Ravens Owner Among NFL's Best in Key Area

The Baltimore Ravens have been one of the NFL's best teams in the 21st Century, winning two Super Bowls and eight AFC North titles while making 16 playoff appearances in the past 25 years.

Like with many other great teams, Baltimore's success starts at the top.

Steve Bisciotti purchased a 49 percent stake in the Ravens in 2000, and while he didn't become the team's majority owner until 2004, the success began right away. The Ravens made the playoffs for the first time and won Super Bowl XXXV immediately after Bisciotti came aboard in 2000, just their fifth season of existence. The team experienced some growing pains in its first few years in Baltimore, but hasn't looked back since winning that championship.

Today, the Ravens are still one of the league's top teams and always in the hunt thanks to stars such as two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. Bisciotti's desire to win is very evident, as he's willing to spend and typically lets the football men do their jobs.

In a recent ranking by The Athletic on how much every NFL owner wants to win, Bisciotti landed in the top tier of "contention mode."

"Re-signing Ronnie Stanley to ensure Lamar Jackson’s blind side remains well protected was big. And DeAndre Hopkins should help improve the depth of the wide receiver unit," The Athletic's Mike Jones wrote. "Salary-cap restraints made it hard to do more, but Baltimore’s front office always finds gems in the draft. When it came to their belief in Steve Bisciotti’s commitment to building a winning team, Ravens players in the most recent NFLPA team report cards gave the owner the ninth-highest rating in the league."

Bisciotti takes a hands-off approach as an owner, but that's hardly a bad thing. Some of the league's current worst teams struggle due to their owners getting too involved, with New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, whose team is in the midst of a 14-year playoff drought, being just one example.

That said, Bisciotti's not afraid to step in when he needs to, though that happens very rarely.

As the Ravens continue to chase their third Super Bowl and their first of the Jackson era, they owe a lot to the man at the top.