Zach Orr has what it takes to be a head coach in the near future, but his priority for 2025 is to put a “dangerous” Baltimore Ravens defense onto the field, something the second-year coordinator can make happen if the team adds a former No. 1 pick in the NFL draft to the defensive line.
Specifically, CBS Baltimore’s Rick Ritter wants to see the Ravens offer another deal to free agent edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Ritter told Kevin Oestreicher of the “Locked On Ravens” podcast how “you got somebody like Jadeveon Clowney, who’s sitting out there. He knows this system, he knows this franchise, he knows this team. Do you bring him in later on in the season? Maybe it’s a one-year, $5-million deal at the end of camp. Whatever it may be, you can’t have enough depth on the defensive line.”
While Ritter is right about the rich being able to get richer by adding a proven edge defender like Clowney to a position of strength, there are equally good reasons for the Ravens to pass on this deal.
Those reasons have little to do with how Clowney performed during his one season at M&T Bank Stadium back in 2023.
Ravens No Longer Need Jadeveon Clowney
All Clowney did two seasons ago was finish second on the team with 9.5 sacks. He also registered 23 pressures and 19 additional quarterback hits, per Pro Football Reference.
Clowney, selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL draft, was a force rushing the passer in Baltimore, but he was equally formidable against the run. While the Ravens have adequately replaced his pass-rushing output by letting Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh take the lead, the defense still needs an edge-setter in the ground game.
Fortunately, an unlikely “centerpiece” is ready to be a breakout player on the outside. Trusting 6-foot-6, 262-pound Tavius Robinson to put up a wall against the run makes sense, but Orr and his coaches aren’t forgetting about keeping pressure on the pocket.
That would be hard to do after general manager Eric DeCosta handed the defensive staff rookie Mike Green. He was college football’s sack leader last season, and Green is already touted for stardom in the pros.
The presence of Green alongside Robinson, Van Noy and Oweh means the Ravens hardly need a Clowney comeback tour. This season’s defense won’t be determined by the pieces at Orr’s disposal, but by how effectively he uses them.
Ravens Need Progress from Zach Orr
He took a significant step up when he went from inside linebackers coach to coordinator last season. Inevitably, it proved a tricky transition for the 33-year-old, but the Ravens gave him plenty of help.
The help included bringing ageing former DC Dean Pees out of retirement. Pees’ work as a consultant keyed a mid-season transformation for Orr’s unit, but the Ravens haven’t stopped adding experience around their young play-caller.
Another ex-Ravens coordinator, Chuck Pagano, is taking on the responsibility of developing a crucial position group. His input will be vital in helping Orr refine an elaborate system where the Ravens marry sophisticated pressure packages to subtle disguises in coverage.
Orr could turn the help into a top job, because making the grade as D-coordinator for the Ravens has been a direct path to a head-coaching gig. It worked for Pagano, Rex Ryan and Orr’s predecessor Mike Macdonald.
Ritter told Oestreicher he has no doubt Orr “will get the opportunity to lead a team and to be that guy that is able to generate and build his own culture, in terms of bringing that to a franchise.”
Despite Ritter’s confidence, Orr won’t get his chance if he doesn’t direct one of the NFL’s best defenses this season. That will require taking charge and putting his own creative spin on how to use versatile players within a diverse scheme.
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