Rashod Bateman was not happy with Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta after the executive took a shot at Baltimore's receivers at the 2023 NFL Combine.
The issue stemmed from a question asked about DeCosta's trouble drafting receivers in recent seasons.
Rather than defend the players he has on the roster, DeCosta slighted Bateman and Co. in his response.
"If I had an answer, that would probably mean I would have some better receivers," DeCosta quipped, per Sarah Ellison. "We're gonna keep swinging. There have been some guys that have been successful players for us that were draft picks. We've never really hit on that All-Pro type of guy, which is disappointing, but it's not for a lack of effort."
"It's one of those anomalies that I really can't explain, other than to say that we're not going to stop trying," he added. "We're gonna keep swinging and hopefully at one of these points, we're gonna hit the ball out of the park."
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Bateman, who was a first-round pick by DeCosta and the Ravens in the 2021 NFL Draft, naturally was irked by those comments.
The third-year pro sounded off on DeCosta in a tweet that he deleted shortly after posting.
"How bout you play to your players' strength and stop pointing the finger at us and [quarterback Lamar Jackson]," Bateman wrote. "Blame the one you let do this. … We take heat 24/7. And keep us healthy. … Care about US and see what happen. Ain't no promises tho. … Tired of y'all lyin' and cap'n on players for no reason."
Rashod Bateman calls out his GM pic.twitter.com/cpFk57zken
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) March 2, 2023
Bateman's post reads not only as a clap-back at DeCosta but also as a criticism of former offensive coordinator Greg Roman and strength and conditioning coach Steve Saunders. Roman notoriously had an offensive scheme that wasn't receiver-friendly, and that's part of the reason that Hollywood Brown asked to be traded away from Baltimore last offseason.
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Meanwhile, Saunders was criticized by several players for failing to keep them healthy. Bateman seemed to acknowledge this when he retweeted a post that referenced the strength and conditioning change as a potential positive for him.
Kinda like @R_bateman2 dude was healthy in college and comes to Baltimore and hasn’t finished a season yet. Hopefully new changes lead to new healthy success. https://t.co/G49RNZ9CPU
— brentlaw25 (@brentlaw251) March 2, 2023
Bateman certainly has a point in his criticism, and it probably wasn't DeCosta's best move to take a shot at his receiving corps, even if it was a motivational tactic.
Even still, Bateman realized quickly that making the post was a mistake. As such, he crafted an apology post and tweeted it shortly after his first tweet began to make the rounds.
my apologies 🫂
— Rashod Bateman (@R_bateman2) March 2, 2023
Of course, deleting the tweet didn't stop it from circulating on social media, thanks to a few screenshots. That led some of Bateman's current and former teammates — including running back Mike Davis, who was cut midseason — to back up his statement.
I hate to say it or be that guy .. but being there. bate is 100% right. https://t.co/DWpsvxMiG8
— IG MikeDavisRB (@MikeDavisRB) March 2, 2023
So now, the Ravens' dirty laundry will be on display for everyone to see as DeCosta and Co. navigate a tricky offseason.
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First up will be attempting to finally complete contract extension negotiations with Lamar Jackson. They remain "optimistic" about the possibility of reaching a deal.
But second on the list may be extending an olive branch to Bateman and any other receiver who may have been offended by DeCosta's assessment.
