Browns

The Browns hired Mike Rutenberg as their new defensive coordinator following his time as the Falcons’ defensive pass game coordinator. Atlanta DC Jeff Ulbrich highly praised Rutenberg, calling him one of the “best teachers in this league.”

“He’s one of the best teachers in this league,” Ulbrich said, via Josh Kendall of The Athletic. “He understands the back end at a PhD-plus level. He’s a huge part of our success back there. Whether he gets a coordinator job this season or next, it’s inevitable. He’s too good a coach.”

Ravens

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic takes a look at the Ravens’ top 10 impending free agents:

Zrebiec ranks C Tyler Linderbaum atop his list, noting that he will have a lot of demand on the open market. Zrebiec expects him to eclipse Chiefs C Creed Humphrey‘s $18 million annual salary to become the league’s highest-paid center.
Zrebiec has TE Isaiah Likely at No. 2, writing that he’s proven he can be a “significant weapon” as a pass-catcher. Zrebiec thinks it’s hard to rule out his possible return, given that he’s close friends with Lamar Jackson.
With OLB Dre’Mont Jones, Zrebiec believes Baltimore could take “an even bigger swing” at the position. Still, Zrebiec could see Jones getting a solid contract as a free agent.
Zrebiec is interested in seeing whether P Jordan Stout can demand a contract similar to Seahawks P Michael Dickson‘s $4.05 million annual deal.
Regarding FB Patrick Ricard, Zrebiec wonders if the fullback is viewed more as a “luxury” than as a necessity.
According to Zrebiec, people around the league identified TE Charlie Kolar as someone who could get paid more than expected in free agency.
As for CB Chidobe Awuzie, Zrebiec thinks dependable cornerbacks are difficult to find and that the veteran could be signed to a manageable deal.
Although S Alohi Gilman has experience under new HC Jesse Minter during his time with the Chargers, Zrebiec expects the safety to have options on the open market.
If Baltimore lets Gilman walk, Zrebiec wonders if they will consider bringing back DB Ar’Darius Washington.
Regarding QB Tyler Huntley, Zrebiec could see him being targeted by several backup-needy quarterback teams.

Ravens

Ravens’ new OC Declan Doyle is the league’s youngest offensive coordinator at just 29-years-old. Doyle thinks his youthfulness will help him connect with players.

“I view it as an advantage,” Doyle said, via Clifton Brown of the team’s site. “Because I’ve grown up in the same world as some of these guys, I’m able to connect with them maybe a little bit easier than it might be for somebody who’s 20 years older than a player. I’ve never viewed it as a setback. It’s actually something I’ve found that’s been a benefit to me. Knowledge is power. If you can help a player, they really don’t care where you come from. They don’t care how old you are. If you can help them advance their career, if you can help them advance our team and goals, they’re willing to listen, and they’re wide open to that.”

Doyle is confident that he will establish trust with QB Lamar Jackson over time.

“That trust is going to be earned through time,” Doyle said. “It’s not like I can call up Lamar and say, ‘Hey, I need you to trust me.’ We’ll earn that over time, and it’s really going to be a two-way street. He’s got to earn my trust [and] I have to earn his trust, and that goes for every player that we have. It’s a huge piece of what we envision here. Trust is built off communication and accountability to that communication. Accountability is us saying something and doing what we say.”

Doyle comes to Baltimore after being the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2025 under HC Ben Johnson. Doyle says that his new role will allow him to put his “own spin” on things, unlike his duties in Chicago.

“My role last year was to support Ben, support the rest of the staff, make sure I was giving ideas,” Doyle said. “Ben may have had other things going on as the head coach. You were setting the table to where he could come in and most of the work was already done. The difference here is being able to put your own spin on some of those things. This is really a collaborative thing with myself and our staff. This is our offense. This is the 2026 Baltimore Ravens. This is what we want it to look like.”

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