Every fanatical fan expects their team in the Super Bowl each and every year. As the Ravens – and 29 other teams – found out in 2013, that’s easier said than done.
Whether it’s fans, front office personnel, or the media discussing teams, inevitably someone will use the term “window.” As in, teams have a “window” in which their current talent could conceivably win a Super Bowl.
Realistically speaking, windows open and close every season, and it’s the responsibility of general mangers, assistant general managers and coaching staffs to assure those windows stay open not just in the short term but the long term as well.
In a “what have you done for me lately?” league like the NFL, jobs are lost (and rightly so) by those who fail to produce year after year, while jobs are obtained by those who can balance and maintain an even keel consistently.
Key decisions regarding player personnel never get easier, no matter how long these guys are on the job. Long hours are spent deciding who to pay and who to let go inside every front office every offseason. For the Ravens, it’s just another day at the office and a problem they are all to familiar with.
Earlier this week, Ravens Assistant General Manager Eric DeCosta spoke about this at his Q&A session presented by PressBoxOnline.com at Mother’s Federal Hill Grille.
“We’ve lost more players in the last six years,” DeCosta explained, “than any other team in the NFL in terms of quality starters and that’s a fact. You can look that up.
“It’s very, very hard to stay at the top every single year. You have to reinvent yourself every single year to stay on top.”
In fact, the Ravens are just one of four franchises (along with New England, NYÂ Giants and Pittsburgh) to win multiple Super Bowls since the year 2000.
The Ravens have consistently been in the hunt for a championship each season, and have played at a high level for so long that swallowing the pill of last season’s 8-8 season was that much tougher.
“It was a tough season,” DeCosta recalled, echoing the sentiments of Ravens fans everywhere. “It was a miserable season as an executive of the team. I know it was a miserable season for the fans as well because we were so close in terms of making the playoffs and getting where we wanted to be.”
Like some other businesses, there isn’t any template to follow when it comes to success in the NFL. There isn’t any reference book to use when issues arise whether by injury or player performances on the field. Much like in life, you have to prepare yourself for whatever gets thrown your way. Â Some people sink and some people float; it’s the nature of the beast.
Preparation is key. In fact it’s the only thing that can be relied on when it comes to the “Not For Long” league. Some organizations are certainly better than others and the Ravens are clearly one of the best.
Need proof?
Since the 2000 season, Baltimore boasts a .598 regular season winning percentage (6th in the NFL), four AFC Championship game appearances (4th), ten winning seasons (4th) along with nine playoff berths (5th), has appeared in 21 playoff games (2nd) and has accumulated 14 playoff wins (2nd).
Just why is that?
DeCosta couldn’t have been more focused while explaining.
“We try to position this team not just for the short term as I always say but for the long term too,” he said. “We don’t believe in windows. I don’t think you can build a team with the notion of ‘we have to win now.’
“I hear the fans. Everybody wanted to go 12-4 this year and go back to the Super Bowl, I hear you. We’ve also got to look long term. I want that window to be open every single year.”
For Ozzie and the rest of the organization, the goal is to put the best product on the field they possibly can each and every year. And for Eric, it’s his personal mission and one that he holds near and dear to his heart.
“I know it’s hard to see good players leave every year,” DeCosta said. “So we do all what we can to assure we are good next year but we’re also good in 2020. That’s my goal. That’s what we do. That’s where we are trying to get to.
“I want to be where we can compete every single year by putting a good product on the field that all you guys can be proud of. That will always be my mission.”
So if the 2014 draft wasn’t attractive to you or may not have been what you expected, I challenge you to look at the picks with an open mind after reading the above comments.
Perhaps you will see why some of those “who’s that?” picks were made.
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