The blame game is underway in the NFL over Maxx Crosby’s collapsed Baltimore Ravens trade, and it sounds like many in the league are blaming the team.
The Ravens moved on quickly enough, ruthlessly swooping for free agent Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112million deal while Crosby returns to Las Vegas and wonders what comes next. The Ravens first made serious contact with Hendrickson on Tuesday.
For now at least, Baltimore are probably quite happy with their lot. Hendrickson is a formidable player and signing him addresses a serious need. They also have their first-round draft pick back for next month and will take a player at 14.
But what this does for the reputation of the organization moving forward will only be seen in the coming weeks and months. The early indications, however, are not good.
The Raiders announced that Crosby’s trade was off by saying the Ravens ‘backed out’ of the deal, not because he failed a physical. Soon after, the physical was floated out as the reason the Ravens were stepping away. Not everyone is buying it.
‘This is very much bulls*** on Baltimore’s part,’ one NFL GM was quoted as saying by NFL Insider Tom Pelissero.
Maxx Crosby’s future could be with the Las Vegas Raiders after the Baltimore Ravens u-turn
There seems to be a growing backlash against the Ravens and GM Eric DeCosta
It’s a sentiment echoed by Dianna Russini, who said that the Ravens were fully aware of what to expect from Crosby’s physical as he recovers from knee surgery.
‘It’s been made clear by multiple people around the NFL at all levels that Baltimore had all the information and understood where Maxx Crosby’s knee was in terms of his recovery timeline,’ Russini wrote.
‘Many in the league believe GM Eric DeCosta and the Ravens ultimately just got cold feet.’
Sportswriter Jason La Canfora said the same, adding: ‘Just got off the phone with two GMs. Neither one buying the Ravens failed physical narrative – not by a long shot.
‘Good luck finding agents and teams to trust you in negotiations now. It’s not sitting well with the Raiders either.’
However, speaking for the first time since the trade collapse on the NFL Network on Wednesday, DeCosta insisted that ‘nobody’s more upset about this than me.’
He added: ‘Gutted by it, actually. Big regret for me. But we will move on as a football team.’
He also insisted that the timing of the collapse and the deal for Hendrickson was a mere coincidence, shutting down any conspiracy theories as he revealed that the team was always targeting to sign both players.
The Ravens swiftly swooped in for free agent Trey Hendrickson on a four-year, $112million deal
‘I understand how people would feel that way (about conspiracies). But I have a responsibility to the Ravens,’ he said.
Crosby hasn’t spoke in great detail about the trade being called off but wrote on X on Wednesday morning: ‘3/11/20. 6 Years Sober. God Doesn’t Make Mistakes.’
What his future holds still remains deeply uncertain but staying with the Raiders remains a possibility.
There are still teams interested in trading for the 28-year-old but it seems unlikely any will match the two first-round picks the Ravens were, at one stage, prepared to give away for him.
