In the current era of player mobility and franchise switching, Eric DeCosta thinks that loyalty still has a classic charm. Cal Ripken Jr., who played every game in his 2,632 Oriole career, and renowned sportsmen like Larry Bird, who donned the green uniform of the Boston Celtics for more than ten years, are heroes in the eyes of the general manager of the Ravens.
In response to questioning from Adam Breneman during the most recent episode of Next Up, DeCosta said, “In this region of the country, you had the Celtics, the Bruins…and the athletes that I admired, I have to be honest, most of them spent their entire careers with our teams.”
“I’ve always felt like there was something beautiful about starting somewhere and ending somewhere.” It’s a mindset derived from more than 20 years of observing the Ravens under Ozzie Newsome’s personal guidance.
Furthermore, it appears that DeCosta has made Baltimore his permanent home. a front office stalwart who gained notoriety for telling prospective outside GM candidates, “You know you’re going to have the job someday…so just wait and make it perfect.” After taking up Raven’s legacy for five iterations, the obvious successor is formulating his plan for continued excellence.
The principal pillar? recognizing players who, like those Boston ardent supporters DeCosta admired, had a grit-til-the-end mindset. He lectured the Next Up crowd, saying, “When I think about success, I think about building relationships and having those people with you along the way.”
The $260 million extension granted to Lamar Jackson says it all!
The general manager of the Ravens is adamant that Lamar Jackson, the team’s quarterback, is here to stay. In the team’s 45-minute end-of-season news conference back in 2023, he reiterated his position: “I firmly believe Lamar wants to conclude his career in Baltimore.” I simply think that. By adhering to the Newsome values, DeCosta and Lamar secured their positions as the Ravens’ next long-term dynamic through their precedent-setting contract
Although DeCosta’s main goal is to foster organizational loyalty, his signature move—locking in Lamar Jackson—might not be as effective in the long run. In addition to making Lamar one of the highest-paid quarterbacks ever, the unusual $260 million agreement includes a no-trade and no-tag clause, which is normally only granted to an organization’s homegrown superstars.
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Jackson will remain the face of the Ravens team for the foreseeable future thanks to that ground-breaking contract language. This audacious declaration of shared commitment followed tense negotiations in which both sides occasionally dug in their heels. Jackson, though, always stated that he wasn’t interested in going elsewhere for the highest payoff.
