Well, it’s official! The Ravens have appointed their next defensive coordinator, and I personally could not be happier about the choice.
We hired Mike Macdonald as our defensive coordinator.
📰:https://t.co/SztI57r1xJ pic.twitter.com/JX1pJkv9p1
– Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) 28 January 2022
It’s not a surprising choice when considering MacDonald’s history at the organization, and the Ravens seem pretty sure Macdonald is the guy for the job. He was one of the first names mentioned when Wink Martindale left and there are even rumors that he got the job before the Ravens even finished interviewing other candidates.
When this organization is so confident in something, you can expect them to make the right decision.
MacDonald spent just one year at Michigan, but he had a big impact, leading a defensive turnaround and overseeing the outbreak of two first-round fringe storms: Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Listen to Hutchinson, a Heisman finalist in 2021, talk about MacDonald here.
Here’s the potential number 1 pick Aidan Hutchinson on how Mike Macdonald changed his career after taking over at Michigan.
(via @green light, h / t @abukari) pic.twitter.com/FNgS9daSdT
– Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) 26 January 2022
One of the concerns about Wink was his adherence to his defense scheme and principles regardless of staff, opponent or in-game situation. Although he used many players in creative ways, “freedom” is not exactly a word that comes to mind in Wink. But MacDonald has proven to be an adaptable defensive coordinator who maximizes the unique skills of his players.
What Mike Macdonald did for Michigan this year went far beyond coordinating a defense. He was a massive force in the culture shift.
From Aidan Hutchinson in July: pic.twitter.com/Z8UZb9tSzj
– Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) 28 January 2022
Hutchinson also spoke about the culture shift the Wolverines defense has seen under MacDonald. While I do not think the Ravens need a culture shift, the importance of “buying in” the players can not be underestimated. In a year when teams began to turn to two-high safety looks as they tried to get pressure with four rushers, Wink’s love for the lightning began to feel out of touch. I am confident that MacDonald will not only make the necessary changes, but also set them up in a way that brings out the best in the Ravens.
MacDonald’s appointment may give us some hints about Baltimore’s draft strategy, especially with that 14th overall pick.
David Ojabo is ready to shine like his Nigerian brotha 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/k0dZ4ILfI3
– PFF Draft (@PFF_College) 27 January 2022
The ties with both MacDonald and Oweh, a 2021 pick in the first round, are too strong not to think that Ojabo at 14 is one of the team’s top picks.
I want to see Baltimore come back to those Dumervil / Suggs, Boulware / Burnett / McCrary type combinations. Oweh and Ojabo are such a dynamic combination on paper, and a creative DC can have so much fun devising ways to deploy those two.
– Dev Panchwagh (devpanchwagh) 27 January 2022
I’m here with Dev here: having two freak athletes whose main job is to disrupt the lives of opposing quarterbacks sounds like a foundation for defensive success. They can push their ears back and get pressure without flashing, which will be great to keep the Ravens competitive against the top-level full-back talent in the AFC.
Finally we have some press conference dates to look forward to!
Ravens also announces the timing of three press conferences next week.
Monday: John Harbaugh’s season finale
Tuesday: Mike Macdonald’s introductory computer
Friday: Eric DeCosta’s season finaleJeff Zrebiec @jeffzrebiec 28 January 2022
I’m sure Harbaugh has a lot of season-ending thoughts to share, and MacDonald’s intro printer will be interesting, too.
But I’m very excited about EDC’s press conference because I’m genuinely curious about his thoughts on the season. I’m sure we will not get the pure, unfiltered truth in the printer, but it will still be an indication of what he is going to do in the off-season to get this team ready for next season.
