Baltimore Beatdown
The Ravens general manager took responsibility for the two former Pro Bowlers not working out in Baltimore.
Taking accountability and being transparent about making mistakes are two attributes that make a great leader. Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta proved he possesses both of these desirable and admirable traits when asked about why the acquisitions of Diontae Johnson and Eddie Jackson didn’t work out at the end-of-season press conference on Wednesday.
Both players are former Pro Bowlers who incited excitement from the fan base and organization and earned DeCosta praise because they were viewed as savvy low-cost-high-reward moves at the time they were made. Unfortunately, neither worked out in the Ravens’ favor and each ended with the veteran player being disgruntled about their respective roles before ultimately being released during the regular season.
Johnson was acquired via trade from the Carolina Panthers ahead of the midseason deadline with the hopes of providing depth behind established starters Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman and usurping Nelson Agholor as the No. 3 on the depth chart once he got acclimated. The former Pittsburgh’s reputation for being the stereotypical diva who is not happy about winning if he’s not heavily involved proved to be true. The fact that the Panthers were willing to part with him for essentially nothing—late-round pick swap—and eat the majority of his salary to get him out of town should’ve been a huge red flag in hindsight and DeCosta acknowledged as much knowing he was incredible value and the inherent risk.
“I think we looked at it as a chance for us to strengthen a position group, potentially, [with] a guy we’ve played against a lot,” DeCosta said. “I think we did our homework. We understood the risks and the rewards. [We] didn’t look at it as cost prohibitive. It was a relatively inexpensive deal for us to make, in many ways. We knew that it wasn’t 100% going to be a slam dunk. It didn’t work out. We always try to mitigate our risks. One of the jobs of a general manager is to mitigate your risk and look at the downside and the upside and see how it works out. In that particular situation, I really didn’t see a lot of downside. I think we understood what the downside might be – that he would be unhappy with his role, potentially.”
Johnson’s first stint with the Ravens lasted just six weeks during which he appeared in just four games, recorded one catch for six yards on five targets and was suspended for two games before being waived. He quickly got picked up by the Houston Texans ahead of their regular season Christmas matchup with the Ravens and saw action in just two games before getting waived again ahead of the divisional round of the playoffs.
In yet another savvy move to potentially recoup some modicum of a return for his original minimal investment, DeCosta and the Ravens claimed Johnson off waivers from the Texans so that he could...
