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Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti: “2014 was my worst year as an owner”

By Brandon C. Williams

Sep 22, 2014; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti speaks during press conference at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 22, 2014; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti speaks during press conference at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said 2014 was “his worst year as an owner.” We wonder why….

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Fresh from the “You don’t say….” files: Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said 2014 was his worst year.

Bisciotti even joked about being on suicide watch, a statement that probably isn’t going to go over well with the PC crowd, yet it doesn’t take much of a trip down memory lane to understand why no one would have blamed Bisciotti if he had simply stolen the “Ron Mexico” moniker from Michael Vick and laid low for a long time.

Obviously, the Ray Rice scandal was a crippling blow to the franchise, which had little recourse but to release the former Pro Bowl running back after Rice’s domestic violence issues opened the door to the problems the NFL was forced to encounter. While Rice was the apex, Bisciotti also had four other players arrested along with director of security Darren Sanders, who was charged with a sexual offense.

“I had 14 good years, and then I had an absolute crappy year,” said Bisciotti.”

If there is a silver lining, the lessons of last season will greatly impact how the Ravens will approach the draft, as general manager Ozzie Newsome said on Tuesday any player with a domestic violence issue will find it very unlikely that the Ravens will be lobbing them a phone call between April 30-May 2.

The edict will also be in play for any free agents Baltimore will take a look at when signing unrestricted players begins next month.

“We were treating domestic violence the same we did a bar fight, and that was a mistake,” team president Dick Cass said. “That was wrong.”

Despite all the negative news off the field, the Ravens finished 10-6 and advanced to the AFC Divisional Round, where they narrowly lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Patriots. The loss of Rice opened the door for running back Justin Forsett to rush for a career-high 1,266 yards, while quarterback Joe Flacco tossed for 3,986 yards and 27 touchdowns.

On the eve of the team’s meeting for the 2015 season, Bisciotti said the on-field success gave him a jolt.

Planning will begin with tough decisions, as the Ravens will have to decide on how to readjust the salary of All-Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in order to avoid a potential $16 million cap hit. Wide receiver Torrey Smith, who caught 11 touchdowns last season, is an unrestricted free agent, while return specialist Jacoby Jones and talented yet injury-prone cornerback Ladarius Webb are also potential salary cap casualties.

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