The Baltimore Ravens have a new star pass rusher, but it just isn’t the one they traded two first-round picks for a couple of days ago.
The Ravens backed out of the Maxx Crosby trade, citing concerns stemming from a failed physical and his recent knee surgery. Then, they quickly pivoted to give Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson a four-year, $112 milllion deal.
However, as obvious as the move was, Hendrickson reportedly had a different understanding. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, the Ravens told Hendrickson that they would have both star pass rushers on the field:
“Trey Hendrickson said that his understanding was when he was thinking of going to Baltimore, the idea was to team up with Maxx Crosby, and I don’t think he was particularly thrilled that the Maxx Crosby deal fell through,” Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “That was his initial impression but he’s happy to get his deal done.”
Truth be told, that doesn’t sound like a likely scenario. Not only was it tough to accommodate both of their salaries, but Hendrickson was reportedly having trouble finding someone who was willing to meet his financial aspirations.
Then, as soon as the Crosby trade fell through, the Ravens got things in motion to ensure that no one else could get their hands on Hendrickson.
The timing and nature of how things went down raise serious suspicions. Perhaps Ravens GM Eric DeCosta got cold feet and wanted his two first-round picks back; it wouldn’t be the first time a team has buyer’s remorse.
Also, it may have all worked out just fine for the Raiders. They had already gone through a massive spending spree, so even though they won’t have the two first-round picks, they’re basically adding a superstar pass rusher to a much-improved roster.
As for Hendrickson, he’ll have to settle for competing against Crosby instead of with him.
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