Ravens Safety Excited For New DC

Baltimore Ravens safety Marcus Williams believes the future is bright under new defensive coordinator Zach Orr.

Oct 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Marcus Williams (32) before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

After finishing as the league's best defense last season, the Baltimore Ravens now look to repeat that success under a brand new coordinator.

Mike Macdonald, Baltimore's previous defensive coordinator, left to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks earlier this offseason, leaving inside linebackers coach Zach Orr to step up and take his place. As someone who already knows the Ravens defense extremely well, Orr will likely run a similar scheme to that of his predecesor, albeit with a few new bells and whistles.

Just a few months into his tenure as defensive coordinator, the 32-year-old already has his players buying into his vision.

"He definitely has the respect of the room," safety Marcus Williams said on NFL Network's "The Insiders." "He comes in every day and puts in that time and that work -- age is just a number -- you put in that time and that effort to come out and be the best at your role as he did as a player, he's gonna do as a coach.

"I have the utmost respect for him; the way he presents himself, the way he carries himself, how he coaches us and how he listens to whatever we have to say. He doesn't have an ego where we can't put our input. So, that's a good thing, but he isn't going to hold back just because he feels we're about the same age. He's still going to give you that good, hard coaching."

Orr knows the Ravens very well, as he has not only coached in Baltimore for six of the past seven seasons, but also played there as a linebacker from 2014-2016. Now, he takes over a defense that led the league in turnovers (31) and sacks (60) last season, and is extremely versatile to boot.

"A lot of people think they got it figured out and then you change something," Williams said. "You got to be chameleons when you're in this league because people, you know, they adapt, and they see you on film, they can see how you stand, how you align, and each and every week you got to be able to change a little here, a little there. We have a good thing going in our group and we're able to see what the offense is doing to try and attack those defense and those coverages. That defense is really good for us -- depending on which one you're talking about."

Learning a new system is always tough, even if Orr is keeping things relatively familiar. If Williams' words are anything to go by though, Orr shouldn't have much trouble adjusting to his new role as leader of the defense.

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