When Jerry West was general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, any player he allowed to leave the building always carried significant question marks. If West opted against bringing back a free agent, it was buyer beware for the rest of the NBA. If West called to offer up a player via trade, rival general managers would wonder why. Same deal with John Schuerholz during his GM heyday with the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s: If he called to offer you a pitcher or let somebody hit the open market, you had to know something was up.
Enter Ozzie Newsome.
Newsome has a keen eye for talent. And most importantly, he and his Ravens cohorts know when to say when on their own players -- they know who must be kept and who can be set free.
The precedent has been set, from Ed Hartwell to Michael Oher, from Dannell Ellerbe to Paul Kruger. In hindsight, Ozzie and Co. typically appear pretty darn savvy.