{"id":53711,"date":"2025-06-06T00:41:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-06T00:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=53711"},"modified":"2025-06-06T00:41:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T00:41:10","slug":"eric-decostas-sneaky-signing-is-already-meshing-perfectly-with-ravens-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=53711","title":{"rendered":"Eric DeCosta\u2019s sneaky signing is already meshing perfectly with Ravens culture"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"article-intro mb-4 text-darkGrey font-group-large md:font-group-normal lg:font-group-large\">This guy already looks like a Raven.<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex items-center justify-between text-darkGrey font-group-bigger\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n<div class=\"mb-0 md:mb-9 relative md:mx-10 md:mb-9\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"overflow-hidden bg-lightGrey\"><picture><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full\" title=\"Jacksonville Jaguars v Las Vegas Raiders\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5074,h_2854\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/26\/01jwvmq0nn4dmd250j0q.jpg\" alt=\"Jacksonville Jaguars v Las Vegas Raiders\" width=\"5074\" height=\"2854\" data-uw-rm-alt-original=\"Jacksonville Jaguars v Las Vegas Raiders\" data-uw-rm-alt=\"ALT\" \/><\/picture><\/div><figcaption class=\"ml-1 pb-2 mt-4 md:m-3 text-darkGrey font-group-tiny\">Jacksonville Jaguars v Las Vegas Raiders | Brooke Sutton\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flex flex-wrap justify-center lg:justify-normal\">\n<div class=\"flex lg:mr-4 lg:w-[calc(70%-3em)] max-w-full\">\n<div class=\"hidden md:block md:mx-4 hidden md:block\" data-testid=\"share-menu\">\n<div class=\"sticky top-20 mb-3\" data-testid=\"share-menu-inner\">\n<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">The Baltimore Ravens needed some mass upfront to replace\u00a0Michael Pierce after he retired\u00a0earlier in the offseason. They got just that with\u00a0their recent signing, John Jenkins, who came over after spending the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">The team had so many young pass-rush-focused linemen in the trenches that they needed to bring in a big veteran who could help stop the run. Baltimore is hoping Jenkins will be just that. And he already fits in perfectly with Baltimore&#8217;s tight-knit culture.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">John Jenkins is already locked in and ready to go<\/h2>\n<p id=\"inline-text-3\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Jenkins was\u00a0seen at practice on Tuesday, going through drills with the coaching staff as he prepares for his 13th season in the NFL. The 35-year-old will don the number 62, which no one has worn since offensive tackle David Sharpe in 2021.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">But many Ravens fans see the former Raider wearing the number and might immediately think of Terrence Cody. Like Cody, Jenkins will likely be a ferocious nose tackle who can easily clog run lanes and eat blocks. The monster veteran playing alongside Baltimore\u2019s rising star,\u00a0run defender Travis Jones, should keep the team in the conversation for the best run defense in the league.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\" data-uw-rm-sr=\"\">Although Jenkins lacks much pass-rush ability, the Ravens don\u2019t need much more pass-rush help from the interior.\u00a0Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike\u00a0has blossomed into a perennial Pro Bowler and All-Pro, and he\u2019s linked to a $98-million deal with the Ravens through 2027.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">While he\u2019s a star, the Texas A&amp;M product needs help, and Jenkins can offer just that. While Madubuike was one of the best at pressuring the quarterback from the interior in 2024, he was also one of the most double-teamed players in football. With Jenkins\u2019 size, he can help eat some of those doubles and allow Madubuike and the rest of the Ravens defensive line to play to the best of their abilities.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_1_6\" class=\"mm-slot-content\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">At 35 years old, Jenkins is considered an old man in today\u2019s NFL, but he can still get it done in the trenches. He\u2019s started every game over the past two seasons and has continued to prove to be a factor against run offenses. Baltimore doesn\u2019t need a flashy star. They need a player to do the dirty work at nose tackle, and they\u2019re hoping Jenkins can be that guy.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">While Baltimore will miss Pierce, the rise of Jones should offer Ravens fans a glimpse at the future, and the arrival of Jenkins and his size should intrigue them with the potential the defense could reach in 2025. And seeing Jenkins getting after it on the practice field a day after officially signing his contract raises no questions about whether or not he\u2019ll fit in with the locker room and the team\u2019s bond they\u2019ve built over the years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><main class=\"min-w-0 flex-1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"viewablity-block\">\n<figure class=\"player-wrapper relative aspect-video mb-[18px] bg-grey rounded-md hidden player-wrapper-lg md:block\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">More Baltimore Ravens News and Analysis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This guy already looks like a Raven. Jacksonville Jaguars v Las Vegas Raiders | Brooke Sutton\/GettyImages The Baltimore Ravens needed some mass upfront to replace\u00a0Michael Pierce after&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Eric DeCosta\u2019s sneaky signing is already meshing perfectly with Ravens culture - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=53711\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eric DeCosta\u2019s sneaky signing is already meshing perfectly with Ravens culture - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This guy already looks like a Raven. 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