Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman could leave the team sooner than later after it was revealed that Stanford is eyeing him for their head coaching vacancy. It is believed that the interest is mutual and Roman is seriously considering the opportunity.
For now, the talks between Stanford and Roman remain very preliminary, although more news will surely come out through the week.
#Stanford is interested in #Ravens OC Greg Roman to be its next HC and the interest is believed to be mutual. Could one of the NFL’s most respected assistants be headed back to college?
My story: https://t.co/b9txRrfZn8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 4, 2022
Roman is considered one of the most respected assistants in the league and so his loss would definitely be felt. With that said, there is no denying that his offense has come under heavy fire recently. Many fans believe that the 8-4 Ravens are winning in spite of him, rather than because of him. The Ravens have been particularly poor when holding leads in the fourth quarter. They seem to lack the clutch mentality to hold onto wins and finish off their opponents.
If Roman is to leave, the Ravens could look to reorganize their offense in light of the recent deficiencies. Given the timing of the news, Roman’s departure would likely come in the middle of the season. The Ravens tend to prefer to promote in-house anyway and so it seems unlikely that the team would welcome a new face.
Three Potential Greg Roman Replacements
James Urban
James Urban is the frontrunner of the potential Greg Roman replacements for the Ravens. He is currently Baltimore’s quarterback coach and has been in that role since 2018. He was a large part of Lamar Jackson’s 2019 NFL MVP campaign.
Given Urban’s influence on the Ravens offense, familiarity with the system, and relationship with Jackson, Urban would be a good choice. At 49 years old, the Ravens could look to give Urban a trial period first. He does seem a strong candidate to take over the offensive coordinator position long term though.
Tee Martin
The current Ravens wide receiver coach, Tee Martin, is another potential Greg Roman replacement. What separates Martin and Urban is that many have been disappointed by the Baltimore wide receivers. However, the argument could be made that he has been working with limited resources. And it should also be noted that he has done a good job of utilizing and developing some of the team’s young receivers.
Martin was appointed to the Ravens in 2021, replacing David Culley. He has a lot of credentials coaching college football, but the Ravens are his first stint in the NFL. His lack of experience could be a concern, but he is certainly a wildcard pick to be Baltimore’s next offensive coordinator given his status among the Ravens coaches.
Craig Ver Steeg
Craig Ver Steeg might just be the safest of the potential Greg Roman replacements. Ver Steeg is currently the running backs coach for the Ravens and has been with the organization since 2008. He has been a staple of John Harbaugh’s coaching staff and has held various positions over the last 14 years.
The 62-year-old has plenty of coaching experience, and also a lot of seniority among Ravens coaches currently. Harbaugh clearly trusts Ver Steeg, given how long he has stuck around, and so appointing Ver Steeg as the interim offensive coordinator would make a lot of sense. It would be unlikely that Ver Steeg would hold the job down long term, but he has the credentials to step up if needed.
