Before Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome answers some uncomfortable questions later today, he had to face the uncomfortable truth about his own recent performance.
And he didn’t shy away from the fact that his recent drafts have included a number of misses on high picks, out of character for him and a part of the reason they’ve missed the playoffs three straight years.
“No doubt,” Newsome said, via Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. “Just like it was when we were having success, we were getting all the credit, and when we haven’t had the success, I need to take all the blame and it falls right on me.
“John [Harbaugh] and his staff do an unbelievable job, but we have to do a better job of bringing in players. Whether that’s through the draft, free agency or trades, we have to do better. And hopefully, when we sit here at Game 16, we’re already in the playoffs and not trying to get in the playoffs.”
Newsome’s entering his final draft in charge, before the reins are passed to longtime assistant Eric DeCosta. And with memories of some less-than-stellar picks like Matt Elam and Breshad Perriman on his resume lately, there’s more pressure to finish strong. But Newsome wasn’t in any mood to be sentimental, three weeks ahead of his last turn at the wheel.
“I really haven’t thought about that,” Newsome said. “I’ve been more just preparing for this draft.
“What’s going to occur a year from now is not in my thought process. It’s just making this the best draft that we can this year. That’s what’s been my focus.”
Newsome and Harbaugh will have a different focus today, as they’ll be questioned under oath regarding the Colin Kaepernick grievance, and the fact they just signed Robert Griffin III will provide an interesting atmosphere (though defending Griffin over Kaepernick as a football decision might require them to stretch first).