get here, they get here, and we'll get them up to speed."
To help spearhead the next stage of Jackson's career after signing a record-setting contract, the Ravens added Odell Beckham Jr., first-round receiver Zay Flowers and veteran Nelson Agholor.
"You're paid to move the football and score, and that's a lot easier with talented players," Monken said. "As I always say, 'Cookies taste better with sugar than they do with vinegar.' So, you surround yourself with sugar."
Monken plans to bake his sugar cookies to a precise balance in his first campaign in Baltimore. A balance that includes the quarterback using more of his arm and less of his legs.
