Less than 24 hours after the Baltimore Ravens walked away from a deal that would have sent two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby, Eric DeCosta had to face reporters. The Ravens’ general manager said, per NFL.com, he was “gutted” after the agreement fell apart so late in the process.
The disappointment makes sense because the track record of a player like Crosby is hard to ignore. Seven seasons in Las Vegas, 278 solo tackles, 161 assists, 69.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and one interception. He’s also made five Pro Bowl teams.
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The trade just needed Crosby to pass a physical, but issues during that exam made the Ravens pump the brakes and eventually pull out. The decision has sparked plenty of debate, with some people questioning how Baltimore handled the whole thing.
Stephen A. Smith questions Eric DeCosta’s Maxx Crosby handling
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith is one of the voices raising concerns. Smith did not go after DeCosta’s authority to back out of the Maxx Crosby trade during a recent segment of ‘First Take.’ What got under his skin was how it all played out.
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“He did nothing wrong in terms of his decision as a GM to make the move. He had every right to make the move. But how you handle it matters,” Smith said.
If the Ravens had just come out and said they rethought the deal and decided keeping two first-round picks while going after Trey Hendrickson made more business sense, people might have been annoyed but would have respected the honesty.
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Instead, Smith thinks the way it went down creates bigger questions. With suspicion growing that the real reason for backing out was not totally straight, the criticism has gotten louder.
“Had you done it like that, it might not have been liked, but in the same breath, it’s not necessarily considered corrupt, and sleazy, and shady. Because that’s not how it was handled. That’s why you have people using words, like, dishonorable, and disgraceful when it comes to Eric DeCosta this morning.”
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby looks on from the sideline against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Sure, the Ravens and DeCosta could have been thinking about pairing Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby at some point. People around the organization probably kicked that idea around. But those thoughts never turned into anything real.
After days of chaos and speculation, Crosby seems perfectly fine staying put. And the confirmation came straight from him.
The message showed up with a meme of wrestling legend Undertaker rising from a coffin surrounded by flames. For Crosby, it looked like a dramatic restart. Maybe even a fresh beginning.
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