Former Orioles manager Buck Showalter expressed his loyalty for his players and his trust in them with a simple expression that became one of the catchphrases from his time in Baltimore: “I like our guys.”
After one year of Eric DeCosta’s tenure as general manager of the Ravens, it’s clear that he has the same sentiment.
In the past three days, DeCosta has re-signed five Ravens who had hit free agency, increasing to 16 the number of Ravens who in the past year who have either been signed to contract extensions or re-signed once they became free agents.
The most recent group includes cornerback Jimmy Smith, defensive back Anthony Levine, wide receiver Chris Moore, and defensive linemen Jihad Ward and Justin Ellis, all of whom were brought back on one-year deals this week.
This comes after a year in which the Ravens worked out extensions with cornerback Tavon Young, kicker Justin Tucker, tight end Nick Boyle, guard Marshal Yanda (who retired earlier this month), wide receiver Willie Snead, linebacker L.J. Fort, fullback/defensive lineman Patrick Ricard, cornerback Marcus Peters, special teamer Jordan Richards, offensive tackle Andre Smith and receiver/kick returner De’Anthony Thomas.
