NFL Offseason Awards: Ravens, Todd Monken, Lamar Jackson get nods

The offseason will be over this weekend as the NFL transition to the preseason portion of the summer. The line is definitely a blurry one, yes, but training camps make for a good delimiter and most teams will hit the training ground at some point next week.

With NFL Draft and (for the most part) free agency already in the books, it's time to hand some definitive awards related to what has gone on through the past few months.

The Baltimore Ravens turned into one of the most-active franchises last spring, or rather, the most interesting. That's because some of the action was related to the wait game played between Flock Nation and Lamar Jackson, albeit it all ended happily for both parties with the extension of the quarterback inked and now dried in the Ravens' books.

In an article published by The Score, the staff of the website handed different members of the Ravens some flowers for their offseason. Here's a little review of their picks.

Best Signing: QB Lamar Jackson

The Score think that "there were moments when it looked like the Ravens might need to reset at quarterback," following the never-ending saga of Jackson's extension with the only team he's ever played for, but both sides ended up agreeing to a five-year contract worth $260 million.

"Baltimore retained an elite player at the most important position and Jackson became the highest-paid player in NFL history," which is reason enough for the outlet to hand the Ravens the no. 1 signing of the offseason.

Best Coaching Hire: OC Todd Monken

The staff of The Score named Todd Monken's hiring by the Ravens as their third-best coaching hire of the offseason.

As they pointed out, "after four years of Greg Roman's run-heavy offense, the Ravens are switching things up." Monken, who comes from Georgia of the NCAA, is expected to bring a more diverse and pass-led playbook to Baltimore.

"Monken should create a system that promotes moving the ball through the air while still leveraging quarterback Lamar Jackson's dynamic rushing ability."

The new Ravens OC arrives in Baltimore having won back-to-back chips at the collegiate level in the past two years. Not bad!

Most Improved Playoff Team: Baltimore Ravens

Finally, The Score see the Ravens as the most improved team which made the 2022 playoffs thanks to their offseason moves. As they highlight in their blurb, the Ravens signed Jackson, added veteran WRs Odell Beckham and Nelson Agholor, drafted wideout Zay Flowers with their first-round pick, and brought in OC Todd Monken to shuffle things up a bit.

"Baltimore successfully inked Roquan Smith to a long-term extension, though those moves didn't come in the offseason. The team also drafted LB Trenton Simpson and EDGE Tavius Robinson to add more talent to their front seven," which is also important considering the full-picture roster as the Ravens have always thrived on defense and The Score made sure to mention that side of the game in their blurb.

More Baltimore Ravens News