Lamar Jackson Talks Ravens' New Offense Under Todd Monken, Aims to Be 'Vocal Leader'

Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson struck a positive tone Wednesday when discussing his early interactions with first-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

Jackson told reporters that Monken is "very active" in the meeting rooms when laying out the new offensive scheme:

The 2019 MVP added he's expecting to see "less running, more throwing" in Monkey's offense. He also explained Monken will afford him plenty of freedom on the field.

"You can change things when you want to," Jackson said. "You see the defense, and it's not looking right to you. You see some guy blitzing, you might want your WR to do something different. Coach is giving you the free will to do whatever you want to."

Independent of Monken's coaching, Jackson said he set a personal goal of being a more vocal leader on and off the field rather than leading by example:

It didn't look like Jackson's relationship with the Ravens was in a good place earlier in the offseason when he and the team were at a stalemate over his contract. They eventually came to terms on a five-year, $260 million deal that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL on an annual basis.

In addition to keeping its best player, the timing of the agreement was important for Baltimore with Monken coming aboard. The team wouldn't want to re-sign Jackson at a late stage in the offseason, thus limiting his ability to learn the finer nuances of the offense.

The Ravens averted that scenario, and it seems already the two-time Pro Bowler is enjoying the coaching change.