The Ravens just did something the Titans refuse to do
Tuesday provided plenty of movement in the NFL’s coaching landscape. The Tennessee Titans are still rounding out their own coaching staff, but one of their rivals did something the Titans have yet to do under head coach Mike Vrabel. The Ravens announced the hiring of offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Tuesday. Monken, who has spent […]
Tuesday provided plenty of movement in the NFL’s coaching landscape. The Tennessee Titans are still rounding out their own coaching staff, but one of their rivals did something the Titans have yet to do under head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Ravens announced the hiring of offensive coordinator Todd Monken on Tuesday. Monken, who has spent seven years as an assistant in the NFL, previously served as the offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia from 2020-2022. The hire raised eyebrows across the league with Monken making the jump from the college ranks to the NFL level.
Baltimore, whose offense has declined in production since 2019 under Greg Roman, elected to make an outside of the box hire instead of promoting from within. It’s a concept that Vrabel and the Titans have been hesitant to employ.
Internal Bleeding
Vrabel’s first offensive coordinator in Tennessee was Mike LaFleur, who also interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at the time. When LaFleur departed for Green Bay after one season, Vrabel then promoted tight ends coach Arthur Smith.
Smith’s successes are well-documented during his two seasons in Tennessee. Smith's creativity and play-calling versatility helped him land the head coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons. Vrabel stuck to his system and promoted tight ends coach Todd Downing to offensive coordinator when Smith left after the 2021 season.
Fast forward to today and Tim Kelly, who served as the Titans’ passing game coordinator in 2022, will be calling plays for Tennessee’s offense next season. If Kelly flames out and the offense regresses again, Vrabel’s method of in-house hires will rightfully be questioned.
While Vrabel's track record with coordinator hires speaks for itself, his loyalty, sometimes to a fault, has put the team in a precarious position.
Credit Ravens head coach John Harbaugh for recognizing his offense’s shortcomings and injecting fresh blood into a stagnant unit. If Monken and the Ravens succeed, it will create a blueprint that Vrabel and the Titans should mirror if they find themselves searching for another offensive coordinator down the road.
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