Baltimore Ravens: Ozzie Newsome always has a plan

This could possibly be Ozzie Newsome‘s favorite week of the year.

The Baltimore Ravens general manager was able to sit back and watch his team pick up three compensatory picks for the 2015 NFL Draft. It seems it’s no longer a question of if, but rather how many additional picks the Ravens will receive each year.

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On Monday, the team was awarded three compensatory draft picks for the loss of Arthur Jones, Corey Graham and Michael Oher in unrestricted free agency last year.

The Ravens have seen a number of key members of their team depart Baltimore already this offseason. Torrey Smith, Pernell McPhee and Owen Daniels were lost in free agency, while Haloti Ngata was traded to Detroit due to the $16 million sum he would have accounted for on the 2015 salary cap.

While these players will be tough to replace, Newsome will be confident in bringing young blood to the roster via the draft.

Since #NFL compensatory picks began in 1994, #Ravens have gotten the most, with 44. #Packers have second-most, with 35.
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) March 24, 2015

Since 1997, there have only been four seasons in which the Ravens haven’t received compensatory draft picks. These additional picks are crucial to the team’s success. It’s become apart of the yearly cycle in Baltimore under Newsome. Yes, they will lose important players during in free agency, but they have a general manager capable of replacing them through the draft.

The draft isn’t a science; it’s impossible to truly know who will shine in the NFL and who will be a “bust.” Sure scouts can have a good idea, but in reality you never know until the prospect steps onto the field.

Newsome’s disappointment when Smith, McPhee and Daniels left town earlier this month was probably followed up with a smile when he realized three compensatory picks will likely be headed his way in 2016.

If scouts knew for sure how a player would transition to the NFL, would Trent Richardson have really been taken with the third overall pick in 2012? Would Richard Sherman have fallen to the fifth round? Four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady looks more like a first overall selection rather than a sixth rounder – Brady was selected with a compensatory pick, too.

This is the nature of the draft process; nobody has a crystal ball. The Ravens’ philosophy is simple: The more picks we have, the higher the odds of hitting a home run. At least assistant general manager Eric DeCosta believes so, per Peter King of The MMQB:

"“We look at the draft as, in some respects, a luck-driven process. The more picks you have, the more chances you have to get a good player,” DeCosta says. “When we look at teams that draft well, it’s not necessarily that they’re drafting better than anybody else, it seems to be that they have more picks. There’s definitely a correlation between the amount of picks and drafting good players.”"

And rightly so. In recent years, Newsome selected linebacker Pernell McPhee, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and right tackle Rick Wagner with compensatory picks.

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44) carries the ball in front of Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker

Jarvis Jones

(95) in the third quarter during the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

McPhee joined the Chicago Bears as an unrestricted free agent this year, but he had a successful four years in Baltimore and warranted his fifth-round selection. McPhee should bring the Ravens a compensatory pick in next year’s draft and the cycle will be complete.

Juszczyk established himself as the starting fullback for the Ravens in 2014, while Wagner solidified his spot at right tackle in his second season.

With three compensatory selections heading their way for this year’s draft, Newsome will pick three times in both the fourth and fifth rounds. The Ravens acquired an additional fourth rounder in the Ngata trade with the Lions and will also be on the clock with their original and compensatory picks.

The annual cycle in Baltimore brings the unfortunate loss of important players in free agency, but compensatory picks and a great general manager ensure the team is competitive every season. Newsome’s disappointment when Smith, McPhee and Daniels left town earlier this month was probably followed up with a smile when he realised three compensatory picks will likely be headed their way in 2016.

The free agents they lost earlier this month hurt. But Ravens fans can relax with the knowledge that Newsome has a plan. With ten selections in upcoming NFL Draft that starts on April 30 in Chicago, the Ravens will have every chance to replenish their roster and be contenders once more in 2015.

Next: Should Baltimore Ravens select wide receiver in first round?

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