Eric

DeCosta

He added that the team started contract talks with Hendrickson after the team lost center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. For those out of the loop: Baltimore agreed to trade two first-round picks for Crosby earlier this week, only to back out of the deal at the last minute, citing a failed physical. They then inked Hendrickson to a four-year deal just over 12 hours later. Multiple reports have suggested NFL staffers around the league found the series of moves detestable. Given that Crosby underwent offseason meniscus surgery, DeCosta does have a reasonable alibi for calling off the trade. Now Baltimore will move forward with Hendrickson and their full allotment of first-round selections over the next two drafts.

On Tuesday, DeCosta traded away EDGE Odafe Oweh and a seventh-round pick to acquire former Chargers S Alohi Gilman and a fifth-round pick. Oweh is in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, and DeCosta evidently had no plans to sign the 26-year-old EDGE rusher to a multi-year extension, instead opting to recoup value before Oweh’s scheduled departure. Unfortunately, Oweh’s departure leaves the Ravens’ pass rush worryingly thin. They currently do not have a pass rusher with double-digit quarterback pressures on the active roster. Trading for an affordable pass rusher who can impact the game immediately makes sense. Those, of course, can be difficult to find.

The Ravens seemingly always lead the league in picks, and while they tied Buffalo and Dallas in 2025, they’re still at the top. Baltimore received a fourth, a fifth and two sixths; while the Cowboys get three fifths and a sixth and Miami gets a third, fourth, and two sevenths. As a reminder, these picks are now eligible to be traded, which gives all three teams — and the others who received multiple selections — extra ammunition for the upcoming draft.

The move has been in the works for a year. In a release confirming the news, the Ravens said DeCosta had “declined general manager interviews with other NFL teams in each of the last seven years to stay in Baltimore.” In the Ravens’ front office since 1997 and Newsome’s right-hand man for the past decade, DeCosta arrives on the job as well groomed as possible.

The Colts’ list of GM candidates keeps growing longer. Chiefs Director of Football Operations Chris Ballard, Seahawks Co-Directors of Player Personnel Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner, Vikings assistant GM George Paton, Colts interim GM Jimmy Raye III and Packers Director of Football Operations Eliot Wolf have all been linked to the vacancy left by fired GM Ryan Grigson. DeCosta is close friends with Colts coach Chuck Pagano, who served as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator when DeCosta was the team’s Director of Player Personnel.

DeCosta’s name comes up every year for GM openings, but he has turned down all opportunities in order to stay in Baltimore as GM Ozzie Newsome’s right-hand man. He’s believed to be Newsome’s eventual successor.

DeCosta has been with the Ravens since 1996, working his way up from an entry-level scouting job to assistant general manager. DeCosta has been Ozzie Newsome’s top lieutenant since 2012, and he is likely in line to be Newsome’s successor. DeCosta’s name seems to come up every season, and every season he stays in Baltimore. It is doubtful this year is any different.

“Attempting to interview” are the key words, as DeCosta has been extremely difficult to pry away from Baltimore over the years. His name has long been linked to the top GM openings, but he has turned down numerous opportunities to remain in Baltimore as the eventual heir to Ozzie Newsome.