Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens Maxx Crosby Las Vegas Raiders
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Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens is pressured by defensive end Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders
Before the madness of NFL free agency got underway, the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders agreed to a blockbuster trade that sent shockwaves through the league, with Maxx Crosby set to join forces with fellow stars Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
Although the trade seemed to make sense for both sides, with two first-round draft picks heading to the Raiders to help their rebuild efforts and the Ravens getting a massive upgrade on defense, Baltimore didn’t like what they saw in Crosby’s physical and backed out of the deal at the last minute, which really created a stir and controversy.
Maxx Crosby Breaks Silence on Ravens Trade Collapse
Maxx Crosby Las Vegas Raiders Baltimore Ravens
Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders
Ultimately, Crosby has returned to Las Vegas to continue his playing career, while the Ravens quickly pivoted to sign Trey Hendrickson, formerly of the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals.
It was a strange and awkward situation, especially for Crosby, who was left in limbo and feared what his immediate NFL future would be.
On his The Rush Podcast this week, Crosby broke his silence on the subject and revealed how strange things were while he was in Baltimore to get checked out before the trade fell through, as ESPN’s Ryan McFadden detailed on social media.
Ryan McFadden
#Raiders DE Maxx Crosby addressed the fallout of his trade to Baltimore in the latest episode of @TheRushWithMaxx:
– Ravens flew him to DC on Monday, then had to drive to Bmore.
– He didn’t meet with HC Jesse Minter and GM Eric DeCosta until the end of the day after he had
– Ravens flew him to DC on Monday, then had to drive to Baltimore.
– He didn’t meet with head coach Jesse Minter and general manager Eric DeCosta until the end of the day after he had his physical and MRI. “I didn’t see [EDC] for five hours.”
– He said the energy was off when he finally met Minter and DeCosta, who informed him that one of the doctors had concerns with his knee and was going to get more opinions.
– When Crosby went back to the hotel, his agents told him that they think Baltimore will back out of the deal.
– A member from the Ravens called Crosby and said they were going to get the deal done. Five minutes later, Crosby receives a call from his agent, saying Baltimore has backed out of the deal.
– “No one will ever admit what the real truth is. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. I am where I’m supposed to be,” Crosby said.
Even though the Raiders and Ravens might still be headed in the right direction in the aftermath of the trade, with Las Vegas arguably winning the offseason with their moves and Baltimore ending up with Hendrickson, it’s safe to say this wasn’t the best look.
Ravens Linked to 49ers Star Jauan Jennings
Jauan Jennings George Kittle San Francisco 49ers Baltimore Ravens
GettyJauan Jennings #15 of the San Francisco 49ers
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic believes the Ravens should pursue Jauan Jennings in NFL free agency, who is one of the last notable names at the position on the open market.
“Widely considered the top free-agent receiver available, Jennings is a big, physical target who makes contested catches and is a weapon in the red zone and on third downs,” Zrebiec wrote.
“He had 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. He’s also an extremely physical blocker on the perimeter, which is important to the Ravens. He still might be primed to make more money than Baltimore wants to pay, but if his market doesn’t materialize, DeCosta should consider pouncing. He’d be a nice fit.”
It’ll be interesting to see if the Ravens do try to make a run at Jennings, as the addition of the 49ers wideout would be an upgrade downfield alongside Zay Flowers.