Ravens’ Maxx Crosby Miss Named One of NFL’s Worst Offseason Moves
The Baltimore Ravens are still getting slammed for backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade.
One of the biggest surprises of the NFL offseason came when the Ravens backed out of the blockbuster trade that would’ve sent star edge-rusher Maxx Crosby to Baltimore from the Las Vegas Raiders for two first-round picks. The team scored a solid consolation prize in signing four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal, but the optics of the nixed trade seemingly painted the Ravens in an unfavorable light with the league’s other 31 teams. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell also believes by backing out of the Crosby deal, the Ravens ultimately hurt themselves in free agency, which is why he wrote Baltimore’s Crosby fiasco was the team’s worst move of the offseason.
“I wasn’t a huge fan of the original trade for Crosby, and I do think the Ravens probably ended up in a better situation by holding onto their first-round picks and landing on a lesser player in Hendrickson,” Barnwell stated . “And I’m not sure I truly believe that GM Eric DeCosta really intended to add both Crosby and Hendrickson to his roster given how much that would have cost a team that’s already in a difficult cap situation. Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Allegiant Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) “But what’s done is done, and in the process, it might have hurt the Ravens more by keeping them out of the market for their existing free agents. A lot of talent walked out the door in Baltimore before Crosby’s physical was annulled, including Tyler Linderbaum, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar. Could the Ravens have kept some of those players had they resolved the Crosby situation before the legal negotiating period began?
” Though Hendrickson is an excellent pass-rusher in his own right — he’s totaled 396 pressures, 236 hurries, 75 QB hits, 74. 5 sacks over the last six seasons — Crosby is more of a dynamic edge-rusher, and he’s three years younger. Crosby, a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection, has totaled 483 pressures, 311 hurries, 95 QB hits, and 69.