The Ravens’ 2026 offense already has a different feel to it, and the biggest reason is sitting behind the play sheet.
Declan Doyle is only 30, has never called plays before and is building his own offense for the first time. That alone makes Baltimore one of the more fascinating setups in the league. Lamar Jackson is about to work with his third offensive coordinator, but this is something else entirely: a young coordinator with a blank canvas and a clear influence in Sean Payton.
And if you know Payton’s offense, you know about the “joker.”
Payton described that role on “The Daily Flock Show” as a hybrid offensive weapon, usually a TE/RB/FB type with strong hands, the ability to line up in the backfield or among big personnel, and the route-running and physicality to matter in the passing game. It’s a central piece of what he does, and over the years he’s used players like Jeremy Shockey, Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles and Taysom Hill in that spot.
That’s why Adam Randall keeps popping up in the conversation.
The Ravens’ fifth-round pick, a 6-3, 232-pound rookie with a unique background as a high school quarterback and receiver at Clemson - and, for one season, a running back there too - has looked like a natural fit for that kind of role. The idea has been floating around for a while, especially with the changes Payton says are coming to Baltimore, including more tempo and pace, plus more under-center formations instead of living in the pistol or shotgun.
Payton didn’t hesitate when Randall came up.
“He’s a joker, yeah,” Payton said before I could finish getting the question out. “Listen, I love that you brought him up.”
The Broncos spent real time digging into Randall during the draft process. They brought him in for a private workout, then went even deeper by flying their tight end coach across the country to see whether he could handle the “F responsibilities” that come with a fullback or blocking tight end type of job.
They filmed the workout, brought it back to Denver and watched it as a staff. The verdict was strong.
“We ran him through certain running back drills and then we put him in space and we put him in tight end drills and F drills,” Payton explained. “I think his superpower is his receiving ability. So I would say, um, I don’t know what they’re going to list him as (on the roster in terms of playing position) and I wouldn’t be concerned with that, alright …
“With Randall, you’re going to see a player that receives the ball extremely well. We didn’t have the vision of handing the ball off to him 25 or 30 times, but we had the vision of this guy definitely being more in that F mode.
If you just watched his greatest hits as a receiver, those were impressive. And then the move to halfback was really based on what they needed and he obviously did a great job with that.
“But I’m glad you brought him up, because he was a little pet cat for us during the draft, particularly for me … So we had a vision for him as well. I wasn’t surprised at all to see that selection. I was kind of happy for Declan and Baltimore.”
That kind of endorsement matters, especially with a rookie quarterback-turned-receiver-turned-running back who comes into the league with plenty to learn. The Ravens’ offensive staff is new, the system is new, and there will be a learning curve. But the fit is obvious enough that the “joker” question may already have an answer in Baltimore.
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