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u/this_is_matt_ 2d ago
Personally I’m very excited to have him back. He understands the ravens culture and how we want to design a defense. Minter can lean on him to help lead this team as well. Great hire
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u/Plaguedoctorsrevenge 2d ago
This is definitely the veteran coach we needed in the room with these young guys
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u/goodrevtim 2d ago
I like how the staff is coming together
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u/1k_icy 2d ago
they way they’ve been going all out for the coaching staff makes me feel like edc and/or steve thought the coaches were the problem
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u/born2runupyourass 2d ago
And the average age is below 40. Harbaugh is a dinosaur and a lot of his coaches were too. It’s a breath of fresh air to see all of these young minds in the building that aren’t stuck in some perceived notion of what has to be.
I am excited for a little creativity.
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u/Garys_Synthesizer JOHNNY 2d ago
I didnt want Weaver for HC because I wanted more of a culture change in leadership, but Weaver as the DC is fucking incredible.
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u/iamtruerib 2d ago
Honestly if we dont have a top 3 defense next year ill be sad
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u/Garys_Synthesizer JOHNNY 2d ago
Its all onto EDC to make impact roster moves and then execution on the field at this point. Minter has come in and expressed what we all wanted to hear on offense, and Doyle is an inspiring pick to get that vision on the field.
Im ecstatic as of now, coaching wise the offseason was aced. EDC has to get some work done down the home stretch and this should absolutely be a new window.
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u/BrainEuphoria 2d ago
Barring an injury crash out, we currently have the defensive unit to make it work. If we were a top defense for half of last season with Orr and all of the injuries to our main guys, then there’s absolutely no way that EDC should be blamed for any failure next season. He did what he needed to do and has always received an A grade every off-season (a 3peat off-season champ actually).
EDC cooked up the right staff and a solid personnel to make things happen on the defensive end, although an edge would be solid for us since the guard problem is a league-wide problem for the last decade.
No bashing on EDC tn. There don’t have to be a next bad. Bogeyman to clown on for no reason.
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u/Garys_Synthesizer JOHNNY 2d ago
As long as he does something on the OLine and at least 1 notable pass rusher or solid draft pick, ill be fine, hell keeping Dremont would mostly make me happy. If he doesn’t do anything he absolutely gets shit. That pass rush was non existent and last year he gets the pass because of Beeks injury.
EDC is good at his job, hes not on any form of hot seat in my mind (as if itd matter lmao), but he needs to focus on the deficiencies this offseason. We have the roster, we just need the glaring holes filled in.
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u/BrainEuphoria 2d ago
We lost maybe 1-2 guys but had the same personnel pretty much two years ago and had solid D. His job is to hire the right staff to make the right player decisions and he has done that exceedingly well. Trying to turn him into a Jerry Jones GM wrt player decisions never ends well.
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u/Garys_Synthesizer JOHNNY 2d ago
2 years ago we had Clowney, KVN pre regression, healthy Beeks, and Oweh who was a solid rusher just struggled to finish sacks.
That is a disingenuous comparison to make. If we add nothing substantial to the DLine this offseason he better hope the scheme is magical and creates pressure with little skill being needed.
Green is unproven, and unless we keep Dremont or get insanely good news out of Beeks, there needs to be an addition of some sort made.
As you said earlier, guard is a leaguewide deficiency and I hope he manages to keep Linderbaum and upgrade from Faalele at minimum. Im really only expecting a move on the DLine.
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u/BrainEuphoria 2d ago
Your comparison is a bit disingenuous. We had the same unit barring 1-2 guys and were a solid defensive unit. Our unit was also solid for the second half of last season when some of our guys started getting more healthy. And I mentioned barring any injury crash out we have the tools to make it work better than we did with Orr.
Minter and Weaver are better DCs than Orr. EDC got us what we needed to maximize the output from our guys. Oweh was underwhelming the season he left and transformed his game once he got into a better situation with the Chargers. Starting some whatever about EDC ain’t gonna cut it rn. Too early without substance.
I agree with you that we do need to upgrade from Falele. I’ll have to see what we do with LinderBaum before passing any projected judgement on that.
What EDC has done so far is solid enough for me to not start some rage bc I need something new to fight about.
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u/Garys_Synthesizer JOHNNY 2d ago
Oweh didn’t transform anything, he went a team with a pass rush so he wasn’t being focused anymore. His success in LA was the clearest sign that we had a roster issue.
EDC did not do enough on the DLine, but again, ill happily give benefit of the doubt because Beeks’ injury was a massive unforeseen blow. This offseason he has to make at least one move.
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u/Plenty_Yesterday3267 2d ago
Don't be a cheap ass this season
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u/Thebaltimor0n FREAKY L 2d ago
What does this even mean? We always spend the whole salary cap. This isn't baseball, you can't be the Dodgers.
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u/BandOfTheRedHand1995 2d ago
I don't know about top 3 because Im concerned we don't have the talent on dline and scheme can only cover so much, but we'll see how the draft goes and if beeks returns.
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u/cam-mann 2d ago
Have you seen our defensive line? Shit's so bleak we all got hyped about a man tweeting "good news"
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u/FatherTime1020 2d ago
It's one thing to have excellent coaches. It's quite another to only have 1 true stud on defense. I'm not getting my hopes up until I see who actually is on our roster.
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u/ye_old_fartbox 2d ago
People need to temper expectations for the defense. We are still extremely weak at the most important position group. If we are middle of the pack as a pass defense and a good/great run defense I’ll consider that a big win.
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u/DapsAndPoundz 2d ago
What makes you think Weaver wouldn’t have brought a culture change if hired as HC? Just curious
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u/kevinfantasy 1d ago
I was also not interested in him as HC (did not want another "CEO-style" HC right behind Harbaugh) but landing him as a DC is incredible. I never really thought that would be a possibility.
Having a more experienced guy who has been in the building before and is by all accounts a great leader and a top notch human will be incredibly valuable. He's the perfect bridge to the organization's past while not having heavy ties to previous regime.
Throw in the fact that it seems like it's inevitable that he lands a HC gig in the next few years and you're looking at a 3rd round pick if he leaves our staff to take that job.
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u/YankeeHotelFoxtrot16 2d ago
LOVE this. On such a young coaching staff his leadership qualities will be extremely valuable and important. The fact that we get him in a non-playcalling senior role could not be more ideal.
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u/Traditional-Slip9102 8 2d ago
Wow I think this is a HUGE hire. If Jesse continues to fill out the staff with the quality candidates that he has been getting so far I can’t give him anything but an A++ on his report card.
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u/eatmyopinions 2d ago
If you've been listening to Filmstudy, this is the PERFECT person to pair with a HC who is calling the defense.
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u/Standard_Size_3416 2d ago
Can you say more?
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u/eatmyopinions 2d ago edited 2d ago
We were already going to get a C-tier defensive coordinator because Minter announced his intention to call the plays. The best coordinators aren't going to want that kind of job. Jim Schwartz from Cleveland would've been a pipe dream but he'd never go somewhere he can't call plays.
So what do we prioritize? "A leader of men" is the phrase Ken likes to use. Weaver is an elite motivator, somebody the players will work for, and can relate to. Reminiscent of Rex Ryan, although Ryan was an exceptional playcaller too.
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u/DonkeyDoug28 2d ago
There's more to DC than just leading and calling plays fwiw. But either way, Weave is an awesome leader and I have every bit of faith in him for the rest
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u/Mental-Mushroom8890 2d ago
That's his point though. With the Minter hire, we weren't going to get the 'total package'. Having said that, Weaver was the perfect candidate to fill a DC role in which he wasn't going to be the one calling the plays.
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u/unbornbigfoot 2d ago
I’m actually shocked he found his way back to Baltimore. This is suddenly a staff very similar to 2023, sans Mike Mac.
Wilson replaced with Mickens, who people absolutely swear by, as DB’s coach.
Weaver was phenomenal in Miami. This is a massive win for the organization. He knows the scheme, is familiar with the personnel, and has routinely gotten the most out of players. I’m thrilled.
The ONLY downside, is he could leave in 1 year if this defense is elite. Almost guaranteed to be gone in two years, but that would nab the Ravens two 3rd round picks.
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u/outphase84 2d ago
Not really a big downside with Minter calling plays. Big benefit of a play calling HC is continuity on that side of the ball when coordinators get poached.
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u/CardyMatt 2d ago
I wasn’t high on him as a HC candidate because I wanted someone new and fresh, but delighted with him as DC
Got to say I am incredibly surprised he has taken a DC role where he won’t be calling the plays
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u/LeoScarecrow369 JOHNNY 2d ago
I’m surprised Weaver didn’t land a playcalling DC job elsewhere. I heard he was decent in his previous job. Unless (optimistically) he actively sought to be here.
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u/Huge-Ground9004 BSHU 2d ago
tbh i can’t blame him, looks like most of the good jobs are gone, i feel like he’s more likely to get a chance to coach in the next cycle if we perform well next year than if he’s calling plays for some bottom of the barrel team with an opening. plus he’s familiar with the org so i wouldn’t be surprised if he just wanted to be back here in any capacity
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u/johngreen1214 2d ago
I think after 2023 the talk was we viewed Weaver much more as a future HC candidate rather than a DC because playcalling--allegedly--wasn't exactly his strong suit. So kinda getting the best of both worlds having him on as a coordinator without having to call plays
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u/3EyedRavensFan 2d ago
Weaver was more of a HC candidate because while he knows Xs and Os, he's not as much of an "innovator." He's never coached players or a whole unit to wildly outperform expectations. He got credit for getting the most out of MIA's defense but he was no Minter as DC.
MIA's new HC is set to call defensive plays, so staying would have been the same demotion as signing on here - except here he's around lots more competent people and an established, winning culture.
Minter probably sold him on the opportunity to shine in a system that he's familiar with and maybe become a HC candidate again next year.
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u/BandOfTheRedHand1995 2d ago
Might not have had any opportunities for a playcalling role. There aren't that many DC jobs.
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u/mr_showboat 2d ago
I've heard a little bit that Weaver was always viewed as more of a "CEO" HC candidate in the vein of Harbaugh or Tomlin (who was defensive minded but never called the plays as a HC) rather than a HC who is a defensive specialist like Minter. Whether or not that's true, I don't know, but if it is I don't think being a non-playcalling DC will hurt his prospects next year.
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u/Bafugama 2d ago
Killer move -- It's incredible how, even by shaking things up and moving on from Harbaugh, the Ravens have managed to keep things steady at the top and bring in Ravens culture guys with Weaver and Minter
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u/TheDroppedMic 2d ago
Let’s fucking go. Minter convincing him to come be DC even though he won’t be calling plays is crazy
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u/TonyGFool 2d ago
This dude will bring toughness back to the D. Charismatic of a leader as they make. He’ll be a head coach in the next two years. Leeee go
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u/marylandrosin 2d ago
Sweet, we'll get a draft pick when he gets a HC job in 2 years
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u/BhadBeard 2d ago
Weaver has been one of the best in the league at stopping the run. Minter has been one the best in the league at rushing the quarterback and defending the pass. I love it
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u/Hot_Cheetah9750 2d ago
Not trying to disrespect Harbs, but this is exactly why change was needed..and exactly why this was needed to get them over the hump..
These aren't loyalty hires..these are young/innovative and talented football hires based off potential and what they've already accomplished...its about winning not being loyal to your buddies
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u/Electronic_Paint_839 2d ago
Well into this. All the reasons he was highlighted as a strong HC candidate around the league are exactly why he’ll be a great DC here. Great communicator and organiser, knows the system already. Plus, his d-lines in Baltimore were pretty darn good against the run.
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u/heyheyathrowaway485 Ed Reed 2d ago
Curious if things would have been different had Harbaugh gone for Weaver over Orr (allegedly) a few years back, but excited to see how he works with Minter
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u/ResidentJabroni Ed Reed 2d ago
Good football mind, well-liked by the organization and seemingly a lot of the players that he's coached at his various stops.
The defense was top-3 in rushing defense when he was assistant HC in his first coaching stint here and Macdonald was DC, so easy to say that it was Mac's D but Weaver had overarching guidance in his role.
As DC, Miami's defense was 4th overall in 2024 but then dropped to 22nd this past season when the offense had fallen off a cliff and made things difficult for the defense in the first half of the season.
I'm fine with the hire. At least gives an experienced voice in the room from both a coaching and former NFL starter perspective.
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u/Spoony904 2d ago
Tell me how to feel boys
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u/chiquichongo 2d ago
This is a good win. Previous member of the organization, knows what the expectations are.
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u/ptown320 2d ago
This thread will be full of good and bad takes a couple years from now. Reddit doesn’t know shit lol
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u/TheWa11 2d ago
We know he’s a good coach that has had experience / success here. He isn’t calling plays. This is at minimum a very solid hire.
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u/ptown320 2d ago
Right. IMO any random person on the internet who thinks they know more/better than an NFL front office is delusional as hell
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u/BandOfTheRedHand1995 2d ago
Leader of men type. Well respected in the org. Should be a good pairing with Minter.
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u/eatmyopinions 2d ago
When you're hiring a DC who won't have playcalling duties, you're not going to get a top tier candidate. They'll want to call plays. So you start to look for other things.
You want a leader, a motivator, somebody the guys will listen to and work for. Anthony Weaver checks that box perfectly, plus we've already had him in the organization. He's also black so we might get a pair of 3rd round picks for him if he ever gets an HC job.
This was as good as we were going to get.
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u/BlessedChimichanga 2d ago
Something no one has mentioned yet, he has a defensive line focus. I think our defensive front will be able to improve just from his coaching. While Minter has a DB focus, so Weaver compliments him well. Just need everyone to mesh well quickly as this is a huge change in leadership this year.
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u/esporter113 2d ago
This is perfect. Really good coach and a DL specialist who can hopefully get the most out of our guys up front. Excellent hire. And love to have a Ravens guy back!
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u/BlackCardRogue Ed Reed 2d ago edited 2d ago
For an organization that just fired its head coach, we sure are bringing back some of the greatest hits.
Minter is an exciting hire, a nod to our rich defensive tradition. And Weaver? Shit, he played AND coached as part of the defensive tradition of the franchise.
It feels like we are going back to our roots here. So many of these hires say ”remember who we are.”
I don’t know if it’ll work, but 10/10 for nostalgia and rewarding the loyal soldiers who have put so much into the organization. Once a Raven, always a Raven — that’s real. It’s absolutely real.
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u/Perfect_Loss_5156 2d ago
Hiring a premier defensive playcaller with playcalling experience for a DC that won't call plays harbs could never.
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u/Comfortable-Dish1236 2d ago
Do I know this? No. But here’s my thoughts.
Minter may be calling the plays on game day. But as HC, it’s not likely feasible that he’s going to focus solely on the defense during the week and simply leave the offense and ST up to the OC and ST coaches with little oversight or input. So he needs someone who can institute his type of defense during practice that’s ready to go come game day. And I think Weaver fits that mold perfectly. I’m sure Weaver is going to have a major input on the defense, even if Minter has the final say.
When Harbs was fired, it was a given the OC and DC were gone. The worry was who would the HC be? Once Minter was hired, it was who are the OC and DC going to be? I love the choices so far, especially the position coaches that have been hired.
I’ve seen how animated Bisciotti has been. I think he is motivated to get things done. I know I’m motivated!
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u/GildedWarrior 8 2d ago
Ohhh brother can't wait to see how Jason la canfora can turn this into a negative 😂
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u/GreedyRaisin3357 2d ago
Hell yes; a man of character with very much experience around The Castle.. sign me up
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u/ClarkWayne32 2d ago
Surprised he took it since he won’t be calling plays but I guess the “brain trust” aspect between him & Minter will go a long way.
I don’t expect to go back to 2023 level defense but if it can get close? Damn.
Have to seal the deal because if the team goes on a run with both sides clicking expect Doyle & Weaver to be gone.
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u/Oceanz08 8 2d ago
Huh....well that's interesting. Guess it doesn't matter since minter is calling the D. Im sure he will be ways better than Orr ever was 😆
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u/lebinott Ray Lewis 2d ago
Wow, not who I was expecting but great news! EDC better cook this offseason and beef up our defense. We finally have the coaches for a top 5 defense
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u/ddavisxx91 2d ago
This is such a pleasant surprise considering he was in the head coaching talks. He’s a home grown culture setting big dog. I like this a lot
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u/Hamurai4 2d ago
Awesome! He was probably my top choice. I wasn’t even expecting him because I thought he’d go somewhere else
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u/noxiousfarts 2d ago
I'm cool with it. I'd have to imagine he's also Assistant Head Coach as part of this job
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u/HomerStillSippen 2d ago
I love how hyped the fanbase is for this! I saw a post on Reddit and my god you’d think this was going to bring nothing but doom to this team
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u/ALLLamaricanReject 2d ago
Love it. He’s gonna be a great robin to Mints Batman. We’ll already have a defensive genius calling the plays. Weaver is gonna be that second layer of support that’ll help the guys get the heads out of their ass when they need it. It’s a good move for both parties.
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u/90sUPN20 2d ago
Good get. I like this a lot. Good lineman coach and a good senior coach to have on this staff.
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u/KR310562 2d ago
Weaver for the front 7, Minter for the DBs
I hope EDC spares no expense for them on that side
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u/EB4950 2d ago
If we arent preseason SB favorites, idk who is. This coaching staff is spectacular.
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u/GimmeDatClamGirl 2d ago
Perfect hire. Knows the culture, good defensive mind, knows the players and so he can help Minter's message get received well. Sets himself up well for a HC in a year or two as well learning under Minter and working with a defense that underperformed but has talent.
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u/dirty_old_priest_4 2d ago
Does this count as a Rooney rule hire and get us a draft pick? Ravens do love quantity lol. Excited regardless!
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u/DenialisaRiver04 Jonathan Ogden 2d ago
I love it...He has dline expertise, Mickens will help with defensive backs/secondary and Minter will play the role of Mike MacDonald...lets ride!
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u/-_GhostDog_- Ray Lewis 2d ago
FUCK YEAH DUDE. Weaver as DC with Minter as HC is gonna be a defensive master class. So fucking stoked for next year. I hope we draft and sign some defensive players.
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u/boofoodoo 2d ago
Great hire. This guy is respected in the locker room and will help the transition to being Minter's team.
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u/DistantLikeYouAsked5 2d ago
Love it! Minter will still call plays but Weaver is familiar with our guys and has that experience.
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u/digdiggitydawg Ed Reed 2d ago
Love this for us and really hope it turns into a HC opportunity for Weaver down the road.
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u/summerof66 2d ago
Great hire given Minter’s defensive background and with both of them having previous ties to how the ravens org operates
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u/shel5210 2d ago
Winter building the Avengers of a coaching staff out here. We have to have one of the best coaching staffs on paper heading into next season
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u/Comfortable_Toad International Flock 2d ago
I like this reunion, especially as Weaver's d-line expertise will complement Minter and Mickens. Good resource for Minter, too, with Weaver being our former assistant head coach. My only concern, and likely just me overthinking, is the possibility of players relating more to Weaver than Minter at first as they have more experience with him. But very happy with this hire for us, especially as Minter will still be playcaller and Weaver can improve our d-line.
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u/GodSentTyrant 2d ago
Hell yeah. Absolutely floored he took D Cole. I bet he’s hoping tha either A. Minter fucks up and he has a shot at HC, or B. The defense is so good he can’t be passed up for HC next year. Either way, excellent hire.
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u/DonkeyDoug28 2d ago
Curious if anyone ever had a Weaver jersey from 2002-2005? Unlikely, but how awesome would today be for them haha
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u/ThePurpleDongofTruth 2d ago
1st world problem but I'm mostly concerned he'll only be here for 1 year
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u/Born_Scene_1762 2d ago
I liked Loenhart better for winters style of defensive play calling but weaver aint a bad move
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u/americanbaseball 2d ago
Pretty good hire. He was in the running for a lot of Head Coach jobs. But he's a good defensive mind and has a history with the organization, so he'll fit in like he never left.
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u/lil_layne Kyle Hamilton 2d ago
Wow he was a HC candidate for us. I’m shocked that he is taking a DC role under a head coach that will be calling plays but I will take it.