ExtremeRavens Posted yesterday at 08:00 PM Posted yesterday at 08:00 PM The year has already been hectic for the Ravens, and it just got busier for general manager Eric DeCosta. After weeks of interviewing 20 candidates, the team named Jesse Minter as its fourth head coach, shifting all attention to DeCosta, who has 11 picks in the annual NFL draft in late April, including No. 14 overall. While team owner Steve Bisciotti declared DeCosta’s job safe several weeks ago, the onus of the franchise has to shift to DeCosta, who replaced Ozzie Newsome as the general manager in January 2019. It should. DeCosta built the team that fell to Pittsburgh, 26-24, on Jan. 4 and came up one game short of participating in the playoffs. Regardless of what anyone else says, this was the best team in Ravens history on paper. They had a two-time Most Valuable Player at quarterback in Lamar Jackson, one of the best modern-day running backs in Derrick Henry and a secondary composed of five former first-round draft picks in safeties Malaki Starks and Kyle Hamilton and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins and Jaire Alexander. Oops, scratch Alexander. He was added as a favor to Jackson at the beginning of the season. So now, we focus on DeCosta. He seemed to hit a home run in the hiring of Minter, even though some of his assistants are questionable having coached in college last season. You want to see how they react in tense situations. But where is the announced contract extension for Jackson? Discussions were expected to start at the beginning of the 2025 training camp. If that doesn’t happen before March 11 at 4 p.m., then will the Ravens have money to entice free agents like Los Angeles Chargers pass-rushing specialist Khalil Mack or former Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh? And how about the draft? Will the Ravens pursue a wide receiver or possibly trade for Philadelphia wide receiver A.J. Brown? Now we know why there is so much heat on DeCosta. Negotiating with Jackson is never easy, especially because he doesn’t have an agent. Plus, he likes drama and suspense. The last time DeCosta went through a similar process was in April 2023 when the Ravens signed Jackson to a five-year contract worth $260 million. Unfortunately, Jackson is expected to have a salary cap hit of $74.5 million in 2026 and 2027. Last week, Kansas City star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs announced that they had restructured his deal for the fourth time since 2020 and will pay him $54.45 million as a signing bonus, which will free up $43 million in salary cap space. Newsome used to work similar deals with star linebacker Ray Lewis during the best of his playing days in Baltimore. So, what’s the holdup with Jackson? Are negotiations that tough? Maybe we will find out more Tuesday morning when DeCosta is expected to meet with the media in Indianapolis at the scouting combine. That brings us to free agency. There are 19 Ravens unrestricted free agents, but five this team should re-sign in safety Alohi Gilman, center Tyler Linderbaum, fullback Patrick Ricard, backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and punter Jordan Stout. Even among that group, Ricard isn’t a must and Linderbaum could be joining Harbaugh in New York. Huntley is expendable, too, but has a skil lset similar to Jackson’s as far as running the ball. But once the Ravens re-signed tight end Mark Andrews to a three-year, $39.3 million contract in December, it signaled that backup Isaiah Likely will probably sign elsewhere. Pending the defense the Ravens run with Minter and new coordinator Anthony Weaver, safety Ar’Darius Washington, linebackers Jake Hummel, Dre’Mont Jones, Kyle Van Noy and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie might be expendable, too. There is more intrigue in the draft. There have been projections about the Ravens taking a receiver in the draft, such as Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson or Southern California’s Makai Lemon, to complement slot receiver Zay Flowers, but the Ravens need to remember their own draft history. They’ve had as much success with receivers as the Las Vegas Raiders have had with new head coaches. Since 1996, the Ravens have drafted 36 receivers. Of that group, only four — Jermaine Lewis, Brandon Stokley, Torrey Smith and Flowers — have made strong contributions. Let’s also remember that the Ravens have added veteran free agents like Odell Beckham Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins in recent years. Well, how did that turn out? They need to add an edge rusher like Texas Tech’s David Bailey, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., Ohio State’s Arvell Reese or an interior lineman like Clemson’s Peter Woods or Georgia’s Christen Miller. Or, go find some big offensive linemen like Vega Ioane of Penn State or Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis. Offensive tackles like Utah’s Spencer Fano or Miami’s Francis Mauigoa would help, too. Where is the beef? Interior line play should be the focus of every NFL team, particularly the Ravens. The game has changed and commissioner Roger Goodell has put more emphasis on offense, but games are still won in the trenches. The Ravens were forced into building through the draft when the team first moved here from Cleveland for the start of the 1996 season, and the Modell family had very little money to spend in free agency. Newsome’s first pick in 1996 was offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden at No. 4, and his second selection in the first round was Lewis at No. 26. Then it was Peter Boulware in the first round in 1997 and fellow outside linebacker Jamie Sharper in the second. You get the picture. Now, it’s DeCosta’s time to step up because Harbaugh is gone. Everyone is watching. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, shown in 2025, is one of the pass rushers available in the NFL draft who could make Baltimore's inconsistent defense better in 2026. (Rick Scuteri — AP Photo, file) View the full article Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.