Oct 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta sits on the bench before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is giving textbook lessons on how to fracture relationships with players. More specifically, a wide receiver room.
When speaking to the media at the NFL Combine this week, the captain of Baltimore’s front office had a lot to say in regard to the team’s draft history at the receiver position.
“There have been some guys that have been successful players for us that were draft picks. We’ve never really hit on that All-Pro type of guy, which is disappointing, but it’s not for a lack of effort,” Decosta said.
One can argue DeCosta actually has a point. The Ravens’ last 1000-yard wideout was in 2016 with Mike Wallace (1,017). Baltimore also hasn’t had a wide receiver hit the 1200-yard mark since 1996 (Michael Jackson). Luck has not been on the side of Baltimore with receivers.
But not all players see it that way. Current Baltimore receiver Rashod Bateman, who was drafted by the team in 2021, responded to DeCosta’s comments on Twitter:
“How bout you play to your player’s strength and stop pointing the finger at us and #8 [Lamar Jackson]…blame the one you let do this…we take the heat 24/7,” Bateman said in a tweet. “…keep us healthy…care about us & see what happen…tired of y’all lyin and capn on players for no reason.”
The tweet was later deleted.
Bateman also has a great point of his own. The evidence doesn’t come from his on-field play but rather from a new report card that evaluated the resources of all 32 teams, a report that was created by NFL players themselves.
It listed Baltimore as the worst team when it came to strength coaches, as players “do not feel like the strength staff helps them be more successful.”
The Ravens also notched poor rankings in the quality of its weight room (C+) and training room (C).
It’ll be interesting to see how Bateman’s comments impact the team going forward. But Bateman himself may need to shape up if he wants to stay with Baltimore long-term. The 23-year-old only has 61 catches, 800 yards, and three touchdowns two years into his career.
