It’s been a nightmare offseason for the Baltimore Ravens — specifically general manager Eric DeCosta — so it’s kind of predictable that DeCosta and the Ravens would try to do anything they could to make him not look like the soulless executive the public views him as.
Take the latest, odd story DeCosta told about Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti following the 2026 NFL draft. DeCosta claimed Bisciotti, so unaware of his own power as an NFL owner, made the too-cute move of asking DeCosta if he could make the final decision on 1 of Baltimore’s Day 3 picks.
In this case, it was Bisciotti stepping in to tab 6-foot-3, 232-pound Clemson running back Adam Randall in the 5th round (No. 174 overall) after DeCosta gave him “permission.”
Bisciotti, who has an estimated net worth of $8.4 billion, has been the majority owner of the Ravens since 2004. That was following a 4-year stretch in which he owned 49 percent of the team.
“When we were down in Florida, Steve was begging for a draft pick — and he owns the team,” DeCosta said in a post-draft interview. “I said, ‘Yeah, Steve, of course you can have a draft pick.’ ”
It’s a too-cute-by-half story from DeCosta, who has become 1 of the more hated executives in recent memory this offseason.
It also makes no sense. Bisciotti is 1 of the most powerful men in America. The thought of him asking DeCosta for permission to make a pick is the kind of pre-packaged junk made to try to rehab DeCosta’s image.
Along with being stupid, it’s also unimaginative.
Here’s Why People Hate Eric DeCosta
The Ravens’ attempted trade for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby that DeCosta called off just 4 days after agreeing to the trade seemed to bring out some true feelings toward DeCosta.
“The Ravens and Eric DeCosta are being called dishonest and dishonorable among NFL circles,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said. “I’m not saying that, but we have an obligation to point out that’s what is being said about him. I don’t know Eric DeCosta from a can of paint, but people in NFL circles, because of how this was handled, are saying that. That’s why he came out with his press conference and said whatever he said — where he tried to act contrite — because he knows it’s not a good look for him in the NFL community.”
‘Universal Disdain’ for DeCosta This Offseason
Crosby’s surgically-repaired knee — he had meniscus surgery following the season — ended up being a sticking point for the Ravens, who knew he’d undergone the surgery when they made the trade but decided to back out after he came to Baltimore for his physical.
The Ravens went out and got the top free agent edge rusher on the market on Wednesday, signing NFL All-Pro Trey Hendrickson to a 4-year, $112 million contract worth up to $120 million with incentives.
“What’s come out of this is there is a universal disdain in the NFL for Eric DeCosta,” ESPN analyst and former NFL defensive back Ryan Clark said on Thursday. “Nobody has come out and backed (DeCosta) as trustworthy and honest.”
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