ExtremeRavens Posted Friday at 11:30 AM Posted Friday at 11:30 AM This offseason is shaping up to be a new test for Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta. For the first time in his tenure, DeCosta will be tasked with retooling a roster alongside a head coach not named John Harbaugh. Is the team’s top football chief ready for the challenge? On Tuesday, owner Steve Bisciotti offered DeCosta a strong public endorsement, labeling him an “.800 hitter.” The comment reinforced Bisciotti’s confidence in DeCosta, but the reason why Bisciotti made himself available in a news conference setting for the first time since 2018 is because the Ravens failed to reach expectations in 2025 and, in turn, parted ways with their veteran coach. Harbaugh might be gone, but this past season exposed a series of DeCosta-led roster decisions that actively contributed to the team’s downfall. To his credit, DeCosta didn’t shy away from that reality. “When you underachieve, you can blame a lot of things,” DeCosta said. “We didn’t play consistently from game to game. … We underachieved as a scouting staff, as a coaching staff and as players. [We underachieved] across the board, and we have to own that, and I think we will. We’re excited about it. We’ve been in this position before, many times over the last 30 years where we’ve had to rebuild and tweak and change and adjust and really look at ourselves and say, ‘What can we do better?’ “I think it starts with me. It starts with the new coaching staff, and I think the players will be accountable as well.” DeCosta’s misfires were widespread. The signing of quarterback Cooper Rush was supposed to be a conservative insurance policy behind Lamar Jackson. Instead, it became one of the season’s most glaring failures. When Jackson missed time because of injuries, Rush started two games. The Ravens lost both. The veteran struggled to operate the offense, tumbled down the depth chart and eventually became an emergency option behind Tyler Huntley. From the onset, Rush felt like an odd fit. The defensive line followed a similar arc. When $100 million defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike went down early with a season-ending neck injury, the rest of the defensive line suffered immensely. Kyle Van Noy’s sack numbers fell sharply, from a career-high 12 1/2 sacks in 2024 to just two this past season. Second-round draft pick Mike Green finished with 3 1/2 sacks, which ranked third most on the team. Behind the defensive front sat a high-paid, veteran secondary that struggled against quality passers. The Ravens invested heavily in experience and continuity — in addition to using their top draft pick on safety Malaki Starks — on the back end, but the return was inconsistent coverage and several late-game breakdowns and collapses. Baltimore’s pass defense ranked second to last in the NFL behind only the Cowboys. Remember when the Ravens were once regularly feared as a top NFL defense? The oft-criticized offensive line notably regressed after DeCosta gambled on running it back with essentially the same group from the 2024 season that helped set franchise records. He paired that decision with another risk in drafting Emery Jones Jr. (third round, No. 91 overall), who missed all of training camp and started the season on injured reserve while he recovered from a shoulder injury that required offseason surgery. Jones might eventually develop into a contributor, but the draft capital DeCosta allocated toward the 6-foot-5 lineman could’ve been used elsewhere on a roster that proved to have multiple holes. The offensive line improved in run blocking, but struggled throughout in pass protection. Jackson suffered 36 sacks, second most in his career, despite playing in only 13 games. The list continues. Wide receiver Zay Flowers reinforced himself as the clear No. 1 option in the passing game, but behind him, the drop-off was steep. Rashod Bateman’s offseason extension was team-friendly on paper, but the production cratered as Bateman posted the worst statistical season of his five-year career. He repeatedly appeared disinterested within an offense catered toward Flowers and running back Derrick Henry, and he faded from weekly relevance. Flowers led the Ravens with 86 catches and 1,211 receiving yards. The gap between him and the rest of the receiving corps (Bateman 19 catches, 224 yards; DeAndre Hopkins 22 catches, 330 yards; Devontez Walker 6 catches, 136 yards; Tylan Wallace 4 catches, 45 yards) further magnified the team’s need for a reliable No. 2 WR. DeCosta will now address each of these issues while navigating unfamiliar professional ground. The Ravens’ coaching vacancy, one of nine across the league, is widely viewed as the best opening available. The infrastructure is appealing, highlighted by a two-time MVP quarterback in Jackson, an offensive identity powered by Henry, a defensive cornerstone in Kyle Hamilton, and an owner willing to spend in pursuit of Baltimore’s third Lombardi Trophy. DeCosta and Ozzie Newsome have built strong rosters in past seasons. But this time, the general manager-coach pairing will be new territory for DeCosta to navigate in what will be a defining offseason. “I think Eric is one of the best GMs in the league,” Bisciotti said. “I think he’s batting .800. I’m just making up a number for you, but I’m not going to look at Eric’s 200 whiffs. I’ll look at his 800 singles and doubles and home runs. To me, that’s fair. I’m very, very pleased with Eric.” Bisciotti sounds ultra confident in the man tasked with recognizing and correcting his misfires. The owner’s instinct has led him to sustained success since he became the franchise’s majority owner in 2004. But confidence should not eliminate consequence. DeCosta will attempt to fix what went wrong while simultaneously forging a new working relationship with the franchise’s fourth head coach, without the benefit of comfort and alignment he shared with Harbaugh. Is he ready? Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, right, stands next to Malaki Starks, center, and then-Ravens coach John Harbaugh in 2025. DeCosta faces perhaps his most important offseason as the team's general manager. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) View the full article Quote
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