Ravens: Greg Mancz trade is further proof of Eric DeCosta’s brilliance
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens made the somewhat surprising move on Saturday to trade backup offensive lineman Greg Mancz to the Miami Dolphins in part of an exchange of late-round draft picks.
The trade wasn’t a surprise in the sense that Mancz was going to make the roster, because he wasn’t. There wasn’t a foreseeable scenario that would have seen the veteran lineman make the 53-man roster and he was likely a longshot for the practice squad.
Rather, it was a surprise that the Ravens were able to get anything of value for him. But that just speaks to the brilliance of general manager Eric DeCosta.
Yes, the trade that saw the Ravens send a seventh-round pick (the one acquired in the Shaun Wade trade) to Miami in exchange for their sixth-round pick is as minor as it gets.
But it demonstrates just how good DeCosta is at his job.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta should be praised for the Greg Mancz trade
Again, it isn’t about the specific compensation that the Ravens received. It’s about the fact that they were able to receive any compensation at all in the first place.
A six-year NFL veteran, the Ravens signed Mancz to their practice squad last January after he was released by the Houston Texans.
He was a veteran with plenty of starting experience, but he never stood a chance to make Baltimore’s roster. In fact, another veteran, Michael Schofield, who the team signed in June, probably had/has a better chance.
Others such as Trystan Colon-Castillo and Ben Bredeson, who are far from roster locks, also had better chances. Even undrafted players like Adrian Ealy and Foster Sarell should at least push for practice squad spots.
As for Mancz, the organization was almost guaranteed to cut ties with him by this coming Tuesday. It’s, quite frankly, a miracle that they were able to get anything of value for him.
But that’s just what Eric DeCosta does.
He’s proven that he isn’t afraid to give up on draft picks early (hello, Shaun Wade) and that he’s aggressive when it comes to dealing draft picks.
Few front offices in the NFL are capable of doing what the Ravens do with DeCosta at the helm.
And while the Mancz trade may seem insignificant (and it probably is in the grand scheme of things), it’s a microcosm of how the Ravens’ organization is run — with aggressive competence.
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That’s the Eric DeCosta way. That’s the Ravens way.