Ozzie Newsome: His top 10 accomplishments with Ravens

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BALTIMORE, MD – DECEMBER 18: Wide receiver Steve Smith #89 of the Baltimore Ravens prays with teammates and player from the Philadelphia Eagles after the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-26 at M&T Bank Stadium on December 18, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

10. Signing Elvis Dumervil and then Steve Smith a year later:

The 2014 playoff run of the Baltimore Ravens ultimately set the Ravens up with a lot of false hope. The Ravens still haven’t made it back to the playoffs and the 2015 season was a 5-11 train-wreck. There were three key ingredients to the Ravens getting back to the playoffs that year. The first was Gary Kubiak. The other two additives were the additions of Elvis Dumervil and Steve Smith Sr. Dumervil had 17 sacks in 2014 while Smith Sr. lead the most productive Ravens offense in recent history.

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If you can believe it, the Ravens only got a chance to sign Dumervil because a fax machine didn’t do its thing and he became available. Newsome swooped in and paid Dumervil. While the Ravens only got one great season from Dumervil, that season gave the Ravens a playoff win in Heinz Field. Dumervil was a force to be reckoned with. If the Ravens had a better secondary they may have won it all in 2014.

Steve Smith Sr. was one of the ultimate play like a Raven kind of Ravens. Smith Sr. was a huge addition to the offense. He gave Joe Flacco a player to lean on in any situation. He was great as a Carolina Panther, but the grit he showed in Baltimore was truly special. The Panthers released Smith Sr. thinking he didn’t have much left in the tank. Smith Sr. proved them wrong and Newsome has to get a lot of credit for never letting Agent 89 leave Baltimore without a contract.

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