Georgia now has another threat to potentially steal Todd Monken
By John Buhler
Another NFL team has entered the fray to potentially steal Todd Monken away from Georgia.
Georgia has an elite offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, so it comes as no surprise he is getting looks from a few NFL teams this offseason.
Although Georgia can afford to give him a hefty raise, Monken rarely stays anywhere for very long. While he might be able to lead a program of his own if he stays in Athens for one more season, Monken is getting some serious looks for coordinator gigs in the NFL. Monken has not only been tied to his former team in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens.
He would replace Byron Leftwich in Tampa Bay if hired by the Buccaneers and would take over for Greg Roman in Baltimore if the Ravens swooped in and got him.
Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken drawing interest from NFL teams
Look. It serves Monken to at least take these interviews, as his coaching stock has never been higher. He is seen as one of the most innovative offensive minds across college football. Monken specializes in getting the ball to his best playmakers in space. Georgia has both a balanced offensive attack, as well as one of the most creative across major college football under Monken.
The connection he has to Tampa Bay is obvious. He was their former offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach from 2016 to 2018, albeit under a different coaching regime. Monken was also the Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator for a year in 2019 before coming to Georgia, as well as the Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers coach from 2007 to 2010. There is also this cool tidbit…
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles’ son Troy just enrolled at the University of Georgia. He will play linebacker for Kirby Smart in Athens. Clearly, Bowles likes what Smart and his staff is doing in Athens. Otherwise, why would he let his blue-chip prospect son go play for the Dawgs? Either way, there are a lot of ties between Monken and Tampa Bay that could bring him back to the NFL.
As far as the Ravens are concerned, there is a lot to like about Baltimore. John Harbaugh is one of the most respected head coaches in the NFL. The Ravens have an elite tight end in Mark Andrews, as well as a former NFL MVP at quarterback in Lamar Jackson. While things seemed to have gotten stale with Roman in Baltimore, Monken could be the one to get the most out of Jackson.
Ultimately, it is going to take the right job to pry Monken out of Georgia and back to the NFL. Familiarity is what could bring Monken back to Tampa. However, Baltimore is the better job of the two. Tampa Bay has no long-term solution at quarterback, while fences can be mended between Jackson and the Baltimore brass. Of course, being Georgia’s offensive coordinator is hard to top.
One way or another, Monken is about to strike while the iron is hot and grow his bank account.
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