Success starts at the top, so for the Baltimore Ravens, success starts with Ozzie Newsome, the most important man in Baltimore and the reason for the Ravens continuous success since 2000. Ravens’ fans know well that Ozzie is among the best general manager’s in the league, yet what that truly means isn’t always apparent.
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For a better idea of what Ozzie means to the Baltimore Ravens, take a look at this graph which details how the Ravens have spent their draft picks over the years.
Notice how remarkably similar the draft priorities have been in Baltimore from the Brian Billick era to the John Harbaugh era. Despite remarkably different coaches with very different philosophies, the Ravens’ philosophy as a whole has remained consistent.
Another constant: The Ravens devotion to adding draft picks. Since 2002, the Ravens have averaged 8.5 picks per draft. In that time, only once did the Ravens have fewer than seven picks. For comparison, across the beltway, Washington has had seven drafts with fewer than seven picks (though they’ve done a better job in that regard in recent years).
Look at the Ravens’ defensive scheme for more proof of the stability. Since 2002, incidentally Ozzie Newsome’s first year as GM, the Ravens have run a 3-4 scheme (purists will cry that the Ravens actually run a 4-3 under, which is largely true, but the Ravens function like a 3-4 and draft personnel that fit the 3-4). They have had five defensive coordinators in that time, yet all have stayed true to the scheme, adding their own wrinkles and personal touches as necessary.
Fans know how Ozzie works. A series of cliches have become rampant among the fan base on Twitter, but they only became cliches because they’re true:
“Right player, right price” – Ozzie Newsome
— WIN (@LiveMuchDieNone) March 8, 2015
Ozzie Newsome has a knack for finding and developing talent that he has no problem letting ANY player go because it’s next man up.
— [insert name] (@The_ShumbaKing) March 10, 2015
@BPWentworth only thing “In Ozzie we Trust” one of the best GM’s in league. He gonna put together a nice team!!!
— LeRon McClain NC (@LeRon_McClain33) March 11, 2015
OK, “In Ozzie we trust” is not a modus operandi, it’s the creed of an entire fan base. What other general manager in the league has generated such trust among the fan base? The only other teams that have found such consistent success over the past 15 or so years were those with Hall of Fame quarterbacks: The Colts with Peyton Manning, the Patriots with Tom Brady and the Packers with Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers. The Ravens have done it without the benefit of a Hall of Famer at quarterback.
Ozzie has done it with simple consistency. The individual players change; the game changes; the league changes; but the Ravens don’t. They will always focus on possessing a dominant front seven on both sides of the ball for their 3-4 defense and run-based offense. Further, strong leadership is a guarantee on any Ozzie Newsome built team.
Now take a look at teams that lack a strong, devoted general manager. The Philadelphia Eagles have handed over a lot of personnel power to head coach Chip Kelly, who proceeded to spend $23 million in guaranteed money on two injury prone running backs (DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews). Jerry Jones, owner and GM of the Dallas Cowboys, has become a punchline in recent years for his inability to build a winner. Only by deferring to his staff did Jones avoid a huge blunder in taking Johnny Manziel over Zack Martin, who went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Al Davis fell victim to the same fate, becoming a punchline as an owner and general manager before his sad death.
Having a committed GM is no guarantee of success, but having the best one in the league is. Ozzie Newsome is the reason for the Ravens’ consistent philosophy, and thus the team’s consistent success. So as long as Ozzie shows up to work in Owings Mills, the Ravens will continue to be one of the most successful franchises in the league.
Shawn began his writing career with Bleacher Report as a Ravens featured columnist and Breaking News Team writer. He moved on to write for Yahoo! and work on the Ravens Central Radio podcast. Most recently, he was an Editor at the Baltimore Wire. Shawn is a 2013 graduate of the Catholic University of America.