Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens got their first chance to showcase their new offense last week at training camp. After all the offseason hype surrounding Declan Doyle and the refreshing changes he brought, there was finally action.
Now, while a team can’t win a championship in training camp, the foundation of one can be built, and by all accounts in the Ravens building, Doyle is helping to build that foundation.
The two-time NFL MVP Jackson has seen a lot over his nearly decade-long career, which makes his praise of Doyle and his “wizard-like” abilities carry all the more weight.
You’re a Wizard, Declan
Declan Doyle, at just 30 years old, has already impressed both the Ravens staff and players with his preparedness and work ethic.
After the first day of on-field action in training camp, praise once again rang high for Doyle, this time from his quarterback, Lamar Jackson, who, in his post-practice media availability (posted by the Ravens on Twitter), spoke about Doyle pushing all the right buttons so far.
“Dec is like a wizard. He’s trying to get the best out of all of us. Not just the quarterbacks, but every aspect of the offense,” Jackson said. “I feel like he’s doing a great job at that, challenging us each and every play. Even with the huddle, how the huddle is set up, he’s challenging us to get to the line of scrimmage fast, execute, break down our defense, process everything. That’s like process of elimination when we get to the line of scrimmage, so it’s great.”
Doyle has generated excitement across the entire offense from the QB to the line of scrimmage.
Controlling the Room
It’s hard for a young coach to come to a new team and immediately earn the respect of an entire unit, but that is just what Declan Doyle has done in his first few months as Ravens offensive coordinator. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley is the current longest-tenured Raven, entering his 11th season, so his words carry weight when he gives such a strong endorsement of Doyle.
Alvi Carr-Gloth of WMAR-2 News in Baltimore provided a video on Twitter of Stanley’s early impressions of Doyle.
“I’ve been very impressed with Declan, and just his leadership abilities. Especially for such a young guy to come in and control a room, he’s very intelligent, and he has a great way of conveying information to other people. And I think there is just a sense of wisdom about him that is really going to bode well for us.”
With Doyle already impressing veteran players like Stanley and Lamar Jackson, the sense of excitement for the beginning of the regular season begins to build. The Ravens want last season to be an anomaly as they look to return as one of the premier teams in the AFC. If they manage to do so, Doyle’s fingerprints will be all over it.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Lamar Jackson Says New OC Declan Doyle is ‘Like a Wizard’ appeared first on HEAVY.