In Declan Doyle's New Ravens Offense, Jokers May Come In Every Shape And Size

The concept of a “Joker” offensive weapon in the Ravens new offense, borrowing heavily from longtime NFL head coach Sean Payton, tends to focus on a dual-threat tight end body who can also carry the ball some and toggle between three positions.

It’s usually a heftier player who can assume some TE/RB/WR duties. But the offense being installed for the first time by Ravens rookie coordinator Declan Doyle is seeking that sort of multiplicity in various ways. Incorporating what Payton instilled in him in years spent together in New Orleans and Denver, with what he learned in one year under Ben Johnson in Chicago, with what he’s gleaned from masterminds like Sean McVay.

One of the overriding goals, as best I can tell from the more coaches I speak with and study, is to have hybrid players across the board who understand the offense from multiple mindsets and can assume various responsibilities and assume various routes that don’t always stem from that player’s primary position. Figuring out who is doing what becomes quite complicated.

The Joke Is On The Defense

And Zay Flowers, the one proven playmaker in this passing game still very much in his prime, seemed to be alluding to just that as he was probed about Doyle’s new offense after practice on Thursday.

“Everybody has been touching the ball,” Flowers explained. “Everybody has been everywhere. Everybody is getting used to every position. Everybody is positionless. Everybody can play every spot — inside; outside — sometimes the receivers are playing the tight end position, so you never know."

Jokers everywhere. In all shapes and sizes. Love the sound of that.

None other than Payton, for what it’s worth (quite a bit), made a strong case for rookie fifth-round pick Adam Randall being a prototypical Joker in his offense on “The Daily Flock Show” as the bigger-bodied version. Another late round pick, tight end Matthew Hibner, is more a big receiver than a true tight end though he is considered a tight end, while I strongly expect another draft pick, Elijah Sarratt, to handle a lot of slot tight end duties given his frame and strengths in a hybrid role guys like Jordy Nelson and Cooper Kupp performed elsewhere.

This has clearly been a massive point of emphasis in roster construction and the draft. And, frankly, the more such players Doyle can trust in a multitude of ways the easier it makes his job as someone implementing his own playbook and installing his own offense and calling plays for the first time.

Further unlocking Flowers, even after his career year, is imperative as well.

Another Level For Zay?

No, he can’t have 800 more receiving yards than anyone in the offense again in 2026. Balance is essential. But he is the most dynamic and athletic pass catcher, by far, and there are things that can be done to fight for certain matchups and unleash him in quadrants of the field he hasn’t found the ball in much in the past.

“This offense allows me to do everything — deep balls, short routes, mid-routes, everything,” Flowers said. “Touch the ball coming out of the backfield — everything. So, it allows me to show everything I need to show."

Flowers kills teams on crossers and picks up a ton of YAC across the middle of the field – especially when plays break down – and lacks the size to be a prototypical No. 1 receiver on the outside. But he still could show up more there and much more in the redzone and endzone than he has in the past, because some of the numbers are frankly bleak.

It begins with moving him around more – learning the offense from multiple positions can built that trust. Todd Monken has Flowers in motion on 23% of his snaps last season, as high a number as you will find (Puka Nacua was slightly below Flowers), but that actually ticked down from 25% the year before.

Flowers, who is eligible for a new contract but a lack of touchdowns could make landing true No. 1 WR money tricky, was also in the slot only about a third of the time a year ago. But with so many bigger bodies in the mix now I suspect that changes. He caught 80% of his targets when aligned in the slot and doubled his YAC/reception there (7.5 per slot catch), though you do run the risk of fumbles in those high-traffic spots.

We are mere days into camp, and, especially with all the shapeshifting involved, it’s going to take time to click. Everything in theory, through glorified walk throughs in the spring, had the players brimming with excitement. But all the nuance won’t be really unveiled in the regular season.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson is learning an entirely new system, not much is being retained; the verbiage and concepts are different.

"No, it is back to square one,” Flowers said. “It is a whole lot different in terms of calling the plays, the name of the plays and remembering. It is a lot different.”

The idea of multiple Jokers is brand new, too. It could be quite effective if this group can master it.

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