Ravens Front Office Among Best in Sports

The Baltimore Ravens continue to be one of the best-run franchises in sports.

Nov 7, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric Decosta one the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Building a consistent winner is arguably the hardest thing to do in the NFL, or any sports league for that matter. Luckily for the Baltimore Ravens, they seem to be one of the league's most consistently strong franchises.

Sure, the Ravens haven't had the dynastic runs teams like the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs have, but they've been remarkably consistent for pretty essentially all of the 21st Century. Since 2000, they've made the playoffs 16 times, won their division seven times, and of course, won Super Bowls in 2000 and 2012.

The main reason for their success? A front office that makes the right moves far more often than not. Between Ozzie Newsome and now Eric DeCosta, the Ravens have been blessed with great general managers throughout their entire history. Though of course, other front office members have made significant contributions over the years as well.

The Athletic recently polled 40 executives and coaches from each of the four major North American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL), and the Ravens' front office was voted as the best in the NFL and third-best across the four leagues.

"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."

When looking at specific moves, DeCosta and co. boast quite the impressive track record. They've drafted key contributors in not just the early rounds such as safety Kyle Hamilton and center Tyler Linderbaum, but also impact players in the middle-late rounds such as tight end Isaiah Likely defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike.

Most impressively, DeCosta was able to sign star quarterback Lamar Jackson to a record-setting contract during the 2023 offseason after he previously requested a trade. He's been worth every penny so far, winning MVP last season and contending for the award again this season.

If there's anything that shows the success of the Ravens' front office, it's how many of their former executives are now in prominent roles around the league. That level of influence definitely played a role in The Athletic's ranking.

"Current general managers Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers) and Joe Douglas (New York Jets) [Douglas was fired in November] have experience under Newsome, the architect of Baltimore’s two Super Bowl winners and someone commonly referred to as the best GM in history," The Athletic wrote. "Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, considered a likely future GM, also worked for Newsome."

It has been 12 years since the Ravens' last Super Bowl title, though with the front office prestige and how often they're in the mix, it may not be long before they end that drought.

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