I think he is just overall a very good at talent evaluation, or he's got a crack team of people that are. I think a lot of it is system based. We get our coaches getting our guys in the best positions to succeed based on our scheme. They perform well, they get some hype, they become a free agent and other teams know that Ozzie finds gems so they think that the guy is just about to break out for them and pay them accordingly in free agency. You can never predict injuries unless you got a guy that is habitually missing games for you year in and out. Football is a collision sport and injuries will happen. Age can be a good indicator of declining skills. Other than that it is just a huge coincidence that most of the players the Ravens let walk never really make a lot of noise or just fade away into obscurity.
Ben Grubbs was a very good guard for us and made a Pro Bowl with the Ravens. He went on to be a good guard for the Saints and made a Pro Bowl with them before be ultimately started to decline in Kansas City thanks to a bad neck injury that forced him to retire at age 31. I am wracking my brain trying to recall a former Raven within the Harbaugh era that left this team and went on to continue to be great and I simply can't think of any.
WR Brandon Stokley is about the only name I come up with. He was a 3rd/4th option for us and in his best Ravens season he caught 24 passes for 357 yards and 2 TDs. He put up similar or better numbers at every other stop with an NFL team he played for save for a two game stint with the Giants. His career numbers for teams are also better at every stop he's had other than the Giants of course, and he only played one season in Denver. He even had a great 1,000 yard 10TD performance with the Indianapolis Colts.
Priest Holmes! Hello, we let him get away and he was great for KC.