Baltimore Ravens: Eric DeCosta a “cut-throat” general manager
The Baltimore Ravens have had terrific management from their front office for quite some time, but they’ve never seen someone as aggressive as Eric DeCosta.
It started when he traded former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco and decided to place the franchise on then-22-year old quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s shoulders. It continued when he parted ways with former 2019 fifth-round draft pick Daylon Mack just one year into his NFL career. He put an exclamation point on his resume when he cut All-Pro safety Earl Thomas despite its repercussions to the cap. Truly, Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is a no-nonsense, “cut-throat” businessman.
Eric DeCosta has been groomed to become the Ravens general manager for years and was given the keys after the 2018 season concluded. In his first offseason, DeCosta was aggressive with adding the aforementioned Thomas and Pro Bowl running back Mark Ingram to better his team. DeCosta also did the unthinkable and actually hit on a first-round wide receiver, something the previous regime consistently failed to do, in Oklahoma product Marquise Brown. As a result of his moves, the Ravens went 14-2; the best mark in the league.
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While his resume is short, DeCosta has proven that he’s as aggressive as they come when it comes to making his team better. Baltimore couldn’t have asked for anything more after future Hall of Fame general manager Ozzie Newsome stepped down from his role.
But things haven’t been all sunshine and rainbows for Eric DeCosta. No, the Ravens went one-and-done in the post-season with an embarrassing home loss to the Tennessee Titans. Changes needed to be made, both with the talent and attitude of the team. In adding talent, DeCosta netted Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe for the pass rush and added two studs in the 2020 NFL Draft in linebacker Patrick Queen and running back J.K. Dobbins. Talent-wise, the Ravens now looked even better than their 2019 counterparts.
Meanwhile, the locker room needed cleansing. Baltimore has long had a strong, cultured locker room, but there was an apparent cancer in Thomas that brought the moral down. Thomas looked like half the player he could be in the playoff loss before having an ugly offseason that included a fistfight with fellow safety Chuck Clark. Without hesitation, DeCosta cut ties with Thomas, despite a hefty cap hit and the pedigree of high-level play he’s given throughout his career.
It was a tone-setting move by Eric DeCosta. There is now a zero-tolerance policy from the Baltimore Ravens. If you can’t play the part of a team-first player, you’re not going to be a part of this team. Perhaps that’s why Baltimore hasn’t gone after talents like Yannick Ngakoue or Jamal Adams, despite heavy fan interest in the Pro Bowl talents.
And like never before, somehow players are buying into this culture even more than the past. As previously mentioned, Baltimore has always had a good culture surrounding their team. Eric DeCosta has done the unthinkable and made it even better.
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Eric DeCosta is one of the best in the business for a variety of reasons, but he’s showing the world that he’s not to be taken lightly. If you don’t fall in line with the culture he’s established, you don’t have to worry about suiting up for the team again. DeCosta is a no-nonsense, “cut-throat” executive, and he’s not going anywhere any time soon.