Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta details the team's offseason plans ahead of the upcoming NFL free agency.
The Baltimore Ravens are coming off a less-than-stellar 2025 campaign. Despite having an All-Pro quarterback in Lamar Jackson, a multitude of injuries had a major impact on the high expectations.
The expectations are now that the Ravens will be a playoff contender in 2026. While that could be the case, it is no secret that Baltimore has to make some big roster changes to achieve that goal.
Traditionally, the Ravens have been a franchise that has built mainly through the draft. While the team has occasionally ventured into free agency to bolster the roster, general manager Eric DeCosta made it clear the organization will lean on its old-school philosophy.
In a recent appearance on the "Inner Circle" podcast, DeCosta noted the team's offseason plans ahead of the upcoming NFL free agency.
“I don’t get as involved with free agency, so I’m not gonna spend as much time — we don’t spend a lot of money in free agency, we’ve never been a free agency team. We’re a draft and develop team," DeCosta said.
DeCosta's recent comments on the "Inner Circle" podcast are quite contradictory to his comments made at their end of the season press conference. In the press conference, DeCosta said he hopes a Jackson extension could open the books for a deeper free agency run.
"It would certainly give us more flexibility, cap-wise, roster building. I think we have done a good job, we carried over $10 million dollars in money, probably double what we have in the last however many years. We do have a nice little nest egg, not as much as we'd like.
"A deal with Lamar would give us the ability to be more active. To resign some more players on the team, and to potentially go after a couple of big-ticket items. We haven't traditionally done that. We've been, as you know, more reserved in free agency," DeCosta said.
The Ravens have traditionally drafted and awarded extensions to in-house players, which has mostly paid off. Jackson, Zay Flowers, Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton, Mark Andrews, and Justin Madubuike are all players who have been drafted and extended, but things could be headed for a change.
Baltimore has done a great job over the years in being smart with their free agency approach. Very rarely have they made questionable decisions via big-name signings, and have constantly avoided high-risk, long-term deals year in and year out.
While that strategy has worked in the past, DeCosta may want to go against the grain to find some plug-and-play talent that can help elevate the team.
DeCosta saying the team will not be involved in free agency a lot might also be a smokescreen, as the Ravens are in desperate need of a stalwart pass rusher and more.