OWINGS MILLS, Md. — He started from the bottom. Now Eric DeCosta is Ravens G.M.
“I love this place,” he said. “I love the idea that I started here when we had a blank helmet on our stationary and here we are now.”
From Ravens scouting intern in 1996 to general manager of the team in 2019, Eric DeCosta has seen it all.
“I’m proud of that. That I understand what a lot of people do in this organization,” he said. “I have an appreciation for what they do because, in some instances, I did those jobs.”
All the while the 47-year-old fantasized about this day coming to fruition.
“This has really been something, over the course of my life, that I always just dreamed about being - a general manager for an NFL football team,” said DeCosta.
He’s had chances to fulfill that dream before, chances to leave Baltimore for another franchise. Each time he turned it down.
“Every time I’d go to bed thinking that maybe I would consider something, I’d wake up and say ‘What are you crazy?’,” he described.
That’s because he knew he’d be promoted to his current position with the Ravens.
DeCosta has served as Assistant General Manger for the past seven years under longtime G.M. Ozzie Newsome. The Ravens say Newsome, who was at Wednesday’s press conference seated next to Head Coach John Harbaugh, is remaining with the team in a “significant role”. DeCosta describes that role as an advisor.
What about DeCosta’s relationship with Harbaugh and the perception that the two don’t see eye-to-eye? He says that’s not the case.
“It did upset me a little bit I think because it just wasn’t true and it was a personal thing,” DeCosta said about the speculation.
The most high-profile offseason topic, when it comes to player movement, is what to do with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
The Ravens are moving forward with Lamar Jackson at QB. A trade or release is in the cards for Flacco.
“That’s an ongoing process. The new league year starts in March. We have discussed Joe. We’ve discussed a lot of players on the team. When the time comes to make a decision, one way or the other, we’ll have a plan in place,” said DeCosta.
DeCosta added that Flacco’s situation is kind of like a chess game, you need options and if there’s a team interested in trading for Flacco they will probably deal him.
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