Ozzie Newsome has long been known for his tried and true credos such as “Best Player Available” and “Right Player, Right Price”. Those axioms have historically been as reliable as a steady compass, enabling Newsome to navigate his way through the challenges of building a roster for many seasons.
But since 2009, the Ravens under Newsome’s guidance, have failed to land impact players that once defined his drafts. Instead of Jonathan Ogden, Ray Lewis, Peter Boulware, Chris McAlister, Todd Heap, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata or Joe Flacco, the Ravens have landed players like Michael Oher, Sergio Kindle, Courtney Upshaw, Matt Elam and Breshad Perriman with their first picks.