Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta stepped up, taking over for Ozzie Newsome this season. One of the top things on his agenda was to be more cap conscious and to work harder in re-signing key players ahead of free agency.
DeCosta has already managed to back up his words with action this season, doubling down further with a three-year extension for cornerback Marcus Peters. In just this year, DeCosta has signed these seven Ravens before they’ve hit free agency.
- CB Tavon Young
- K Justin Tucker
- G Marshal Yanda
- WR Willie Snead
- LB L.J. Fort
- FB/DT Patrick Ricard
- CB Marcus Peters
Though it’s far too early to tell how those signings will ultimately pay off for Baltimore, the Ravens are currently the best team in the league. So you’d think keeping as much of this roster as possible would be a wise decision.
Though it’s a bit of a gamble to give a player a contract extension early, when it works, it really works. A player could potentially get hurt or devalue themselves over the course of that season and a team could have gotten them for cheaper. But the flip side of that is a team locks in the current market value ahead of the next big jump thanks to free agency, likely shaving off millions of dollars over just a few years.
All you have to do is look at Young’s deal to get a taste of both sides of that argument.
Baltimore made Young the highest-paid slot cornerback at the time of his signing. But it ended up being a huge discount over guys like Kenny Moore, Chris Harris Jr. and Justin Coleman who all signed four months later for significantly more per year. Sadly, Young’s season ended early with him heading to injured reserve, which could have hurt his value had he hit free agency this offseason like originally expected.
Still, it’s tough to argue with DeCosta’s results this season, even if not every signing has worked out perfectly to plan.
DeCosta’s first season as general manager is about as good as it gets. The Ravens sit at 13-2, have the AFC’s No. 1 seed locked up already, look like they’ll have at least nine 2020 draft picks, got Peters for dirt cheap in a trade earlier this season, and made several key free-agent signings that have helped transform the defense into a championship-caliber unit.
DeCosta has been really aggressive in locking up the Ravens’ players early. But that, coupled with a really young roster with a bunch of key contributors still on their rookie deals have helped Baltimore towards a wealth of cap space in 2020 and beyond and looking like a dynasty in the process of forming.
Love it or hate it, DeCosta has done exactly what he said he’d do.
[vertical-gallery id=39981]