Weird. The fate of two NFL franchises changed over a 12-hour period. We can thank the Baltimore Ravens for that.
This entire thing is on them.
You knew there would be fallout from the Maxx Crosby ordeal, from the Ravens backing out of a deal that would have had them send two first-round draft picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for the star edge rusher.
You knew there would be massive speculation about what really occurred.
The Ravens reportedly nixed the trade because of something they saw in Crosby’s physical, something that scared them off from following through with the agreement.
Weird again. They absolutely knew about Crosby’s injury history, that he was coming off knee surgery, that he had undergone eight procedures in seven years.
They absolutely knew he wouldn’t be 100 percent as his rehab continued.
Buyer’s remorse
There is every chance that more to this exists. There is every chance you have a level of buyer’s remorse going on.
This isn’t an avenue the Ravens have traveled much in their history. There is every chance they had second thoughts about giving up such draft capital.
So what happened next?
They turned around and signed edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $120 million deal less than 24 hours later. So could it be possible the Ravens got concerned about what the Crosby deal demanded enough to back out knowing Hendrickson was there for the taking?
When did they first begin talking with Hendrickson?
They are fair questions given how this all transpired.
It’s all a bad look for the Ravens, whose franchise changed in 12 hours in an obvious manner — they recouped the draft picks and still got one of the league’s best edge rushers.
“We were just not able to complete the process of trying to acquire the player based on our assessment of the situation,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Wednesday about the Crosby deal. “I’ve got a responsibility to do what’s best for the club, and that’s what we always try to do. Nobody is more upset about this than me. Gutted by it, actually. Big regret for me, but we will move on as a football team.”
Believe him you want. It wouldn’t shock anyone if the Ravens just recognized the market with Hendrickson out there and figured they would land a top edge rusher without giving up the draft picks for a player they had medical concerns over.
Yeah. That makes sense.
The fate of the Raiders also was altered through this mess.
It’s not their fault. Hardly.
They no longer have those first-round picks, which included the 14th selection in April’s draft. They no longer have an ability to add such a valuable asset to what continues to be a definite rebuild. That changes things, and not necessarily for the better.
Trickle-down economics
The question now becomes what the market is for Crosby. How much are others willing to part with? And to what lengths would the Raiders go to move on from him again?
If the price isn’t right, the Raiders could certainly keep Crosby and try to mend fences from a relationship gone sour. If things aren’t totally broken — and your guess is as good as anyone’s — perhaps there is a way to make things work.
They should still try to find a trade partner. It’s the best move.
But it’s also true you can’t just give him away. He’s one of the best at one of the most important positions in the NFL. You have to hope there continues to be enough of a market that there is a suitable offer.
If there isn’t, and Crosby stays and his knee is absolutely ready to go, you could very well get the best version of him.
He was traded. Gone. Already posting Instagram stories. In his mind, he was a Raven.
And then this happens.
Never off field
It’s not as if Crosby needs any sort of chip on his shoulder to compete. Few in the league do so harder on a snap-to-snap basis. He never wants to come off the field.
No matter what he feels about the organization and those running it, Crosby has always bled silver and black. Has the tattoos to prove it.
An upset Crosby could do even more damage if his body holds up. He could be even better than usual.
And the Raiders would benefit from such.
And the rest of the NFL wouldn’t.
The fate of two NFL franchises changed over a 12-hour period. Whether it was for the best or worst for each (it seems better for the Ravens by far) is yet to be determined.
So much more needs to occur. We still don’t know what will happen with Maxx Crosby.
But we do know this: The Baltimore Ravens are responsible for all of it.
For whatever reason, and it’s looking more and more as if it wasn’t just about medical opinions, they put this all in motion.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.
