Ravens' Front Office Ranked No. 1 in NFL, No. 3 Among Major Sports Leagues
The Ravens have long been considered one of the best-run franchises in the NFL. A survey by The Athletic illustrated just how highly regarded Baltimore's front office is.
The Athletic asked 40 executives and coaches in each of the four major sports leagues — NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL — to rank the top five front offices, in order, in their respective sport.
The Ravens were No. 1 in the NFL and No. 3 overall.
"It's been more than five years since Ozzie Newsome stepped down as Baltimore's GM. His disciples have kept the Ravens in contention nearly every year since," The Athletic wrote. "Eric DeCosta, who was a player personnel intern for the Ravens' inaugural season in 1996 and has been with the organization ever since, took the reins from Newsome in 2019, and Baltimore's 56 victories over his first five seasons were tied for the third-most in the league."
The Athletic praised DeCosta for how he handled Lamar Jackson's "complicated contract situation" and his talent acquisitions.
"DeCosta has steered the Ravens toward the trade for linebacker Roquan Smith, has a strong track record in the first (safety Kyle Hamilton, wide receiver Zay Flowers) and middle rounds (defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, tight end Isaiah Likely), landed a priority free agent in running back Derrick Henry and created an environment where a veteran like linebacker Kyle Van Noy can thrive," The Athletic wrote. "Of course, those are just a handful of examples.
"DeCosta also got out in front of the potential loss of receiver Hollywood Brown, flipping him and a third-rounder to the Arizona Cardinals for a first-round pick that netted center Tyler Linderbaum."
When asked what makes the Ravens' front office so good, one NFC executive said: "Consistency. They know what a Raven is and understand how to win with those guys."
The Athletic noted that consistency is a common refrain when discussing DeCosta and his staff.
"They recognize the types of players and people who will be successful in their program, and they're certainly aided by the fact that head coach John Harbaugh has manned the sidelines since 2008," The Athletic wrote. "All involved know what to expect from one another."
Pundit Predicts an All-Purple Super Bowl
If ESPN's Ben Solak is correct, there will be a lot of purple in New Orleans this February. He predicted the Ravens and Minnesota Vikings will face off for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIX.
"We still don't know if either Minnesota or Baltimore will win their respective divisions or run through the wild card, but I'm confident in both teams' 'can beat anybody on their best day' qualifications," Solak wrote.
Solak said the biggest thing he likes about the matchup is Jackson going against a Viking defense led by coordinator Brian Flores.
"Jackson played a famously poor game in 2021 against the Flores-led Dolphins, losing 22-10 after Flores mercilessly blitzed Jackson into submission," Solak wrote. "Since then, Jackson has gotten a new offensive coordinator and dramatically improved against all-out pressure. But Flores also has evolved and wins more these days by simulating pressure, not sending it outright.
"Jackson hasn't played Flores since that contest – not even in 2022 against the Steelers, when Flores was a senior defensive assistant there. It would be a rematch three years in the making and a battle between the most unguardable quarterback and the most unanswerable defense. Get-out-your-popcorn stuff."
Ravens Remain No. 1 in DVOA
By one advanced metric, the Ravens are the best team in the NFL this season and the sixth-best over the past 46 seasons (one spot behind the 2023 Ravens).
For the third consecutive week, the Ravens are ranked No. 1 in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) by FTN Fantasy. They're No. 1 in offense and No. 6 in defense.
What Is Ravens' Biggest Offseason Contract Situation to Watch?
ESPN asked its NFL Nation reporters to identify the biggest contract situation to watch this offseason for the team they cover. For the Ravens, it's left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
"Stanley is scheduled to become a free agent after a solid rebound season," Jamison Hensley wrote. "He ranks 12th in pass block win rate among tackles (92.8%), protecting the blind side of reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. He has shown he can be durable – this is the first season of Stanley's nine-year career that he will play every game.
"After taking a pay cut last offseason, he should get an increase from his $7.5 million payout in 2024. The question for the Ravens is whether they feel the need to pay Stanley, considering Jackson's elusiveness."
