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OWINGS MILLS Lamar Jackson Jersey White , Md. (AP) — ore Ravens, Eric DeCosta has no intention of filling the shoes of his highly successful predecessor, Ozzie Newsome.“I have size 10½ feet and I think Ozzie is a 13, so there you go,” DeCosta said Wednesday, standing alone in front of a gathering of the media and team employees at his first news conference since taking the job on Jan. 11.Newsome, who held the post since the franchise moved from Cleveland in 1996, will stay on as an adviser. The first African-American GM in NFL history, Newsome drafted wisely and shrewdly combed the free agent market to build the Ravens into a perennial contender and two-time Super Bowl champions.DeCosta was there for all of it. As an intern, DeCosta’s duties included taking then-coach Ted Marchibroda’s car for oil changes. The coach gave him $100 and told him to keep the change, so DeCosta found a place that charged $9.99.“Sometimes people would think that maybe I’d be embarrassed that I started off as an intern now that I’m a GM, that I want to forget that,” DeCosta said. “To be honest with you, I cherish the fact that I could start out as a young person and really do a lot of different things.”DeCosta moved up the corporate ladder to become assistant general manager in 2012. He began to attract the interest of other clubs https://www.theravenslockerroom.com/authentic-lamar-jackson-jersey , so owner Steve Bisciotti promised him a promotion after the 2018 season. Now that the job he long coveted is his, the 47-year-old DeCosta is already hard at work trying to improve a team that won the AFC North before being eliminated with a first-round playoff loss.He has overseen personnel meetings, huddled with top team officials in Florida, attended a couple college all-star games and given plenty of thought to the draft.“There are times I look at the challenges and they are daunting. But I’ve been blessed that I’ve had a lot of time to think and prepare for this,” he said. “Had I had gone to another team, with all new faces, new organization, new people, that would be a little more challenging.”This job has plenty of obstacles to clear, most notably a tight salary cap and some important pending personnel decisions. Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley is a pending free agent, the status of safety Eric Weddle and guard Marshal Yanda for 2019 is uncertain and quarterback Joe Flacco is almost certainly heading elsewhere.“If there’s one team interested, yeah, we’ll probably trade him,” DeCosta said of Flacco. “If there’s nobody interested Womens Mark Andrews Jersey , we’ll have to make another decision.”Having Newsome on his side will make those kinds of choices a whole lot easier.“I am extremely happy that Ozzie is going to play such a significant role moving forward for this organization,” DeCosta said. “It just gives me immense joy that I can still mess around with him like I do.”Having learned so much from Newsome, DeCosta has no intention of straying from the lessons provided by his mentor.“We’ve done a lot of really good things in the past, and we would be foolish to change things overnight,” he said.DeCosta revealed that Bisciotti actually broached the subject of his ascension to general manager in 2007. Eleven years later, it finally happened. Along the way, DeCosta spurned several opportunities to land a GM job in another city.“Did I have chances? Yeah. Did I have a lot? Yeah. Did I ever really consider it? Not really,” DeCosta said. “Every time I’d go to bed, thinking that maybe I would consider something, I’d wake up and say, ‘What are you crazy? You know you’re going to have the job someday that you’ve dreamed about, so just wait and make it perfect.'” BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens finally made their move during the NFL’s free agent frenzy, securing running back Mark Ingram and six-time Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas on Wednesday.After losing receiver John Brown and linebackers C.J. Mosley, Terrell Suggs and Za’darius Smith earlier in the week Mark Andrews Jersey White , Ravens first-year general manager Eric DeCosta bounced back to address two glaring needs.Ingram agreed to terms on a three-year contract and Thomas accepted a four-year deal. Both contracts are pending the passing of physicals.In addition, the Ravens formally announced the trade of quarterback Joe Flacco to Denver for a fourth-round draft pick.The 29-year-old Ingram scored 50 touchdowns during eight years with the New Orleans Saints. Arriving in Baltimore with 106 games of experience, including 64 starts, Ingram provides stability to a backfield that last year counted heavily on rookie Gus Edwards.Ingram has 204 receptions over the past five seasons and should fit well into a controlled offense directed by quarterback Lamar Jackson.A two-time 1,000-yard rusher, Ingram’s 4.7 yards per carry average over the past five seasons tops all NFL running backs. His 39 rushing touchdowns over that span ranks second behind Todd Gurley (46).Thomas, 29, arrives after a nine-year run with Seattle. He is expected to replace free safety Eric Weddle, who played three seasons in Baltimore before being released last week.Despite having his 2018 season end with a broken left leg, Thomas finished with three interceptions. No one on the Ravens had more than two last year.While being carted off the field with a lower leg fracture in a Sept. 30 game against Arizona, Thomas extended his middle finger in the direction of the Seattle bench. He had skipped multiple practices earlier in the season after failing in his bid to get a new contract.After breaking the same leg in 2016, Thomas openly pondered retirement.On Wednesday, despite his rocky tenure with the Seahawks, Thomas wrote on Twitter : “Thank you Seattle for the love and memories that my family and I will never forget.”Thomas has 28 career interceptions https://www.theravenslockerroom.com/authentic-mark-andrews-jersey , 11 forced fumbles and at least 88 tackles in four different seasons.The addition of Thomas fills out a solid defensive backfield that currently features Thomas and Tony Jefferson in the back end; Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith and Brandon Carr as outside cornerbacks; and Tavon Young in the slot.By signing Ingram and Thomas, the Ravens softened the blow of losing three members of the NFL’s No. 1 defense to free agency. Mosley went to the New York Jets, Suggs latched on with Arizona after a 16-year run with Baltimore and Smith agreed to terms with Green Bay.Suggs had only seven sacks last year but is the Ravens’ career leader with 132½.“A Raven through and through. He’s tenacious, the best of what we want our defenders to be,” DeCosta said. “Terrell is one of our all-time great Ravens.”The loss of Mosley will likely hurt more, but the Ravens couldn’t compete with the five-year, $85 million offer from the Jets.“Four Pro Bowls in five years speaks for itself,” coach John Harbaugh said of the middle linebacker. “C.J. is as reliable of a player as any defender we’ve had.”