Will new Offensive Coordinator Gary Kubiak call plays from the field on the sideline or high above in a booth?
It's still to be decided. And there won't be an answer until Kubiak talks with quarterback Joe Flacco.
"It probably gets down to how comfortable Joe may be," Kubiak said on Monday. "If Joe wants me down there and is more comfortable with me down there, fine."
Kubiak called plays from the field during his more than seven years with the Houston Texans, except for two games when he was limited to booth by doctors after returning from his mini-stroke.
But he's gotten the bird's-eye view from the booth as well during his long coaching career.
So he can go either way.
Cam Cameron called plays from the sideline throughout his nearly five-year tenure in Baltimore. Jim Caldwell was in the booth in 2012 and 2013.
Coaching from the sideline allows for face-to-face, easier communication between an offensive coordinator and his quarterback. Kubiak would also be able to talk with other players himself when they come off the field, and observe their physical shape.
Coaching from the booth gives a better view of the entire field. Coordinators can more easily see opponents' formations and substitutions, which dictate what plays they want to call.
When a coach is in the booth, they usually radio the play to a coach on the sideline, who then sends it into the quarterback's helmet. Wide Receivers Coach Jim Hostler relayed the calls for Caldwell.
New Quarterbacks Coach Rick Dennison could get the same job if Kubiak heads to the booth. He did that for Kubiak in Houston and is most familiar with his offensive terminology and procedure.
