Ravens Fire DC
ESPN just reported that the Ravens have fired their DC. Does this mean McDonald gets a hard look at returning to Baltimore?
I can't see him leaving Michigan yet but I don't know how close John Harbaugh is with him.
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/33118299/baltimore-ravens-fire-defensive-coordinator-don-martindale-source-says
January 21st, 2022 at 6:35 PM ^
Why would John do this to Jim unless he knew Jim was going to NFL? Or is that a stretch?
January 21st, 2022 at 6:50 PM ^
John’s responsibility is to himself and the Ravens. If MacDonald is the best man for the job, that’s who he should go for.
January 21st, 2022 at 7:43 PM ^
I think what John did to give us Mac for this year and what we got out of that, means John has done more than enough to help his brother
January 21st, 2022 at 7:44 PM ^
Do you think that John called Jim and told him that he was going to bring Macdonald back (if that’s his plan). You bet they’ve already talked all about it.
January 21st, 2022 at 7:53 PM ^
I read these comments and I think to myself, who is really this dumb? It's mind boggling to me.
"Johns obligation is to himself" PROFOUND.
"John has done more than enough to help his brother" WOW
"You bet they've already talked about it" EARTH SHATTERING.
I cant even comprehend this thought process.
January 21st, 2022 at 8:19 PM ^
Kinda shows you’re the problem bud.
Those comments are all in response to “why would John do this to Jim?” All point to, John doesn’t owe Jim anything and is going to do what’s best for his team.
Sorry answering a question offends your sensibilities so much. But that really seems like a “you” problem.
January 21st, 2022 at 8:31 PM ^
I, too, am disappointed in the lack of profound commentary on this sports message board. Come on, my fellow philosopher kings, let’s dig deep and find some sort of philosophical essence in this article about *checks notes* the firing of a defensive coordinator.
Talk to you all later, I’m going to go suss out the meaning of life by watching Night Court reruns.
January 21st, 2022 at 9:47 PM ^
Night Court reruns? Where. I need to reconnect to the philosophical essence of Dan Fielding. Truly profound stuff.
January 22nd, 2022 at 9:33 AM ^
Can I say "user name checks out" for myself?
"Fielding" is not solely related to Yost in this case. Haha.
January 23rd, 2022 at 8:56 PM ^
Bull is highly underrated
January 21st, 2022 at 9:08 PM ^
Not going to rag on you. You have had a lot of good posts in your short time here.
My post was more to rebut the fact that John would not take the best DC candidate (if he believed Mac was that, which he most likely doesn’t think he is), he would pass him over because he coaches with his brother. He is still an NFL coach who missed the playoffs and each passing year is further from his Super Bowl win without a Conf Champ appearance and 4 playoff-less seasons since then.
January 21st, 2022 at 11:40 PM ^
Or Jim is returning the favor by steering his old buddy Fangio to Baltimore
January 22nd, 2022 at 10:35 AM ^
Crissaskes, MacDonald is a grown man who can make his own decisions. Don’t talk about him like he’s a fucking commodity so you can get your rumormill porn fix.
January 21st, 2022 at 6:37 PM ^
I feel like an NFL team would want a guy more experienced. He’s been a college DC for all of one season.
January 21st, 2022 at 6:45 PM ^
He was a Ravens defensive position coach for 4 seasons, more than enough experience to be a DC
January 21st, 2022 at 6:46 PM ^
I find the concept of "experience" pretty interesting in the NFL right now. Granted, there's a bunch of coaches and coordinators with 20+ / 30+ years of "experience" who are both doing well or looking for a job now. It's hard to argue with the "experience" of Bill Belichick or potentially some other well establish coaches (Sean Payton, Pete Carroll, etc...). But - across the league - there are some amazing young coaches and coordinators. I actually read this past week that three head coaches in the playoffs (Matt LaFleur, Kyle Shannahan, and Sean McVeigh) are all younger than Tom Brady! Moreover, some of their staffs as well as the coordinators across the league are the same age as the players.
Long story short, I think the NFL has shown they'll hire the best person for the job, agnostic of whether he or she have the most years or biggest resume under their proverbial belts. (read: "best" may be in the eye of the beholder and hirer...not necessarily based on total performance)
January 21st, 2022 at 7:02 PM ^
Give me talent over experience any day!
January 21st, 2022 at 8:53 PM ^
Yesiree. "Now we are cooking with gas"...as my Amish friends and relatives like to say. When I started doing the hiring for our family business one of the early lessons I learned was "Beware of experience". Hire people with skill and initiative-who are internally motivated.
January 22nd, 2022 at 12:57 AM ^
Try running a large business with all talented rookies and let me know how that works out for you. The thing about experience, if a person has enough of it you can reasonably expect that person can do the job...talented rookies become terrible workers in the real world all the time just like in sports.
January 21st, 2022 at 7:15 PM ^
If you read the ESPN article, MacDonald is mentioned as having been “long believed to be the heir apparent to the coordinator job”.
January 21st, 2022 at 6:37 PM ^
Isn't it obvious? The baffling mystery of Jim Harbaugh not informing the MGoBlogosphere his plans directly is solved.
John is going to hire Jim to be his new DC.
January 21st, 2022 at 6:45 PM ^
Maybe Jim is going to hire John to be a defensive analyst.
January 21st, 2022 at 6:45 PM ^
Hopefully hes gunning for vic fangio
January 21st, 2022 at 6:50 PM ^
If I understand correctly, MacDonald learned under the guy they fired and presumably uses the same basic approach the defense. Without knowing anything about what went wrong with the Ravens this year, seems unlikely that the perfect replacement is his less experienced protegee, MacDonald. Could be wrong if the problem was something isolated and discrete like work ethic or being a jerk to the players, but I'm guessing that wasn't it.
January 21st, 2022 at 7:42 PM ^
January 21st, 2022 at 8:48 PM ^
One can agree with the overall defensive philosophy and at the same time think that it is being poorly implemented.
January 27th, 2022 at 11:50 PM ^
Welp.
January 21st, 2022 at 6:55 PM ^
'Mutually parted ways' according to John Harbaugh.
Martindale is considered the innovator behind the Baltimore defense. He's a good one who will land on his feet. Maybe even a head coaching position?
I personally think he'd be perfect as the top guy for the LV Raiders.
January 21st, 2022 at 7:39 PM ^
Hmm, maybe he is headed to LV or has another HC job in mind. (Martindale, that is). Would explain the mutual parting of ways statement. Something else is going on here, I wonder what it is???
January 21st, 2022 at 7:07 PM ^
Conspiracy 101: MacDonald back to the Ravens and Elston is the new DC at Michigan. That's why he left Notre Dame.
January 21st, 2022 at 7:31 PM ^
You'd think they'd just wait and initially announce him as the DC then..
January 21st, 2022 at 7:59 PM ^
Someone just suggested the same thing on Twitter and this was my exact response.
Michigan would have simply waited the extra week to bring Elston in or at least waited to make the announcement. Or possibly announced him with a co-DC title of some sort so the transition would have made sense.
I don’t see how you hire a guy and announce him as the DL coach if you know he’s going to be your DC in a week.
January 21st, 2022 at 8:38 PM ^
I thought if I put "Conspiracy 101" in front of my comment that you all would catch on that I wasn't serious.
January 22nd, 2022 at 2:03 PM ^
Conspiracy 102: Jim to LV, Martindale to Ann Arbor as HC, McDonald back to Ravens as DC, Elston DC at UM.
Just to be clear, not serious.
January 21st, 2022 at 7:17 PM ^
His name has come up as a potential candidate, it’s definitely a risk, especially if harbaugh goes to the nfl
January 21st, 2022 at 7:28 PM ^
No take backs.
January 21st, 2022 at 7:56 PM ^
Y'all got it wrong. John is going to hire Jim to be the DC so that MacDonald can become the new J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Coach of THE University of Michigan Wolverines.
January 21st, 2022 at 8:12 PM ^
This gif is freaking me out. Please make it stop.
January 21st, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
Freak out like this?
January 21st, 2022 at 8:08 PM ^
There are more qualified NFL guys who have been either former DCs or long-time D coaches waiting for the move upward.
John would be putting a lot on the line for a guy with one year as a College DC.
Plus, Wink moving on probably had a lot more to do with a "need for a change" (someone has to take the fall for a 6 game losing streak to end the year). I watched some of their games this year - it was the injury to Jackson more than anything else that cost the Ravens. The D wasn't great this year by any means but not the reason they lost 9 games.
The CBS article on Ravens mentions some current NFL coaches. I feel Mike is here for a few more years - and BESIDES what does Mike want to be in 3-5 years. A NFL DC, CFB Power 5 HC, etc.?
January 22nd, 2022 at 8:52 AM ^
The ravens were on their like 4th string RB also
January 21st, 2022 at 8:13 PM ^
This is what I was wondering as well. I believe he will go back to Baltimore if he is offered. It would be tough to turn down.
January 24th, 2022 at 12:48 PM ^
Why would anyone want to live in bumfk Baltimore?
January 21st, 2022 at 9:00 PM ^
I’d say winning the B1G championship and making it to the CFP playoff really brought them closer together…
January 21st, 2022 at 9:34 PM ^
There is a joke about two old Irishmen sitting on the end of a pier. One turns to the other and says "Seamus thats the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen." Seamus replies "boy are we going to pay for this".
This is how I have chosen to believe the arc of my life will play out, I have yet to be disappointed
January 21st, 2022 at 10:03 PM ^
Jesus christ. (no religion) Jim Harbaugh to Ravens as a DC. Fuck this life.
January 21st, 2022 at 10:56 PM ^
Better put an end to the Jim Harbaugh to the Ravens as DC immediately.