The Ravens might be hard-pressed to keep their heir apparent to general manager Ozzie Newsome.

Four teams -- the Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams and Oakland Raiders -- are expected to seek permission to speak to Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta for their general manager openings. In many ways, DeCosta has become the Jeff Fisher of front-office searches.

The Colts have already received permission to talk to DeCosta, according to WBAL's Gerry Sandusky, the team's radio play-by-play announcer.

DeCosta has long been considered the successor-in-waiting to Newsome, the team's only general manager, who turns 56 in March but has never publicly hinted at retirement. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has rewarded DeCosta for his loyalty -- he removed his name from the Seahawks' general manager search in 2009 -- with an increase in pay and responsibility.

"I think Eric knows how highly regarded he is in Baltimore, but when you have a guy as successful as Ozzie Newsome in the job, there's not a ton of promises that you can make," Bisciotti said in March 2010. "I think Eric is smart enough to see what happened with Phil [Savage] and George [Kokinis], and he'll probably limit himself to consideration of just a handful of jobs. His relationship with Ozzie is just as solid as any relationship I've seen in the NFL. He's so happy in his job that I think it will take a perfect job to get his serious consideration. Eric is going to make a great GM someday."

The problem for the Ravens is that the perfect job could be coming DeCosta's way. With four teams in the mix, the competition for DeCosta might result in a deal that he can't refuse.

DeCosta officially became Newsome's right-hand man in the war room in 2005, when Savage left for the Cleveland Browns' general manager job. One team official said DeCosta sets up the draft and Newsome makes the final decisions.

What makes DeCosta attractive to so many teams is his age (40), track record and a thoroughness that highlights his desire for better results.

"We even grade our lunches," DeCosta once said. "If I say it's a 6.2 lunch - all the guys know what that means: pretty good, but not great. A 7.5 is like the Pro Bowl; if I say the soup is a 7.5 today, everybody runs to get the soup."

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

I rarely troll.

WBAL's Gerry Sandusky, the team's radio play-by-play announcer.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

What an awful stroke of of back luck to have that name

What an awful stroke of of back luck to have that name

Laurence Holmes is a fucking weirdo, a nerd in denial, and a wannabe. Not a very good radio host either.

"Stroke", was that pun intended....?

If you hate Laurence, then don't listen - don't comment. When he co-hosts the B&B show, take that day off ... listen to an old podcast of a Bernstein solo show and jerk off all day.

What an awful stroke of of back luck to have that name

Gerry Sandusky
@GerrySandusky Baltimore, Maryland USA
I am Gerry with a G. Baltimore sportscaster. No relation to the former Penn State coach. Views expressed are my own.

My favorite part is that he says "I am Gerry with a G." which throws all Jerry Sandusky's with a J under the bus.

ITS ERIC DE DAMN COSTA!!!

Just heard John Clayton on with Waddle & Silvy say that he thinks DeCosta will be the Bears new GM. He also said he thinks Tice will be the offensive coordinator.

["We even grade our lunches," DeCosta once said. "If I say it's a 6.2 lunch - all the guys know what that means: pretty good, but not great. A 7.5 is like the Pro Bowl; if I say the soup is a 7.5 today, everybody runs to get the soup."

I rarely troll.

My favorite part is that he says "I am Gerry with a G."

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

Not bad......excluding Clayton.

2005 Mark Clayton Wide receiver Oklahoma
2006 Haloti Ngata Defensive tackle Oregon 2-time Pro Bowler.
2007 Ben Grubbs Guard Auburn
2008 Joe Flacco Quarterback Delaware 2008 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year.
2009 Michael Oher Offensive tackle Ole Miss
2010 — — No pick — —
2011 Jimmy Smith Cornerback Colorado

The Raiders are a bit unstable with Davis gone.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

Looks good to me. Even Clayton isn't a full on bust and that was not a particulary high pick. Still, I'd need to see the total drafts.

I would think the Raiders and Bears would be the two best of the four followed by the Colts with that high pick. The Raiders are a bit unstable with Davis gone.

DeCosta is the kind of guy that fills my requirements...younger, apprenticeship under a respected organization, undersecretary looking to move his way up, experienced in scouting/drafting. Let Cliff Stein handle contracts and Ted Phillips handle budgeting/non football decisions

Not sure about the Colts, but you gotta think the prospect of taking over a team with Manning & Luck at QB might be attractive. .

Laurence Holmes is a fucking weirdo, a nerd in denial, and a wannabe. Not a very good radio host either.

took his name out of the running.

The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.

i think if the bears fired lovie that decosta comes here.

I have MANY years of experience in trying to appreciate steaming piles of dogshit.

the best GM in the NFL