Schefter: Oakland Hired Saunders As O.C.
It looks like Senior Offensive Assistant Al Saunder’s two-year stint in Baltimore has come to an end.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Oakland Raiders hired Saunders as its offensive coordinator.
The news was expected after Raiders Owner Al Davis hired Hue Jackson, who worked with Saunders in Baltimore in 2009, as his head coach. Davis has interviewed Saunders for spots on his staff before.
“Unlike Chuck Pagano, Saunders is happy to get sentenced to time in Oakland,” wrote PFT.com’s Gregg Rosenthal.
Saunders, 64, will not be calling plays, however. Jackson was a big reason for the Raiders’ offensive turnaround in 2010 and has already announced that he will continue make the offensive calls.
But Saunders’ ties to Oakland’s quarterback Jason Campbell in Washington (2006-2007) should be helpful to the quarterback’s continued development.
ESPN’s Bill Williamson wrote that if Davis gets “the hankering to fire” Jackson, Saunders could be a potential replacement. Davis has hired six head coaches since 2002.
Panthers Hire Ravens’ Ousted Matsko
As Head Coach John Harbaugh predicted, it didn’t take long for the Ravens’ former Offensive Line Coach John Matsko to land on his feet.
Just one day after being relieved of his duties in Baltimore, the Carolina Panthers announced that Matsko is their new offensive line coach.
"John is regarded as an outstanding teacher in both the rushing and pass blocking aspects of offensive line play," Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera told the team’s website. "A good offensive line is vital to the success of any offense, and John has a history of overseeing some outstanding units."
The Ravens announced yesterday that Andy Moeller is their new o-line coach.
Harbaugh Settles Conflicting Reports On Pees
I guess Schefter can’t get them all correct.
After Schefter reported the Eagles had requested permission to talk to Ravens Linebackers Coach Dean Pees for the vacant defensive coordinator job, the Philadelphia Daily News wrote that no such request had been made.
During the annual State of the Ravens press conference, Harbaugh confirmed that Pees was not interviewing with the Eagles.
Pees joined the Ravens last season after spending the past four as the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Pees will be a “stabilizing force” for new Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano. He also has established a good relationship with linebackers Jarret Johnson, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, among others.
Bisciotti Defends Harbaugh’s Radio Comments
When asked about Harbaugh getting upset with an irrational fan during an episode of his weekly WBAL radio show this season, Owner Steve Bisciotti said Harbaugh’s response “didn’t faze me.”
The fan blamed Defensive Line Coach Clarence Brooks for defensive tackle Terrence Cody’s performance earlier this season and suggested that Brooks be fired. Harbaugh said that fan could find another team to cheer for.
"We can take all the criticism in the world, but … if your solution is to whack our partners, that’s what John got frustrated with,” Bisciotti said. “That was the crux of it — fire Clarence, wasn’t it? That’s not a solution, per se.
"Good organizations don’t respond that way. And our goal, more than anything, is to be a quality organization. It takes time and you have to be patient and you have to work with them. There’s time to address those things."
Bisciotti said he’s seen Harbaugh lose his temper before and that was probably the first time he’s lost it on the radio. He explained that Harbaugh is a lot like him in that they are both fiery guys. Bisciotti said he frequently calls General Manager Ozzie Newsome when he needs to vent.
“So I’m very comfortable with John,” Bisciotti said. “If that’s his biggest regret or his biggest mistake in three years, then we’ve got a great future together."
Season Review Conference Wrap-Up
If you missed the 45-minute Ravens’ season review with Bisciotti, Harbaugh, Newsome and President Dick Cass, here are some quick highlights:
- Bisciotti and Newsome both supported Harbaugh in his decision to keep Cam Cameron as the offensive coordinator for 2011. “Sometimes it’s easier to replace [coaches], and the fans, their frustration can’t lead us to offer somebody up for sacrifice for the things that went wrong,” Bisciotti said.
- The Ravens believe quarterback Joe Flacco is exactly where he needs to be in his development and will become an elite quarterback. “Is Joe ever going to be in that [elite] conversation? We think so. We hope so,” Bisciotti said. “We’re going to work to get him there. It might take killing off Peyton [Manning] or something like that to accelerate that process (laughter) but we believe that sooner or later [he'll get there]. If we didn’t, we’d cut bait. We’re not cutting bait with Joe.”
- After officially announcing that Moeller is the new offensive line coach, Bisciotti warned Moeller that this is his “last chance.” Moeller has been charged in three alcohol-related incidents.
- Last year, Bisciotti said his biggest frustration with the Ravens was all the penalties they committed. This year? He wants the run game fixed.
- The Ravens will break a long tradition of raising ticket prices every other year. Cass announced the prices will remain the same partly because of labor uncertainty and the fact that many other teams aren’t raising their prices either.
- The organization has yet to talk to Ray Lewis, but team officials are putting their trust in the linebacker, who was linked by Yahoo Sports to a substance banned by the NFL.
- Bisciotti re-emphasized the team’s focus on re-signing defensive tackle Haloti Ngata to a long-term deal.
- Speaking about his overall feelings of the 2010 season results, Bisciotti said, “I’m proud of the success, I’m disappointed with the loss [to the Steelers]."
Quick Hits
