Standing all alone at the podium during his first news conference as the Baltimore Ravens' new general manager Jan. 30, Eric DeCosta recounted a career arc that had angled upward toward this moment for more than two decades, but he also pointed toward the future and acknowledged some tough, looming roster decisions that now fall squarely on his shoulders.
DeCosta has been with the organization since its infancy, working his way up through the personnel department and operating as Ozzie Newsome's assistant general manager since 2012. Now he succeeds the legendary Newsome, who watched DeCosta's news conference from the back of the auditorium alongside head coach John Harbaugh.
Newsome will remain with the organization in a "significant" though still undefined role, but all key decisions now rest with DeCosta, 47, who called being an NFL GM "a dream of mine since I was 6 years old."
