ExtremeRavens Posted 20 hours ago Posted 20 hours ago MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — As Eric DeCosta stepped through the double doors leading to the visitors’ locker room at Hard Rock Stadium late Thursday evening, rap lyrics bounced off the walls and a rare wide smile stretched across his face. The Ravens’ general manager flashed a grin toward his wife, Lacie, as the two embraced, clasped hands and slipped out into the South Florida night, the echoes of Baltimore’s 28-6 dismantling of the Dolphins still pulsing behind them. It was a satisfying walk for the team’s top football executive who hasn’t had many easy strides this year. The performance he witnessed proved that despite a forgettable start to the season, the Ravens can still fight and compete — and they’re close enough that DeCosta can’t afford to stand still with the NFL trade deadline looming Tuesday afternoon. Just look at the product on display in Thursday’s blowout victory. Baltimore’s defense is awakening, Lamar Jackson is back, and the Ravens’ season suddenly has life. DeCosta must treat this surge as an invitation for more smart additions with the belief that this Jackson-led roster can still contend deep into January. DeCosta has whiffed on more than a few personnel swings. Two of his bigger offseason additions — backup quarterback Cooper Rush and cornerback Jaire Alexander — were healthy scratches Thursday, a combined $12 million of salary watching in street clothes. But the same executive who misfired on those signings also struck gold earlier this month. Aside from Jackson’s return, no move has transformed Baltimore’s season more than the Oct. 7 trade that sent edge rusher Odafe Oweh to the Chargers in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman. In just three short weeks, Gilman’s presence has helped reshape the identity of Baltimore’s defense. Gilman’s first-half forced fumble and recovery led to the Ravens’ first touchdown drive and boosted a visitors sideline that has often struggled to sustain energy. Gilman’s takeaway marked one of a season-high three takeaways for the Ravens, who shut out the Dolphins in the second half. Gilman’s true impact, though, lies within his presence across the secondary, which has freed Mr. Do-It-All safety Kyle Hamilton to once again become one of the league’s most dangerous defensive chess pieces. Through the season’s first four games, Hamilton aligned in the box on just 17.4% of defensive snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. Since Gilman’s arrival, Hamilton’s frequency in the box has soared to around 60%. Against the Dolphins, Hamilton was a wrecking ball often lining up near the trenches, disrupting throwing lanes, blowing up screens and clogging holes in the run game. “Kyle Hamilton is able to move around and be who he is,” rookie safety Malaki Starks said. “He doesn’t have to stay in [the secondary], which I think is special and very important. For him to go out there and play his game, and when we plan around him, it’s awesome.” Flexibility with Hamilton has changed just about everything for Zach Orr’s defense, which successfully kept Miami out of the end zone in the Week 9 prime-time contest. “I’m just slowly building the chemistry with the guys here,” Gilman said. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms, I’m grateful to be part of it. This is just the beginning. We have a lot of work to do.” Are you listening, DeCosta? Baltimore’s defense finally looks alive, but it’s still incomplete. The run defense and pass rush, in particular, both lack consistency. The Ravens’ two sacks of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa were more byproduct of his hesitation and indecision than Baltimore’s push. As veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy told the Prime Video broadcast, the pass rush hasn’t been the same since defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike went down with a season-ending neck injury in mid-September. Beefing up the trenches should be DeCosta’s top priority over the next five days. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson breaks free from Dolphins outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips. The Miami pass rusher could help the Ravens' defense this season. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Someone in the mold of the Jets’ Quinnen Williams could help make up for Madubuike’s absence. Two other intriguing options were visible on the opposite sideline Thursday night in Miami’s Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, both of whom recorded impressive pancakes against Baltimore’s offensive line and fullback Patrick Ricard. For DeCosta to acquire such pieces, he must be willing to shed some of Baltimore’s precious draft capital. When glancing at the defensive line’s current makeup, relying on 36-year-old John Jenkins (4,291 career snaps) and 34-year-old Brent Urban (2,565) to anchor the line feels like patch work, and it could be a risky formula once meaningful football arrives in December and January. Bring on the reinforcements. The Gilman trade should remind DeCosta and company what a timely, targeted move is capable of creating. Gilman’s arrival reshaped Hamilton’s role and more importantly has drastically changed how opponents both gameplan and attack Orr’s evolving defensive scheme. Just six days ago, the Ravens were 1-5. But for the first time all season, the Ravens boast momentum. Looking ahead, Baltimore faces one of the league’s easiest remaining schedules with five of its last eight games coming against division opponents. Back inside the jubilant visitors locker room, players and coaches embraced one another in celebratory fashion as NBA YoungBoy lyrics blared from a loud speaker. DeCosta lingered just long enough to soak in the sound before heading toward the corridor where his wife waited. He broke his typical serious face and smiled like one who believed the tide was finally turning. “I hate that idea of just a closed window,” DeCosta said in late August. “Being a GM on a closed window team gives me anxiety, and I don’t want to be that GM.” Baltimore’s window appears to be opening again. Given the extremely positive results from his most recent acquisition, it’d be wise for DeCosta to serve up another act. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article Quote
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