Eric DeCosta is one of the three most trusted general managers in my eyes. Here is a look at the best decision makers and the worst and a breakdown of why the Ravens are in good hands going into the NFL Draft.
Most Trusted General Managers:
1. Bill Belichick: New England Patriots
The most trusted decision maker in the NFL is also the one with the most Super Bowl rings. While this year we’re going to see if it was Brady or the system keeping New England elite, you can trust Beliichick from a player personnel standpoint. The one thing that sticks out about the Patriots is that they have a type. When a player gets picked to New England, my usual reaction is “Yup, that’s such a Patriots pick.” Brady wasn’t the only good thing about the Patriots. They always have a playoff ready roster.
2. Eric DeCosta: Baltimore Ravens
When it comes to the NFL Draft, there are a few things you have to love about Eric DeCosta. First, he knows the value he can get out of every pick. There has never been better uses for fifth round picks than trading for Calais Campbell and Marcus Peters.
Trading back into the first round to get Lamar Jackson may have been Ozzie Newsome‘s last big accomplishment however that has DeCosta written all over it. The Ravens have built their team around Jackson and because of that they are Super Bowl contenders with an MVP. It’s still very early into his tenure as the decision maker in Baltimore, however he was groomed for this job by Newsome. DeCosta can work the NFL Draft the same way any of the best general managers can.
3. Mickey Loomis: New Orleans Saints
Trust is sometimes built by results and sometimes it’s just because the roster is impressively stacked. Mickey Loomis gets the benefit of both as the general manager of an NFC contender. The Saints roster is about as good as it gets. You have a historically good quarterback in Drew Brees. He has a solid offensive line and weapons like Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and Jared Cook. Defensively the Saints have stars like Cameron Jordan and Marshon Lattimore. They are a great team with another shot at a Super Bowl.
General managers you shouldn’t trust:
1. Dave Gettleman: New York Giants
Gettleman is the most frustrating general manager in football. As long as he has done this he really should be better at the NFL Draft. Last year he took Daniel Jones with the sixth pick. Even if that works out, it was too early. Gettleman has glaring needs on the offensive line for the Giants. Since taking the job in 2018, he really hasn’t tried to fix that. He has however taken a running back and a quarterback in back to back drafts and put them in bad spots. Gettleman is the general manager who always does the opposite of what you think he should do. I have zero trust in him.
2. Bill O’Brien: Houston Texans
Bill O’Brien went from being the coach holding the Texans back to being the coach and general manager holding the Texans back. There’s no more DeAndre Hopkins in Houston. Instead there is David Johnson and Brandin Cooks. The Texans traded two first round picks and Kenny Stills to the Dolphins for Laremy Tunsil. The Texans still haven’t paid Tunsil and that’s hanging over them. O’Brien is a frustrating figure of power in the NFL. When he’s wrong he’s really wrong.
3. Les Snead: Los Angeles Rams
Les Snead has drafted some very good players. He’s been with the Rams since 2012 and he has an impressive list of Pro Bowl draftees (There’s a but coming)… but he’s on a bad decision streak. He over traded for Jalen Ramsey. Jalen Ramsey is set to become a free agent after the 2020 season. and now the Rams don’t get a first round pick for the next two years. The Rams over committed to Jared Goff, whose best season saw him flop in the Super Bowl. The Rams went all in during a year they missed out on the playoffs and now they are in a bad spot to keep building the roster in.
Take home point for Ravens fans:
The bottom line is that the Ravens shouldn’t be worried about the NFL Draft. In fact they shouldn’t be worried at all. In one draft Eric DeCosta did better at wide receiver than Ozzie Newsome did his entire run. Marquise Brown is poised to be a star. The 2018 draft was something DeCosta was very much a partner with Newsome for. There is no way Newsome would put DeCosta in a situation he didn’t want to be in. 2018 is something DeCosta should get some credit for. So he had a hand in bringing the MVP, Mark Andrews and Orlando Brown Jr. to Baltimore.
The thing that DeCosta has in common with the other elite decision makers in the NFL is that he understands draft value well. He’s not a decision maker who gets forced into picks. He makes responsible trades that give him more draft resources. DeCosta has become a lot like Belichick.
That’s not something Ravens fans may want to hear considering their disdain for the Patriots, however it’s absolutely true. When somebody makes a trade with DeCosta they tend to lose. That’s a Belichick trait. I would argue that DeCosta is a mix between Belichick and Newsome. Like Belichick he works the draft well. We’ve seen that with his trades. Like Belichick, DeCosta has a type of player he looks for. Like Newsome, he sticks to his board without apology.
What do all the bad general managers do? They reach for players like Gettleman. They don’t plan things out like Bill O’Brien. They don’t give themselves an out on their decisions like Les Snead. These are all things the Ravens don’t have to worry about. DeCosta may or may not do what you would do, however he surely won’t do what these guys will. For that, Baltimore should be thankful.