When the Baltimore Ravens hired Declan Doyle as their offensive coordinator, one thing that stood out was that he is 29 years old. Coincidentally, this makes Doyle the same age as Lamar Jackson. Perhaps more interestingly, though, Doyle became the youngest OC in the league.
While there could be some level of risk associated with hiring such a young coach, there are also plenty of positives. One of these positives is the ability to connect better with players -- which Doyle spoke to during a recent press conference.
"It's a little bit easier for me to connect with guys because we are the same age," Doyle said candidly.
Doyle's ability to connect with players could be a game-changer
There's no denying that relatability will be a major advantage for Doyle and the Ravens. Beyond X's and O's being able to connect with players is a vital part of a coach's job. And comparing him to the 56-year-old Todd Monken, who Jackson reportedly didn't have a great relationship with, and while Monken denied that, this will still be a beneficial change. Again, he's just 29 years old.
Having a strong relationship between players and coaches is a vital component of successful teams. For the Ravens, this could be a major factor in their ability to (finally) reach their Super Bowl goals, especially considering just how big a shift this will be.
Around the NFL, we've seen an influx of younger coaches. This started with Sean McVay, who was hired at age 30 back in 2017, and since then, we've seen this trend take off throughout the league. Undoubtedly, his relatability to players has been a key part of his success with the Los Angeles Rams.
Thankfully, it seems that youth hasn't completely arrived in the AFC North. The Pittsburgh Steelers hired 62-year-old Mike McCarthy to be their head coach this offseason, and the Cleveland Browns brought in Todd Monken. If the youth movement is a true benefit, the Ravens' coaching staff has another edge in their division.
With Jesse Minter (42), Anthony Weaver (45), and Doyle, the Ravens have three coaches younger than age 50. As such, they should all be able to relate to players better than Baltimore's previous coaching staff -- Weaver's experience as a seven-year NFL player should also help immensely in this regard.
Being the youngest of the bunch, though, Doyle might end up being the most relatable. His connection with Lamar will, of course, be the most crucial aspect of his job in terms of relating to players. Doyle notably built up a great relationship with Caleb Williams last season, so there's evidence to suggest this could happen with Jackson outside of simply his age.
Outside of his ability to connect with players, Doyle has openly discussed that he will focus on making the Ravens offense more explosive -- an element that they've lacked in years past. Yet again, Lamar will be the biggest winner of this change.
Ultimately, if you're a Ravens fan, it's hard not to be excited about Doyle's arrival and his influence on the team.