Baltimore Ravens Should Be Grateful For Marc Trestman

Marc Trestman has told reporters that he is “unbelievably appreciative” of his chance to work with the Baltimore Ravens, but when it is all said and done, it might be the Ravens who are most appreciative of his services.

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The Ravens have gone through quite the carousel of offensive coordinators in recent seasons when they hired Marc Trestman to be the fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Gary Kubiak signed a four-year deal with the Denver Broncos on Jan. 19, just days after the Ravens fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. It took the Ravens just days to find his replacement as the team signed the former Chicago Bears coach to a three-year deal.

The Ravens moved rather quickly in their search, interviewing Adam Gase before ultimately signing Trestman. Kyle Shanahan was also considered for the job as a pupil of Kubiak. Gase is now the offensive coordinator for the Bears while Shanahan will begin his first season as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.

Trestman was a Canadian Football League icon, leading the Montreal Alouettes to two straight Grey Cup titles in 2009 and 2010, and was the 2009 CFL Coach of the Year. His success in the CFL led him to the Bears stint which lasted just two seasons.

The Bears were a respectable 8-8 in 2013, finishing second in scoring and breaking team records in total yards, passing yards, passing touchdowns, passer rating and first downs. However, his second season in Chicago was disastrous, as the team finished 5-11 and losers of their final five games. A dreadful defense and the ineffectiveness of quarterback Jay Cutler ultimately led to the Bears deciding to cut ties with Trestman.

Upon his arrival, Trestman has vowed to keep the offensive scheme similar to that of Kubiak, but every coach has their own nuisances within their offense. The running game has been the focal point of the Ravens franchise since their existence. Trestman is known for air-it-out offenses and shotgun formations. The Ravens traditionally lineup with a fullback in the backfield. Trestman did not have a fullback on his roster, using tight ends as lead blockers whenever necessary.Something has to give.

Baltimore is coming off its best statistical season in franchise history and with Trestman now leading the offense, those numbers could soar to new levels. Flacco has a realistic chance to throw for over 4,000 yards. Justin Forsett has a good shot at coming close to or breaking Ray Rice‘s franchise record of 78 receptions by a running back.

The opportunity to lead a successful franchise is why Trestman is telling people that he is “grateful” to be in Baltimore.

“I feel really appreciative and grateful to be here after what my family and I went through last year,” Trestman said. “I embrace it every day.”

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John Harbaugh has exclusively hired former head coaches to run his offenses (Cam Cameron, Jim Caldwell and Kubiak) and Trestman is no different. Harbaugh also had two other people in his ear when he was searching for Kubiak’s replacement. Ozzie Newsome worked under Trestman in his first NFL stint with the Cleveland Browns and brother Jim Harbaugh also played under Trestman while they were both with the Oakland Raiders.

Trestman landed in the perfect place to succeed again and maybe move back into the head coaching ranks in a few years. Last season, Kubiak implemented a West Coast offense scheme that the Ravens thrived in, and there are some that argue that Trestman knows the system even better than his predecessor. Trestman will benefit from having a better player leading his offense as Joe Flacco is a better quarterback than Cutler. He will lead an offense that has plenty of young players that need grooming in Maxx Williams, Breshad Perriman and Buck Allen.

At 59 years old, he is one of the league’s oldest coordinators. A lot of coaches who are fired take a year off from football. It gives them a chance to take relax after working a position that seems like a 24-hour job. It also gives the football world and general public an opportunity to forget just how bad things went. Trestman did not want to sit out this season as he also interviewed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coordinator position before signing with Baltimore. He wants to prove that his offense can work anywhere, whether it be Montreal, Chicago or Baltimore.

“I’m just so appreciative to be here, be a part of this organization and, certainly, to walk in a meeting room with Joe every day,” Trestman said.

Trestman might be grateful for the chance to show the NFL he’s still an offensive mastermind, but if the Ravens become an offensive juggernaut, Steve Bisciotti is going to be most thankful for Trestman coming to Baltimore.

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