Ravens' offensive brilliance may be short-lived with possibility of key coach leaving

We are starting to understand why former Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken left Athens for the opportunity to work with the Baltimore Ravens this season. Monken had been an NFL offensive coordinator prior to linking up with Kirby Smart in 2020. He was best known as the guy running the high-octane offense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Jameis Winston before Bruce Arians arrived.

Monken had been a college head coach at Southern Miss before that, opting to leave Hattiesburg to have a shot at leading an NFL offense under then-Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter. He spent 2019 working under Freddie Kitchens in that masterclass of a disaster of a season in Cleveland before going back to school. Now that he is back in the pros, it might be Monken's time to shine.

Baltimore is among the very best teams in the NFL heading into the final weeks of the season. The Ravens are in first place in the deep AFC and just defeated the best team in the NFC in what could be a Super Bowl 58 preview with the San Francisco 49ers. Monken may be in his late 50s, but his track record of offensive wizardry can be a huge boost to a team in dire need of some offensive firepower.

While Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald may get some looks at head-coaching opportunities this winter as well, it would not be shocking if Monken is one-and-done in Baltimore.

Todd Monken should be a serious head-coaching candidate this cycle

Given that he was just in the college game, whatever team that conceivably hires Monken woudl have a huge advantage in the drafting department. Monken either coached these players, coached against them or recruited them during his three-year stint at Georgia. With him having strong ties to the Smart and John Harbaugh coaching trees, one would think Monken could form one helluva staff.

The only real downside to hiring Monken is that he has never been an NFL head coach before. Some may question if his time in Hattiesburg leading the Golden Eagles was good enough, but what you have to remember is it was very hard for him to leave Southern Miss for the Buccaneers in the first place. Factor in how well his cousin Jeff has done leading Army for years, and he has great genes.

Ultimately, if upwards of eight jobs opened up in the NFL, I would venture to guess Monken would be a serious candidate for three of them, and would end up getting one of those jobs. He is not the up-and-coming, hot-shot coordinator, just a damn good one. He would be perfect at a place that already has good offensive personnel, but needs a bit more consistency on that particular side of the ball.

Outside of my hometown Atlanta Falcons, the Los Angeles Chargers would be an outstanding fit.