Don't Mistake Steve Bisciotti's Silence for Indifference With Ravens
OWINGS MILLS, Md, — Steve Bisciotti is a wise man who has made brilliant decisions in his life to become a self-made millionaire.
As the owner of the Ravens, he's retreated to the background publicly, rarely speaking about the team.
That doesn't mean Bisciotti is not fully engaged.
Bisciotti addressed a small contingent of media this week at the owner's meetings and he was as forthright as ever.
He has his hand fully on the pulse of the Ravens and he doesn't plan to let go anytime soon.
Bisciotti does not have much of a filter and questioned the strategy of the Cleveland Browns who gave Deshaun Watson a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract despite his legal woes and not playing at all last season.
"To me, that's something that is groundbreaking, and it'll make negotiations harder with others," Bisciotti said. "But it doesn't necessarily mean that we have to play that game, you know? We shall see."
Few other owners would have the gumption to make such a statement, but behind closed doors, they likely lauded Bisciotti for saying what was on their minds too.
Bisciotti also had. a grounded assessment of the Ravens 2021 season that was completely hampered by injuries and several key starters for parts or all of the season.
“I was good emotionally with it because I kind of didn’t think we necessarily deserved to be 8-3. I thought we had gotten very fortunate," he said. "I didn’t have real high hopes of a playoff run when you’re that depleted."
Biscotti also gave John Harbaugh a three-year extension, which makes sense because he had been one of the most successful coaches in the NFL over his tenure. Bisciotti also knew a decision had to be made this offseason.
“No interest in having him go lame duck on me here," he said. "It’s not fair to him. I think John’s grown and grown and grown. It’s kind of interesting. I don’t feel like I’m just signing up the same guy."
Bisciotti also didn't shy away from talking about quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is in line for a record-setting deal. While he is letting GM Eric DeCosta handle the negotiations, he is fully engaged with the extent of the talks.
For now, he's going to sit back and enjoy watching Jackson play the game.
“[Jackson[ is a unique cat," Bisciotti said. "What are you going to do with a guy who wants to be unique? You don’t browbeat him into being a conformist. We appreciate him. All I know is his teammates freaking love him and the front office loves him. It’s like, keep doing you, Lamar."
