Austin Konenski
The Baltimore Ravens have pulled off two stunning moves over the last 12 hours. The Ravens backed out of their trade for EDGE Maxx Crosby on Tuesday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced. Baltimore then signed free-agent EDGE Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million contract, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This is a shocking development, as the Ravens end up with two first-round picks and Hendrickson on a similar contract to Crosby. It is undoubtedly an improvement to have Hendrickson and two first-round picks instead of Crosby; however, the league perception is not good for the organization, according to an NFL insider.
Several NFL decision makers believe the Ravens got “cold feet” on trading for Crosby, and it could impact how other teams work with the organization, as reported by NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. Baltimore reportedly backed out of the Crosby trade due to a failed physical on Tuesday.
However, it has been made clear by multiple people around the NFL at all levels that Baltimore had the medical information and understood where Crosby’s knee was in terms of his recovery timeline, as reported by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Needless to say, there are unhappy NFL team personnel after Hendrickson signed with the organization.
The Ravens haven’t made an announcement on backing out of the trade for Crosby. For now, Baltimore has to conduct a physical for Hendrickson, who is coming off a core muscle surgery. The Raiders are welcoming Crosby back to the organization, leaving the door open for another trade.
It remains to be seen how NFL team personnel and agents will navigate negotiations with the Ravens moving forward. If true, it could affect the way Baltimore conducts business with other teams.
