NFL free agency: Trey Hendrickson to Ravens; no Maxx Crosby trade

For those who bought a purple-and-gold Maxx Crosby jersey over the weekend, you is perhaps experiencing purchaser’s regret. The workforce that stunningly traded for Crosby on Friday night time additionally seems as if it might need some. 4 days after agreeing to ship two first-round picks to the Raiders to accumulate the star edge rusher, the Ravens pulled out of the Crosby deal Tuesday, reportedly over considerations about his bodily.

Wednesday morning, the Ravens adopted up by making the transfer that can gas 1,000,000 conspiracy theories. Having opted out of the Crosby deal, they signed the very best remaining go rusher in the marketplace, Trey Hendrickson, to a four-year, $120 million deal. It was the apparent resolution for the Ravens given the circumstances, however there will likely be no scarcity of individuals outdoors and even contained in the league who wonder if the Ravens merely obtained chilly ft.

A type of events would be the workforce all of the sudden and unexpectedly left with a celebrity it would not really need. The Raiders introduced the information in the best way you might need posted in your Fb wall a couple of breakup as a young person. “The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our commerce settlement for Maxx Crosby,” the temporary assertion on social media mentioned. “We could have no additional remark at the moment.”

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Whereas acknowledging that the Raiders usually are not precisely the most careful and social media-savvy group in soccer, it’s extremely straightforward to give attention to the wording in that temporary message. They might have famous that Crosby failed a bodily and that the commerce has been rescinded, or described how the commerce had fallen by and the way joyful they have been to have Crosby again. “Backed out” is saying loads. It is fairly clear that the Raiders really feel as if they have been accomplished soiled.

What occurs subsequent? Effectively, let’s get there in a second. I wish to break down what has occurred from either side, after which we are able to get to what it means for the Ravens, Raiders, Crosby and the remainder of the NFL. The one factor extra fascinating than the unique Crosby commerce is perhaps undoing one of many largest swaps of the previous decade 4 days later. Let’s attempt to make some sense of this and what comes subsequent.

Leap to:
What happened?
Did the Ravens get cold feet?
Will Crosby still get moved?
Where could he fit?
Who else is impacted?

What occurred right here?

Let’s begin with the easy information. Each NFL signing and commerce is topic to a bodily. Nothing’s official till gamers go these physicals. Clearly, every workforce’s consolation with the wear and tear and tear it sees on soccer gamers is dependent upon quite a lot of elements. No one’s going to go a bodily with a torn ACL, however groups is perhaps extra keen to miss considerations in the event that they’re signing a 35-year-old veteran to the minimal deal in December for a playoff run than in the event that they’re signing a participant to an enormous contract in March.

On this case, the Ravens have been clearly dealing with a vital, franchise-altering resolution. They have been each buying and selling two first-round picks for Crosby and primarily committing to paying the man who was purported to be their new star edge rusher practically $94 million over the subsequent three seasons. Crosby was coming off a season that ended because of an injury, with the 28-year-old struggling a meniscus harm early within the yr and taking part in by it earlier than finally present process season-ending surgical procedure.

Crosby underwent a meniscus restore versus trimming his meniscus, which issues in a few methods. A meniscus trim permits a participant to get better extra rapidly than a restore, however groups I’ve spoken to up to now about these accidents usually consider that trims create extra issues down the road and shorten careers. Meniscus repairs require longer restoration occasions, however they’re extra more likely to produce secure knees after restoration and fewer deleterious long-term results than the trims. Crosby may very nicely nonetheless be recovering from the surgical procedure he underwent on the finish of the 2025 season, given the standard timeframe.

The timing of the commerce solely made issues worse. Each side needed to have a Crosby deal accomplished earlier than the weekend and the beginning of the authorized negotiating interval Monday. The Raiders have been in place to barter with the widest vary of groups earlier than free brokers began flying off the board and groups stuffed their wants on the sting. The Ravens wanted readability on what their price range would appear to be with or with out Crosby as plenty of their standout gamers hit free company.

However despite the fact that the groups agreed to the commerce Friday, the deal could not be formally consummated till the beginning of the brand new league yr Wednesday, by which level Crosby would wish to go a bodily. That felt like a formality till it wasn’t. If the commerce had occurred in early April or in the course of October, the 2 sides may have had the physicals accomplished instantly and completed the deal in a matter of hours in the event that they negotiated quietly sufficient. Right here, there have been a number of days between the choice to make the commerce and the choice to undo it, and people occur to be a number of the most consequential days of the NFL calendar.

Did the Ravens simply get chilly ft and alter their thoughts?

That is a $94 million query. You do not really want to guess what the Raiders are implying right here. The Ravens knew Crosby was recovering from meniscus surgical procedure. He is 28 years previous, and certainly one of his calling playing cards as a professional has been staying on the sector. Since coming into the league in 2019, Crosby has performed a staggering 6,449 snaps. He has the 2 highest single-season defensive snap totals of any defensive lineman — having performed 1,038 snaps in 2022 and 1,037 in 2023 — and 4 of the highest 21 over the previous seven seasons. The Ravens have been by no means going to enter a bodily for a participant who has labored as onerous as Crosby over the previous few years and uncover that issues have been good.

The Raiders clearly consider that the Ravens are making a meal out of no matter they discovered and utilizing it as a pretense to alter their thoughts. Is that what truly occurred? It could be nearly unattainable to show, barring some outstanding smoking gun piece of proof from contained in the Ravens group. There’s probably not any manner for the Raiders to carry the Ravens accountable or insist that they observe by on the commerce as a result of they’re simply pretending Crosby is not wholesome sufficient to go a bodily.

Although it would not usually occur in high-profile trades, we do see signings affected and even wiped away by failed physicals. These groups have each had a notable signing fall by the wayside over the previous 15 years. In 2017, the Ravens signed Washington wideout Ryan Grant to a four-year, $29 million cope with $14.5 million assured, however a bodily found {that a} late-season ankle harm was extra regarding than the workforce anticipated. Baltimore backed out of the deal.

The Raiders, in the meantime, signed offensive lineman Rodger Saffold to a five-year, $42.5 million contract in spring 2014. Whereas that looks like a modest deal these days, Saffold’s $8.5 million common wage would have been essentially the most for any guard in soccer on the time. The deal was broadly panned; on the time, I wrote that it was “mind-boggling and unattainable to know.” It was an enormous overpay from a company that wasn’t attracting many free brokers and was greater than a decade faraway from its most up-to-date successful file.

When Saffold got here in for his bodily, the Raiders have been those who obtained chilly ft. They failed the Rams guard over considerations about his shoulder and opted out of his deal. Saffold went again into free company and signed a five-year, $31.3 million deal to return to St. Louis. The Raiders finally used a third-round choose on Gabe Jackson and slotted him in at left guard as a substitute.

For what it is value, each groups in all probability had some extent. Saffold underwent surgical procedure on the shoulder that involved the Raiders after the 2014 season and lasted solely 5 video games in 2015 earlier than requiring season-ending surgery on the opposite shoulder. Grant responded to his Ravens rejection by signing a one-year, $5 million cope with the Colts, however he caught solely 39 extra passes over the subsequent two years earlier than falling out of the league. You possibly can make a case that each the Raiders and Ravens made prudent choices on the time, even when they weren’t widespread decisions.

There are three causes I do not consider that the Ravens pretended to make use of the bodily as a pretense to choose out of a brand new deal they now not needed to make. One is the response to the information. Although there have been individuals who did not actually love the Crosby commerce — myself included — there was no widespread backlash or suggestion that the Ravens had been fleeced. This was usually a well-liked commerce with Ravens followers. If this have been a wildly unpopular deal that made the Ravens nationwide laughingstocks, there is perhaps some cause to consider that common supervisor Eric DeCosta and the Baltimore entrance workplace would have given it a second thought. That wasn’t the case right here.

One other is that undoing the commerce complicates the quick time period and the long run for the Ravens organizationally. Baltimore gamers have been enthusiastic about taking part in with Crosby. Followers have been thrilled so as to add a celebrity. They’re all disillusioned now. Even when they do not consider that the Ravens simply modified their thoughts, groups are going to be extra hesitant to speak trades with Baltimore given the notion that it is perhaps extra finicky about physicals and liable to reversing offers than different organizations. That would not cease the Ravens in the event that they actually felt that the Crosby deal, the most important one they’d make over the subsequent decade, would have been a catastrophe given his well being, however it’s not going to make life simpler for Baltimore shifting ahead.

And the third cause is the Ravens primarily sat out the primary few days of free company as they waited for the Crosby deal to be finalized, with their solely signing to date being guard John Simpson. They’ve now landed Hendrickson, which we’ll get to in a second, however the concept that the Ravens have been going to string the Raiders alongside till they determined to signal Hendrickson on the final second would not actually maintain up underneath a lot scrutiny.

If Hendrickson had been a cap casualty Saturday morning and unexpectedly hit the market after the Ravens had agreed to the Crosby deal, there can be a transparent case for the Ravens discovering that that they had a brand new various accessible and altering their thoughts accordingly. When the Ravens made the Crosby commerce, although, they already knew that Hendrickson was going to be hitting free company. In the event that they actually most popular signing Hendrickson and never buying and selling away their draft picks to accumulate Crosby, why would not they’ve simply accomplished that from the start? Sticking it to a competitor just like the Patriots or Steelers is perhaps one factor, however it’s troublesome to consider that the Ravens entered right into a commerce solely to mess up the Raiders’ plans.

On prime of that, whereas they have been underneath the belief that they have been finishing a Crosby deal, the Ravens misplaced a handful of significant contributors, led by star heart Tyler Linderbaum, who signed with these very Raiders. Isaiah Likely left for the Giants, and he was adopted by Jordan Stout, Ar’Darius Washington and Patrick Ricard. Dre’Mont Jones signed with the Patriots. Alohi Gilman joined the Chiefs. Charlie Kolar went to the Chargers. The Ravens in all probability weren’t going to signal Linderbaum, on condition that huge contract quantity in Vegas, however they very nicely might need been extra aggressive on younger gamers corresponding to Kolar or Seemingly if that they had extra monetary flexibility, not to mention wanting towards different choices in free company.

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Orlovsky surprised Ravens backed out of Maxx Crosby deal

The “Get Up” crew reacts to the Ravens’ resolution to again out of the commerce settlement for Maxx Crosby on account of medical considerations.

In the end, no person outdoors of Baltimore’s constructing can ever actually know for certain whether or not the Ravens have been strictly reacting to Crosby’s bodily, merely modified their thoughts or some mixture of the 2. I’d argue that the preponderance of the proof factors towards the previous. Possibly they would not have been fairly as keen to maneuver on from the Crosby deal if Hendrickson hadn’t been accessible.

However even when the Ravens hadn’t landed Crosby or Hendrickson, there would have been some alternate options accessible on the sting, albeit whereas much less imposing. They might have signed Joey Bosa or traded for gamers like Kayvon Thibodeaux or Jonathan Greenard for one thing lower than the first-round picks they have been desiring to ship to Vegas. Touchdown these guys would not have been as satisfying as including Crosby or Hendrickson, but when the Ravens actually did not like what they noticed in Crosby’s medicals and missed out on Hendrickson, one thing would have been higher than nothing. And people different choices might need been higher than paying an exorbitant sum so as to add a participant with medical considerations that gave the Ravens pause.

Having signed Hendrickson, although, there are going to be loads of skeptics who consider that the Ravens finessed the Raiders right here, together with the overwhelming majority of individuals within the Raiders facility. I may give the proof for why I do not assume that is the case, however emotions may matter greater than proof right here. The Raiders are going to be livid, and I am undecided you may actually blame them given the circumstances.

Can a Crosby commerce nonetheless occur?

With Crosby’s rights reverting again to the Raiders and the Ravens recouping their two first-round picks, each groups can act as if this commerce by no means occurred. Having already traded Crosby as soon as, although, the Raiders ought to nonetheless be incentivized to get a deal accomplished as rapidly as potential. Although he may theoretically come again and play for one more decade within the desert, it is troublesome to think about both aspect feeling notably thrilled a couple of reunion.

The Raiders wanted the picks greater than they wanted Crosby, given how far they’re from contending. Crosby was going to lastly get to play for a winner and a perennial contender. This might have been a win-win commerce. It may nonetheless be one with a unique workforce.

It is honest to say that the Ravens, for a lot of causes, are out of the working. (I am undecided Mark Davis or GM John Spytek will choose up a name from a 410 space code for the subsequent decade.) The Raiders are left with 30 different potential commerce companions, although, and there is nonetheless loads of time to barter a Crosby deal. Let’s take into account just a few situations for a way that might play out.

1. One other workforce trades two first-round picks to the Raiders for Crosby this week. Clearly, the best-case state of affairs for the Raiders proper now can be getting an identical haul from one other workforce, one that does not share the identical considerations with the Ravens about Crosby’s medical outcomes. Doing so would each get the Raiders the draft capital they need and implicitly recommend that Las Vegas was proper to recommend that the Ravens backed out of the commerce for causes unrelated to the bodily.

It is potential that this will get accomplished. If the Ravens have been keen to ship two first-round picks for Crosby, there have been in all probability different groups that have been keen to return shut and even match that supply however simply choose later within the first spherical of the 2026 draft than the Ravens (who have been sending the No. 14 choose within the tentative swap). Touchdown a brand new cope with a workforce selecting within the 20s would not be fairly as interesting, however it might be shut sufficient for the Raiders to be ok with shifting Crosby.

However it may be harder to do that deal now than it might have been per week in the past. I am going to get to who is perhaps focused on buying and selling for Crosby in a second, however groups that felt as if that they had missed out on the five-time Professional Bowl choice have already spent a few of their assets elsewhere. There will not be as many franchises within the combine for the Raiders to doubtlessly play off of each other. With groups realizing the Raiders have been keen to commerce Crosby final week, Vegas will not have the identical kind of leverage it had earlier than Friday.

There may also be common managers and homeowners with severe questions on whether or not the Ravens have been proper. Buying and selling two first-round picks for a soon-to-be 29-year-old making vital cash who could not go a bodily goes to be a really dangerous proposition for any govt. Even when one other workforce would not share the identical medical considerations about Crosby on nearer inspection, there will likely be questions within the constructing about what the Ravens noticed and whether or not it ought to spook any new Crosby suitor. Groups know this and can attempt to lowball the Raiders of their potential affords in consequence.

2. One other workforce trades two first-round picks to the Raiders for Crosby someday within the months to return. That is unlikely, however it’s potential that Crosby’s meniscus seems higher nearer to the draft and even afterward, main a workforce to really feel extra snug buying and selling two first-round picks. If one other workforce waits till after the draft, it may purchase Crosby in 2026 and maintain on to its first-round choose this yr whereas sending its 2027 and 2028 first-rounders to the Raiders, which might be a much less invaluable and extra unsure provide for Vegas.

3. One other workforce trades a 2026 first-round choose and one thing that is not a 2027 first-round choose to the Raiders to accumulate Crosby. That is the almost certainly state of affairs to me. It should be very troublesome for Las Vegas to land a equally sized provide to the one it had from Baltimore. Too many groups that might have been are out of the working, a lot cash has been spent elsewhere, and the groups left will likely be nervous about Crosby’s knee and/or will use the specter of these nerves to deliver the commerce value down.

At this level, the earlier Ravens provide is generally irrelevant when it comes to negotiating. Vegas common supervisor John Spytek has to return to the desk and land the absolute best deal for Crosby proper now. Can the Raiders land a top-15 choose and a third-rounder? A late first-rounder in 2026 and a few Day 2 picks over the subsequent couple of years? Will they must accept a late first-round choose in 2026 and a second-rounder in 2027? A deal in that ballpark appears lifelike to me, even given the considerations about Crosby’s bodily.

4. One other workforce acquires Crosby while not having to ship a first-round choose. If Crosby’s medical studies are actually as regarding because the Ravens’ pivot suggests, there may not be a first-round choose in play. There’s at all times some extent the place a workforce can be keen to take a shot on a participant of Crosby’s expertise, however groups have already usually been loath to pay premiums on contracts to accumulate gamers as they method 30. Any workforce sending a first-round choose to accumulate Crosby is hoping that it is touchdown a participant who could make an affect on this contract and on a second deal into his mid-30s.

At that time, although, I’ve to consider that the Raiders would merely name issues off. The group appeared prepared to maneuver Crosby, however this wasn’t a scenario during which the Raiders have been going to be keen to easily take the very best accessible provide if what was on the desk wasn’t any higher than a Day 2 choose. It was at all times going to take a splashy provide for the Raiders to maneuver their hottest and profitable participant.

It could be awkward bringing Crosby again, but when the Raiders cannot land a first-round choose, they must add their veteran edge rusher again into the fold for 2026. They might at all times discover a commerce on the deadline or after the season if Crosby returns to his normal type and performs nicely subsequent season.

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‘Wild … unprecedented’: Schefter studies on Ravens nixing Crosby commerce

Adam Schefter reacts to the information of the Ravens backing out of their commerce for Maxx Crosby on account of medical considerations.

In some unspecified time in the future, Crosby’s worth will drop. Panthers followers will keep in mind Carolina turning down two first-round picks from the Rams for Brian Burns earlier than they finally accepted a second-round pick from the Giants for his or her star edge rusher, however that course of took a few years. If Crosby continues to be on the Raiders’ roster in 2027 or 2028, Vegas may not be in place to command a first-round choose in a commerce. For now, although, I can not think about the Raiders sending Crosby away with out touchdown no less than one first-round choose in return.

Which groups can be focused on buying and selling for Crosby?

It is perhaps extra significant to begin with the groups who would not be as as they have been per week in the past. That checklist begins with the Cowboys, who despatched a fourth-round choose to the Packers to acquire Rashan Gary after lacking out on a Crosby commerce. Gary will make $18 million in 2026. There are rumors that the Cowboys are listening to affords for defensive sort out Osa Odighizuwa, and buying and selling the 27-year-old sort out would unencumber $16.75 million in money. Dallas nonetheless has loads of draft capital, however even when it have been to commerce Odighizuwa, it might be troublesome to pay Crosby, Gary, Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark up entrance on protection earlier than even contemplating how a lot this workforce has dedicated to the offensive stars.

Groups that made an enormous splash on edge-rushing expertise additionally aren’t more likely to be within the Crosby sweepstakes. The Panthers simply gave Jaelan Phillips $30 million per season. The Commanders paid Odafe Oweh $25 million per year. The Bengals might need thought-about Crosby as a Hendrickson substitute, however they’re now on the hook to provide Boye Mafe $20 million per year. The Patriots gave Dre’Mont Jones solely $12.5 million, however that locks him in to begin throughout from Harold Landry III. Different lengthy shot choices, just like the 49ers, Saints and Seahawks, have spent vital cash elsewhere. And although the Chiefs may use a star edge rusher, nicely, I do not see the Raiders buying and selling Crosby to a division rival.

Who’s left? There is not any apparent front-runner, however then once more, the Ravens additionally weren’t precisely the favorites to land Crosby per week in the past. In no explicit order …

The Jaguars have been reportedly in Crosby discussions earlier this offseason, solely to return up in need of Baltimore’s provide. They do not have a first-round choose to supply the Raiders in 2026 after sending that to the Browns within the deal to maneuver up for Travis Hunter, and that in all probability value them in relation to different affords and alternatives.

What the Jaguars do have, although, is younger expertise that is perhaps interesting to the Raiders. If the Jaguars did commerce for Crosby, his spot within the lineup in all probability would come on the expense of 2022 No. 1 choose Travon Walker, who will likely be coming into his fifth-year possibility in 2026 earlier than hitting unrestricted free company. Walker is coming off a disappointing 3.5-sack season, however his underlying metrics have been extra constant than his sack totals, and he would step in as a significant substitute for Crosby on the sting.

The opposite Jaguars participant who would undoubtedly curiosity the Raiders is wideout Brian Thomas Jr., who would give presumptive No. 1 choose Fernando Mendoza a younger No. 1 receiver. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that the Jaguars aren’t interested in trading Thomas, however the Crosby information may change issues. If the Raiders desire picks, although, the Jaguars aren’t going to be an important match.

The Lions have been quiet in free company, with former Panthers heart Cade Mays as their solely significant addition to date. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Marcus Davenport are each free brokers, leaving a big gap throughout from Aidan Hutchinson on the sting. The Lions have the seventeenth choose in 2026, which might be in the identical ballpark as the choice the Ravens have been sending as a part of their deal. And I needn’t let you know how Crosby and Dan Campbell would match collectively.

The Lions, nonetheless, might need greater considerations elsewhere. Taylor Decker was granted his release, and Detroit is rebuilding an offensive line that wasn’t as much as its requirements final season. The 2023 draft class simply grew to become eligible for extensions, which may imply vital raises for Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch as early as this offseason. I really like the match on paper, however Crosby is perhaps too costly for Detroit.

The Payments made an enormous splash by acquiring DJ Moore from the Bears, a deal that added $24.5 million to their backside line in 2026 and 2027. They nonetheless must rebuild on protection, the place Joey Bosa and AJ Epenesa are free brokers on the sting. Buffalo is already dedicated to Greg Rousseau at one beginning spot, however Crosby may step in on the opposite aspect, giving Buffalo the star go rusher it has craved for years.

This does not actually really feel like a Payments transfer to me. The try and make that all-in move for Von Miller in free company was a catastrophe, and GM Brandon Beane should not be determined to go down the identical path. The Payments arguably have greater wants alongside their offensive line and within the secondary, and after sending their second-round choose to the Bears, it is robust to consider that they’d then ship their first-round choose and extra future draft capital for one more veteran. After the entire dramatic modifications Beane and possession made following the heartbreaking loss to the Broncos, although, I am undecided we are able to rule something off the desk in Buffalo.

The Bears freed up all of that money as a part of the Moore commerce. After I wrote my mock trade column final month, I had the Bears sending Moore to the Raiders as a part of a deal for Crosby, utilizing the financial savings at extensive receiver to assist add all the cash owed to Crosby over the subsequent three years. I believed the Bears would wish to ship just one first-rounder alongside Moore to get that deal accomplished, however in gentle of what the Ravens provided, that appears low.

The Bears have already got $37 million invested of their starters on the sting between Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo, the latter of whom continues to be recovering from an Achilles injury. Common supervisor Ryan Poles has cleared out money by buying and selling Moore and releasing Tremaine Edmunds, however the Bears have signed Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal and made a collection of smaller signings. They’ve the draft capital to make a deal work and a core of younger expertise on offense that ought to permit for spending closely on protection, however are they actually prepared for an all-in transfer?

Essentially the most tantalizing touchdown spot for Crosby can be the Eagles, who let Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean and Reed Blankenship depart earlier than agreeing with Riq Woolen on a one-year deal Tuesday. We all know how closely GM Howie Roseman leans on having nice offensive and defensive position play, and the Eagles weren’t nice on the sting after dropping Josh Sweat final season. Jalyx Hunt had a strong season, however Nolan Smith Jr. mustered solely three sacks in an injury-riddled marketing campaign, and low-cost additions corresponding to Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche did not make a lot of an affect.

The Eagles have already got a ton of cash dedicated to their 2026 roster, however there’s an apparent commerce candidate right here in A.J. Brown. Roseman has urged that the Eagles aren’t within the enterprise of buying and selling nice gamers, and Brown continues to be one of many elite receivers in soccer on a route-by-route basis, however he appeared to bitter on the group and vice versa a yr in the past. He would give Mendoza a authentic No. 1 wideout, and Vegas’ largest objective in 2026 needs to be making its new quarterback’s life as straightforward as potential.

Financially, a Brown commerce actually solely is smart after June 1, when the Eagles may push $27 million of the $43 million in lifeless cash that might come from a Brown swap onto their 2027 cap. Becoming Crosby in would require some cap gymnastics, and that defensive position would get very costly between Crosby, newly paid sort out Jordan Davis and the large deal in all probability coming for Jalen Carter, however that is a spot the Eagles must be snug spending their cash.

Is a receiver who turns 29 earlier than the yr actually the very best return for Crosby given how far the Raiders are from competition? In all probability not. In the event that they get to June and have not been capable of get a Crosby deal over the road, although, a swap involving Brown (and a few draft capital) heading to the Raiders for him would be the rumor of the summer time.

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Stephen A. provides props to Ravens for signing Trey Hendrickson

Stephen A. Smith weighs in on the Ravens signing Trey Hendrickson after backing out of buying and selling for Maxx Crosby.

What occurs subsequent for the groups and gamers most immediately affected by the rescinded commerce?

Let’s begin in Vegas. There have been strategies that the Raiders is perhaps in a harmful cap scenario after happening an early-market spending spree underneath the pretense that they weren’t going to have Crosby’s deal on the books. There aren’t many groups that may simply add a $35.7 million hit onto their cap unexpectedly proper earlier than the beginning of the brand new league yr and stay cap compliant.

The Raiders, although, are a type of uncommon groups. Relying on how a few of their new offers are structured, they need to have between $30 million and $50 million in cap area, even after including Crosby’s deal again to their roster. And whereas they in all probability will not wish to restructure his contract, given the probability that he is dealt once more within the weeks to return, the Raiders may filter $14 million in cap area in a single day by restructuring Kolton Miller‘s deal and including void years. There’s not going to be a cap disaster right here.

Financially, although, the Raiders are in all probability overstretched when it comes to money spent. This is not essentially the most cash-rich group within the NFL, and the Raiders in all probability wouldn’t have been as energetic in free company if that they had identified they is perhaps spending $30.7 million in money on Crosby in 2026. If Crosby is traded within the weeks to return, that will not matter, but when the Raiders do have him on their roster this season, I’m wondering in the event that they is perhaps much less energetic than anticipated in free company subsequent yr.

Until there’s one thing significantly incorrect with Crosby’s medical image, the almost certainly state of affairs will see the Raiders commerce Crosby once more, however this time for one thing lower than two first-round picks. That is not very best, however it would not materially change the short-term plan for the Raiders in 2026.

The Ravens are in a troublesome scenario, albeit certainly one of their very own making. They principally sat out free company, and whereas that was taking place, the overwhelming majority of edge rushers accessible agreed to offers with different groups. The pure pivot was to land Hendrickson, and fortunately for Ravens followers, that is truly what seems to have occurred (pending a bodily, after all). And whereas the Ravens have been buying and selling two first-round picks so as to add Crosby, they will add Hendrickson without cost (when it comes to draft capital), though they will miss out on the third-round compensatory choose they have been set so as to add for dropping Linderbaum to the Raiders.

Is Hendrickson for a third-round choose higher than Crosby for 2 first-rounders? I’d say so, however it’s fairly clear that the Ravens most popular the latter transfer after they agreed to the Crosby commerce on Friday. Crosby is greater than two years youthful than Hendrickson, who turns 32 in December. Hendrickson is also coming off a mysterious hip injury that lingered and finally required season-ending surgical procedure. It is potential that Hendrickson wasn’t precisely keen to hurry again into the lineup for a Bengals group that did not give him the contract he needed through the 2025 offseason, however we have had sufficient conspiracy theories for sooner or later.

Signing Hendrickson was the fitting transfer for the Ravens, however this various comes with severe threat. Crosby was exiting his prime. Hendrickson is a number of years previous the purpose when edge rushers usually peak, though he is one yr faraway from a Defensive Participant of the 12 months-caliber season in 2024. Whereas there are nice go rushers who fade slowly and easily age into their late 30s, there are many counterexamples who fell off a cliff and weren’t the identical participant at this level of their profession, owing to accidents or declining play.

Chandler Jones was a Professional Bowler in his age-31 season, signed with the Raiders in free company and was out of the league after one yr. Robert Quinn had 18.5 sacks as a 31-year-old and recorded another sack the next yr earlier than retiring. Jason Babin had 18 sacks in his age-31 marketing campaign and 16.5 extra over 4 ensuing years. Joey Porter had 17.5 sacks as a Professional Bowler for the Dolphins in 2008 however then fell to 9 in 2009, 5 in 2010 and one with the Cardinals in 2011 earlier than he left the sport.

Hendrickson had 4 sacks in seven video games in his age-31 season in 2025, a yr during which he was squeezed by sitting out most of coaching camp and the midseason hip situation. The almost certainly state of affairs is that he performs very nicely. However there’s far more threat of Hendrickson falling off a cliff over the subsequent two or three years than Crosby, given their respective ages.

Alternatively, having spent most of his time with the Saints as a reserve, Hendrickson has truly performed 1,400 fewer snaps than Crosby regardless of coming into the league two years earlier than his counterpart, so you would make the case that his legs are brisker than the standard early-30s go rusher. There is a cause, although, that the Ravens initially most popular Crosby to Hendrickson, even when it meant buying and selling considerably extra draft capital to get the participant they needed.

Hendrickson in all probability made himself much more cash in a single day while not having to maneuver a muscle. We do not know the place the Hendrickson sweepstakes would have landed if the Ravens hadn’t wanted to become involved within the dialogue, however it might hardly be a shock if the Ravens swooped in with a blow-away provide to make sure that they landed the very best remaining go rusher.

We’ll wait to see what the specifics of Hendrickson’s contract appear to be and whether or not he managed to land vital ensures deep into his deal. However there would not seem to have been a strong marketplace for the 31-year-old, on condition that Hendrickson did not comply with a deal within the opening hours of free company and different groups proceeded to signal alternate options on the sting to vital contracts.

The league has shifted closely towards prioritizing youthful gamers in free company lately, and it is telling that Hendrickson’s per-year common wage is according to that of Jaelan Phillips, who has torn ACL and torn Achilles accidents in his previous and has but to put up even a single season with 10 sacks as a professional. Phillips is greater than 4 years youthful than Hendrickson, although, and groups are paying for what they consider a participant’s manufacturing will likely be within the years to return versus his résumé from the previous. Hendrickson might need wanted the Ravens as a lot because the Ravens wanted him.

The remainder of the groups within the AFC North have been one Hendrickson signing away from the absolute best state of affairs in 2026: a world the place the Ravens each did not land a star go rusher and weren’t capable of defend their turf in free company, permitting a handful of helpful gamers to go away within the course of. The Hendrickson signing permits the Ravens to line up a possible standout on the sting in 2026, and DeCosta & Co. will nonetheless have their first-round choose to construct out the roster in April’s draft. The Bengals, particularly, must be crestfallen after seeing their greatest defensive participant be a part of a division rival.

Within the massive image, although, I might nonetheless argue that the Ravens have landed themselves in a really dangerous roster construct by spending a lot on an edge rusher, whether or not that was going to be Crosby or Hendrickson. Lamar Jackson goes to signal a brand new deal this offseason, one that can probably make the two-time MVP the highest-paid participant in NFL historical past. Hendrickson goes to be making one thing within the ballpark of $30 million each year. Ronnie Stanley and Nnamdi Madubuike, whose standing for 2026 is unsure after a neck injury, will take house $22 million every in 2026. Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith are the 2 highest-paid gamers at their respective positions in soccer.

Add Marlon Humphrey to the combination and the Ravens have seven gamers who will earn greater than $19 million in money in 2026. The one different workforce with greater than 5 in the mean time is the Cowboys, who additionally construct their roster round a stars-and-scrubs monetary building. And, nicely, you know the way profitable the Cowboys have been with that components over the previous 30 years.

There’s nothing incorrect with constructing a top-heavy roster, and the Ravens could have these two newfound first-round picks to assist flesh out the cost-controlled expertise portion of the equation after the Crosby deal got here off the board, however it’s an extremely dangerous method. If you are going to tie up that a lot money in a handful of gamers, you want all of them to be wholesome and productive. In 2025, the Ravens misplaced Jackson for 4 video games and elements of others with numerous maladies. Madubuike performed simply twice earlier than struggling his neck harm. Smith was sidelined for 2½ video games. And whereas he wasn’t on their roster but, Hendrickson was out for many of the yr together with his accidents.

The Ravens missed the playoffs in 2025 as a result of their stars weren’t on the sector, and if they’ve these kinds of harm points in 2026, the identical factor may occur once more. New coach Jesse Minter will hope to show some lesser-known and smaller-contract gamers into standouts as he did with the Chargers, however there’s much less margin for error with this roster-building method than you may assume.

The league’s different contenders may not be in place so as to add Crosby now, but when the Raiders cannot discover a deal they like through the offseason, he would immediately develop into the most important fish at subsequent fall’s commerce deadline. Any workforce buying Crosby in-season would save thousands and thousands of {dollars} of wage, making it simpler so as to add the star go rusher to its roster. The brand new workforce additionally would not want to surrender any 2026 draft capital. It is unattainable to say who will likely be competing or what they will want in late October, but when the Raiders do maintain on to Crosby, they might launch one other bidding battle in the course of subsequent season. And after they do make a commerce for Crosby, you may forgive the Raiders star if he desires to hurry by the bodily.