The biggest controversy of the NFL offseason was the Baltimore Ravens reversing their trade for All-Pro pass rusher Max Crosby. General manager Eric DeCosta addressed the situation on Wednesday.
DeCosta, speaking to reporters in Baltimore, did not specify why the team backed out of the deal after reviewing Crosby’s physical (the NFL generally takes a dim view of those who release medical information about players on other teams). He simply expressed regret for the entire incident and said he had to do what was best for his team:
“I would say there are a lot of different parts to the trade process as part of the normal trade process. We’ve done a lot of different trades and one of the key things is you bring in players and you try to get as much information as possible. We did that, but based on our assessment of the situation, we couldn’t complete the process of acquiring players.
“Very, very disappointing for me, and no one more disappointed than me. A player that I greatly admire, one of my favorite players in the entire NFL. I know our fans are frustrated and upset. I understand that. Tough, tough situation, but it’s the right situation for the Ravens and my role as general manager and [Jess Minter’s] Role as head coach and [Sashi Brown’s] In our roles as presidents and organizational stewards, we must make difficult decisions. This is undoubtedly a difficult decision. “
A day after the Crosby trade publicly collapsed, the Ravens agreed to a four-year, $112 million deal with former Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
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Many people easily deduce what happened there. The Ravens agreed to acquire Crosby, but got cold feet after seeing Crosby’s physical or finding out Hendrickson’s price, then backed out of the deal and used Crosby’s cap space on Hendrickson, giving them a slightly inferior, older player at the same position while saving two first-round picks in the process.
However, DeCosta claimed the matter was never a choice between Crosby and Hendrickson. He said the team actually tried to bring in both of them after Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum left the team in a record-setting deal with the Raiders:
“Obviously, we tried to sign Tyler. We weren’t able to do that. In thinking about the best way for us to improve our football team at some point, we just said, you know what, [Hendrickson] Could be someone who is really right for us. We’d play him twice a year for however many years, four or five years, and we thought, ‘Hey, maybe this is a way for us to get better as a football team. ‘
“It’s definitely a possibility for us. Not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s definitely something we’ve considered and discussed with Trey.”
Interpret this story however you want. It’s certainly a radical move and makes this spring the winningest offseason in Ravens history, but Crosby and Hendrickson will immediately become one of the best pass-rushing duos in the NFL, as this team has struggled to find a reliable pass rusher since Terrell Suggs retired.
Regardless, the Ravens have become a villain to many right now, especially in Las Vegas, which will lead to a lot of speculation. When asked about conspiracy theories involving his team, DeCosta said he understood while reiterating his regret and commitment to the Ravens:
“I understand that. We live in a time where there’s a lot of doubt and people questioning — especially people who don’t really understand me or the Ravens culture and the Ravens organization… I understand that people, maybe from afar, are going to feel that way, but no one is more frustrated than me. I’m actually very frustrated about it. It’s a big shame for me, but we’re going to move forward as a football team.”
