Ozzie Newsome
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome will step down after next season but will remain with the team (Pat Lovell/USA TODAY Sports)

The Baltimore Ravens will new a new general manager after the 2018/2019 season as Ozzie Newsome will step down from the organization. Longtime assistant Eric DeCosta will assume the role of the general manager once Newsome has stepped down. Adam Schefter of ESPN was the first to report the news.

Newsome has been with the Ravens ever since the team moved from Cleveland. Many people forget the Ravens are the upstart Cleveland Browns in Baltimore. Former owner Art Modell named Newsome the GM in 1996. Newsome first got started in the Cleveland front office after he was finished with his playing career.

Newsome is indeed in the hall of fame as a player. Ozzie was one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. Newsome was inducted in 1999 as the former Crimson Tide was known as the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and really revolutionized the tight end position. Maybe more important, Newsome is the first African American to ever serve as a team’s general manager when he was first hired by the Ravens.

Newsome’s track record in the NFL Draft has deteriorated over the years which has resulted in the Ravens to plummet to mediocrity. Assistant GM Eric DeCosta has been on the wish list of many teams over the years seeking a general manager but has turned down several jobs to remain in Baltimore. Recent draft misses have signaled the end for Newsome as DeCosta appears to be a logical replacement.

DeCosta’s first challenge in Baltimore should be finding a real quarterback. Joe Flacco obviously hasn’t cared about the game since he got paid in 2012. The time to move on from Flacco has been apparent as the team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2014. Flacco also had the worst mark in the NFL in terms of yards per pass in 2017.