The Baltimore Ravens received criticism from numerous NFL general managers and executives for backing out of their agreement to trade two first-round draft picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby because Crosby reportedly did not pass his physical.
Those executives likely will have plenty to say about how the Ravens pivoted following the abandoned Crosby deal.
Ravens choose Trey Hendrickson as Maxx Crosby replacement
Roughly 12 hours after it was learned that the Ravens won’t be acquiring Crosby, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Baltimore and Cincinnati Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson have agreed to a four-year, $112M contract. That deal reportedly can be worth up to $120M.
As recently as Tuesday, it was suggested that the market for Hendrickson’s services was not as robust as he had hoped. While the 31-year-old played in just seven games this past season before he needed core surgery in December, it’s worth noting that he recorded the league’s most regular-season sacks (35) from the start of the 2023 campaign through the 2024 season. To compare, Crosby and the Raiders agreed to a three-year, $106.5M extension last offseason.
Why Ravens agreeing to sign Trey Hendrickson will be seen as controversial
The previously mentioned general managers and executives told multiple NFL insiders that they weren’t buying the Ravens’ alleged reason for not trading for Crosby. Those individuals instead said they felt that Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta simply got “cold feet” about giving up a pair of first-round choices for the 28-year-old. The Ravens now won’t lose anything other than the money attached to the contract to add Hendrickson to their roster.
“The timing of the move will likely lead to questions about whether the Ravens’ decision to call off the Crosby trade was really based on an examination of his surgically-repaired knee or if the team decided they preferred to have Hendrickson and the two first-round picks they had agreed to send to Las Vegas,” Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper noted about Baltimore winning the Hendrickson sweepstakes.
Before the Hendrickson news broke, one unnamed general manager spoke with NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom and hinted that teams will no longer “trust” DeCosta regarding future trades. Wednesday’s developments likely won’t do much to silence such takes, but DeCosta won’t care if Hendrickson proves to be a top-tier defensive player with the Ravens.
