Ravens Could Offer Jets Outcast Route Back to the NFL

Getty Eric DeCosta and the Baltimore Ravens can offer a New York Jets outcast a route back to the NFL.

Eric DeCosta doesn’t need a lot of help running the front office for the Baltimore Ravens, but the well-regarded general manager does “think highly” of Joe Douglas.

Douglas had been EDC’s opposite number with the New York Jets until he was fired on Tuesday, November 19. Douglas might not be in exile for long, though, not when more than one NFL team holds him in high regard.

As NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo detailed, “#Ravens, #Eagles and other teams think highly of Joe Douglas. Out as #Jets GM, but sure to find his next role in the NFL in short order.”

Garafolo included a post from Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic explaining how if Douglas “was interested in returning to Baltimore in some capacity, there would be a scouting/front office role available for him. He’s well liked and respected in Baltimore, where he got his start.”

Adding Familiar Face to Front Office Makes Sense for Ravens

Douglas’ start involved working in personnel and scouting for the Ravens from 2000 until he joined the Chicago Bears in 2015. His time in Baltimore overlapped with DeCosta, who directed college scouting and player personnel from 2003 to 2011.

Although he went on to help the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles win a Super Bowl as VP of Player Personnel, things fell apart for Douglas and his big break running the whole show with the Jets. Repeated failures to identify and acquire a franchise quarterback was the 48-year-old’s biggest problem.

Getting the big one right eluded Douglas, but that doesn’t mean his track record of finding talent was bereft of success stories. Douglas notably scored a host of quality starters from the 2022 NFL draft class, including shutdown cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the league’s Rookie of the Year two years ago.

As well as those two names, Douglas drafted running backs Braelon Allen and Breece Hall, cornerback Michael Carter II, along with edge-rushers Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald IV.

The records show Douglas got the Jets at least “seven really good NFL starters,” per ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky. He believes that “for a general manager to draft that many high-impactful players that are young, and to get fired, speaks to” broader dysfunction within the Jets franchise.

“For a general manager to draft that many high impactful players that are young, and to get fired, speaks to there’s a lot more going on.”

@danorlovsky7 on the Jets’ decision to fire Joe Douglas 👀

Systemic problems for the AFC East club needn’t concern the Ravens. Instead, DeCosta should focus on Douglas striking it rich with the Gardner and Wilson picks.

They are playmakers at two positions where the Ravens have struggled to improve in recent years.

Joe Douglas Could Fix Scouting Problems at 2 Positions

Drafting dynamic wide receivers and elite cornerbacks hasn’t been a speciality for DeCosta. Last season’s first-round pick Zay Flowers is an exception at wideout, but this year’s top selection, Nate Wiggins, hasn’t been able to make a difference among a struggling group of corners.

Douglas chose Wilson, a receiver who’s already earned league-wide honors. Meanwhile, Gardner has been a first-team All-Pro in each of his two full campaigns to date.

The Ravens could use the same level of instant impact on the back end. They also need a refresh for the future because the current rotation is loaded with veterans like All-Pros Tre’Davious White and Marlon Humphrey.

On the other side of the ball, Flowers needs a partner more dependable than brittle Rashod Bateman, and more refined than raw Devontez Walker. Douglas already knows how the Ravens work and how DeCosta builds his teams, so he’d be a valuable addition to an operation that’s already one of the best in the NFL.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko