The offseason isn't even into full swing yet and the Ravens are already getting high praise for one of their new additions.
Head Coach John Harbaugh hired Greg Roman last month to be the team's new tight ends coach and senior offensive assistant, and some of the NFL's top analysts have applauded the Ravens for the move.
"With Greg Roman coming in, which is a terrific move as the tight ends coach, I think he'll help out in the run game," ESPN's Adam Caplan said last week at the Senior Bowl.
Roman, 44, is entering his 20th season as an NFL assistant, and he's worked as an offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently the Buffalo Bills.
Wherever he's been, Roman's calling card has been finding success running the football. In his last four full seasons as a coordinator, Roman's offenses finished in the NFL's top five in overall rushing yards.
"Talking with coaches around the league that would go against Greg's offenses, he's one of the best run-game designers in the National Football League," Caplan said. "It's the use of personnel, it's scheming – I think he just does a great job of it."
Roman's focus will go beyond the running game, but he will certainly be an asset to Offensive Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg in that area. Roman's focus will be on the tight ends, and he can also aid Mornhinweg in game planning based on his experience as a coordinator.
"I'll be very curious to see what getting a guy like Greg Roman in there to kind of help the run game – he's really good, really smart, very, very, very creative – I'll be curious to see how that plays out, and how they best make use of the talents they have," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said.
Improving the running game is a top priority for the Ravens after they finished 28th in the league in rushing yards per game (91.4) and 21st in rushing yards per attempt (4.0) this season. Harbaugh and Owner Steve Bisciotti have both stressed since the end of the season that they have to get back to being a team than can establish a ground game.
Baltimore will retain its top two running backs in Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon, and Harbaugh has also said they're in the market for a playmaking back to add to the mix. With a strong group of running backs, Mornhinweg returning and Roman now in the fold, pundits expect the Ravens to take a big step forward with their offense.
"Now with Marty back, I think they'll do a great job together," Caplan said. "I just think overall offensively, the sky is the limit for this team."
