Trey Hendrickson proves the Maxx Crosby trade collapse was bullshit.
Last night the Ravens backed out of a trade that would have sent Maxx Crosby to Baltimore for two first-round picks. This morning the Ravens signed former Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to a 4-year $112 Million deal, with $60 Million guaranteed. The Ravens are claiming the reason they pivoted to Hendrickson is because Maxx Crosby failed his physical with the team.
And I’m calling bullshit.
Yes, Maxx Crosby had meniscus surgery in January. But the Ravens knew that when they agreed to the trade just days ago. What the Ravens didn’t know when they agreed to trade back-to-back first-round picks was that Trey Hendrickson would still be available on Day 1 of the new league year.
Technically the Ravens had the right to back out of the trade after Crosby failed his physical, but having the right doesn’t make it right. The Ravens went into the trade agreement knowing they had a bad faith escape hatch, and they took it. The immediate impact to the Ravens is pretty clear. Yes, they still got a pass rusher and got to keep their picks…but at the height of trade season in the NFL, teams might think twice about trading players to Baltimore if a physical can suddenly become an escape hatch. You could still see the Ravens getting the benefit of pick swaps in the draft (Though, probably not with the Raiders).
The immediate impact for the Raiders is a little less daunting. It’s well documented that Crosby wants out of Las Vegas. But the reality is the Raiders actually have the cap space to afford him, even after spending around $282 Million in the last three days. Speaking of spending $282 Million, does that make Crosby more interested in staying with the Raiders? Now that Crosby knows the Raiders are serious about turning the franchise around, does he want to stay?
Assuming Crosby still wants out, trading for him just became a significantly bigger risk for any General Manager looking to make a move. Not because there’s any reason to believe Crosby won’t be ready by Week 1. Several doctors have confirmed that Crosby appears to be on pace to fully recover this offseason. But if Crosby has any setback, whoever traded for him will have to answer for trading for a player that another team already failed in a physical.
The Ravens got a pass rusher they wanted and got to keep their picks, but at what cost? Trades with the Ravens will be met with a new level of skepticism. Which is fair, seeing how they just dealt in bad faith.