Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta will speak to reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. It’s the first time we’ll have heard from DeCosta since the 2019 NFL draft and is a golden opportunity to find out some of the team’s plans for the offseason and 2020 NFL Draft.
However, there’s not a team in the league that will completely divulge their plans openly, so while DeCosta’s presser is sure to provide some answers, it’s likely going to bring about a lot more questions.
Here are some of the top questions we’ll expect from DeCosta’s NFL Scouting Combine press conference today.
Potential trades
At this time of the year, trade rumors begin to swirl. Normally most can be taken with a huge grain of salt but DeCosta hasn’t been afraid to make a deal since taking over for Ozzie Newsome. He traded away a handful of Ravens players last year while trading for cornerback Marcus Peters, giving enough credence to the idea DeCosta could be looking for some more trade action this offseason.
The question is just how much will he reveal openly. DeCosta is sure to be asked about potential trades and he could decide to be transparent about it in order to drive more attention and hopefully some more phone calls.
Franchise tag
Outside linebacker Matthew Judon is a prime candidate to receive the franchise tag from the Ravens this offseason.
After watching their top two pass rushers — Za’Darius Smith and Terrell Suggs — leave last offseason, Baltimore has to be experiencing a case of deja vu now with Judon. They have no star pass rushers outside of Judon and really no starter-quality depth behind him. With a more limited salary-cap situation compared to most of the league, that means the Ravens can’t really afford for Judon to hit the free-agent market.
Then again, they couldn’t really afford watching Smith hit the free-agent market last offseason but they still allowed it to happen. Baltimore also likes to allow their top free agents to go into the market to find their value and then try to work out a deal based on that. So there are no guarantees the Ravens will use the franchise tag even if it makes a ton of sense.
DeCosta is surely going to get asked what his plans with the franchise tag are this offseason and it’ll be interesting to see how transparent he is in his answers. Outright saying Baltimore will tag Judon could force him back to the negotiating table and cause other teams to pick up the phone and start making trade offers. Then again, it could also force Judon’s hand and spark talk of a holdout too.
Health
Baltimore — knock on wood — was relatively healthy last season when compared to the last decade for the franchise. They had some injuries come up at the worst time but they didn’t see nearly as many key players head to injured reserve as in previous years. Still, a few players have major or nagging injuries and it’ll be interesting to hear any updates DeCosta might have on those guys.
Cornerback Tavon Young missed all of last season with a neck injury. Surgery had been mentioned before as an option but both Young and Baltimore seemed to be holding out hope of the injury healing with time rather than under the knife. Young is a very important and highly-paid defender for the Ravens and his health coming into 2020 will be a main topic of discussion until he gets back on the field in pads.
Wide receiver Marquise Brown dealt with a foot injury dating all the way back to before the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. Brown got surgery for a Lisfranc injury, ultimately missing the combine last year. It’s an injury, among others, that stuck with Brown throughout his entire rookie campaign and one he said kept him from truly being 100%. Finding out the status of his recovery would be nice, though I wouldn’t imagine much insight will be given until the players return for workouts.
Marshal Yanda’s status
Yanda has toyed with the idea of retirement for a few years now and this offseason is no different. While Yanda had said he was going to take his time to make a decision, it’s one that could completely change the Ravens’ offseason plans and make finding a replacement guard a sudden priority.
With free agency and the draft looming on the horizon, Baltimore really needs to have an idea of which way he’s leaning at least, if not an outright answer from Yanda. DeCosta is sure to be asked if Yanda has let the team know what’s going on and if there are any contingency plans in place if the eventual Hall of Fame lineman decides to hang up his cleats.
The answer could already be on the roster or DeCosta might be looking at free agency or the draft for the guy that would replace Yanda. Though it’s unlikely we’ll get a definitive answer on DeCosta’s plans, what he says could point in one direction or the other.
Other contract extensions
DeCosta has done a great job at getting key players under long-term contracts early. In fact, it’s probably what he’s becoming best known for after just a year as the general manager following Newsome. The Ravens have a few players that are likely on DeCosta’s list to sit down with in order to hammer out a deal.
Left tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Marlon Humphrey are the two most likely to get a contract extension early. It would be wise for Baltimore to get that hammered out now if possible before free agency and a new CBA likely pushes both of their values sky high and makes future deals so much more expensive.
While I wouldn’t expect an announcement at a deal being completed at the combine, DeCosta could throw out the news that the team is already having talks with one or both players. It would go a long way to confirming suspicions and could really tweak how Baltimore handles this entire offseason.
Offseason needs
Though Baltimore’s needs this offseason seem pretty obvious, there could be some specifics in what the team is looking for.
Coach John Harbaugh already mentioned the Ravens are looking for two types of receivers this offseason but failed to give any more information. Some insight on what type of guys they’re looking for — speed or possession, starters or depth — would give us a better idea of who they might be targeting in free agency or what they might do in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The same goes for pass rusher as well and likely ties directly into the questions about the franchise tag. How Baltimore handles Judon will likely determine how they proceed with finding pass rushers. But DeCosta could also choose to be pretty open and say if the team is going to look to add more depth to the position or find an impact player.
Any little bit of insight helps plan out what’s more likely to happen this offseason. While general managers don’t often outright reveal who they’re going to target, phrasing could point us in the right direction.
