Three takeaways from Eric DeCosta’s insightful interview on the “B-More Opinionated!” podcast

Baltimore Ravens assistant general manager Eric DeCosta joined CBS’s Jason La Canfora on his B-More Opinionated! podcast for a revealing post-draft interview. The latest episode of the podcast is a must listen for diehard Ravens supporters and fans of the NFL draft alike. Click here for the full interview.

Three takeaways:

• Positional value plays a large role in the Ravens drafting strategy

There has been much speculation and debate on our blog over the last several years about the meaning of “Best Player Available.” Do the Ravens prioritize certain premium positions over other less valuable positions? Are they willing to prop up a position because of team need?

DeCosta’s candid responses in the podcast support the notion that the Ravens front office does indeed draft for positional need:

DeCosta elaborated further after La Canfora asked him if the Ravens would have taken Ohio State free safety Malik Hooker if he fell to their pick:

• The Ravens have adjusted their drafting formula to reflect the passing nature of the league

The NFL has become a passing league. Some fans are upset that the Ravens did not draft a receiver this year, but the flip side is that they did put themselves in position to field a dominant pass defense. At the end of the day, it does not matter if the Ravens win 35-31 or 9-7, as long as they win.

According to DeCosta, the Ravens plan all along was to fortify their pass defense:

DeCosta’s reasoning for choosing Tyus Bowser instead of Ryan Anderson drives this point home even further:

• The front office has a plan for the Ravens offense

DeCosta admits the Ravens were hoping to find a receiver in this draft, but they could not get the sequence of players picked to fall in a way that presented value at their draft slots. Reading between the lines, he does not expect much contribution from the two new lineman - Nico Siragusa and Jermaine Eluemunor - during their rookie seasons.

However, La Canfora alludes to the compensatory draft pick formula as a reason the Ravens have not signed more offensive free agents, such as Anquan Boldin, yet. DeCosta confirmed his suspicion:

Of course, there is probably some optimistic spin coming from DeCosta following the draft. But he is known mostly as a straight shooter who speaks the truth. Let’s hope the Ravens can add a couple valuable veterans to the offense over the coming months and punch their way back into the postseason this year.

If you enjoy this type of insider content, be sure to subscribe to La Canfora and 105.7 sports talk radio host Jerry Coleman’s ‘B-More Opinionated!’ podcast. They do a nice job covering not only the Ravens , but the Orioles and the Baltimore sports scene in general.