The Baltimore Ravens have had very smart people in the general manager position ever since their arrival in the NFL in 1996. First, Ozzie Newsome gave so much to the organization as the team’s first general manger from 1996-2018, and now current GM Eric DeCosta has taken over the reigns of the franchise, with his first season being in 2019.
DeCosta is widely regarded as one of the better general managers in the NFL, and routinely brought up among some of the best. However, in his recent general manager power rankings, Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com had DeCosta ranked rather low, giving him the 15th spot on his list. When explaining why, Rosenthal talked about how while the team is one of the best at balancing out draft picks with veterans, DeCosta just has to hit on a few home runs in the draft like Newsome did.
“You can barely tell Ozzie Newsome has left the GM post, which is intended as the highest of compliments. The Ravens balance short-term goals against veteran contracts along with tough decisions about their future (the Orlando Brown trade) as well as any team in the league. Baltimore staying competitive despite the worst injury luck in two decades speaks to the organizational strength. DeCosta just needs a few draft home runs like Newsome used to hit to round out the portfolio.”
Despite his low ranking of DeCosta, Rosenthal seems to think very highly of the Ravens’ general manager. DeCosta is currently in his fourth year on the job, so it also is possible more veteran general managers won out just based off of experience
DeCosta has done a great job for Newsome ever since taking over in 2019. While not every move of his has been perfect, no general manager has a perfect resumé. If he can hit on those few draft home runs, he has the potential to solidify a great legacy in Baltimore, especially if the Ravens can bring home a Lombardi Trophy or two.
