Declan Doyle
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Baltimore Ravens GM Eric DeCosta revealed new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is "phasing out" a key position.
Things are going to look a lot different on offense for the Baltimore Ravens with Declan Doyle calling plays, and general manager Eric DeCosta has already revealed the new coordinator is “phasing out” a key position.
“Phasing out” was a phrase used by The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer after he’d listened to an interview DeCosta gave to 105.7 The Fan. DeCosta spoke with Cordell Woodland and Ben Hall, telling them how “in the past, as you guys have known that we’ve used a fullback, and we’re probably going to segue to, probably more of a tight end look than a fullback, traditional fullback look.”
A tip-off the Ravens will no longer use a lead blocker in the backfield came earlier in 2026 NFL free agency. When DeCosta let six-time Pro Bowler Patrick Ricard agree to record-setting terms to reunite with former head coach John Harbaugh with the New York Giants.
Ricard’s exit signalled the change, but ditching the old-school fullback role is still a significant departure from how the Ravens have operated for years. What’s more significant is how ex-Chicago Bears OC Doyle’s Ricard-less offense will impact the Ravens’ plans at tight end.
Plans DeCosta detailed at length to Woodland and Hall.
Declan Doyle Making a Significant Change
Removing the fullback as a viable part of their offense will radically alter how the Ravens move the ball. Not least because fullbacks have been franchise staples for years, with the likes of Lorenzo Neal and Le’Ron McClain, who became an All-Pro and back-to-back Pro Bowler on Harbaugh’s watch, notable examples.
This tradition was kept alive by Richard, particularly last season, when “The Ravens ran on 76.4% of Patrick Ricard’s snaps in 2025, the 2nd-highest run rate of any player in the NFL. They averaged +0.13 EPA per play with Ricard on the field, compared to -0.09 with him off the field,” according to Next Gen Stats.
There’s an argument to be made the Ravens will be less predictable without a Ricard-type on the field. Defenses might have to second guess more often whether the Ravens will run or pass, although Ricard’s absence could negatively impact their ground game.
That is unless DeCosta can follow through with his plans for another position.
Ravens Set to Load Up at a Different Spot
Doyle won’t use a throwback fullback, but his offenses in Chicago were certainly heavy on tight ends. The Ravens are planning something similar, despite losing two tight ends in free agency, including Isaiah Likely, who joined Ricard with the Giants.
DeCosta has already begun reloading by reuniting Doyle with Durham Smythe. The latter often took on a blocking role for the Bears, and the Ravens appear primed to furnish Doyle with more tight ends. At least based on DeCosta telling Woodland and Hall, “We probably are looking for a tight end or two and that could be again free agency and that could be the draft.”
Plundering the draft for tight end help has been a favorite ploy of DeCosta’s in the past, and he admitted “It’s a pretty a good year draft-wise. We’ve spent some time on these guys and we’ll do more work on them as well.”
More work could lead DeCosta and the Ravens to a dynamic mismatch tipped to still be on the board in Round 2. There are other intriguing prospects to consider, meaning the Ravens and their 11 draft picks are well-positioned to help Doyle recreate what he had with Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland in Chicago.