Should you have acquired a purple and gold Maxx Crosby jersey this past weekend, you might now be feeling regret about your acquisition. The team that surprisingly acquired Crosby on Friday night also seems to have harbored similar feelings of remorse. Four days after consenting to dispatch two first-round selections to the Raiders to obtain the prominent defensive end, the Ravens apparently withdrew from the Crosby agreement on Tuesday evening, ostensibly due to worries regarding his medical examination.
The Raiders disclosed the information with a tone reminiscent of a youthful social media declaration following a relationship’s end. “The Baltimore Ravens have reneged on our commercial arrangement for Maxx Crosby,” the concise communiqué on social media stated. “We will have no additional remarks presently.”
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While recognizing that the Raiders are not precisely the most cautious or digitally adept franchise in football, it is straightforward to scrutinize the phraseology they employed in that terse communication. They could have stated that Crosby did not pass a medical evaluation and that the exchange had been revoked, or tweeted about how the trade had not materialized and how pleased they were to retain Crosby’s services. To say “Backed out” is highly indicative. It is quite evident that the Raiders perceive themselves to have been wronged by what transpired here.
What transpires now? Well, we’ll arrive at that shortly. My intention is to dissect what has transpired here from each perspective, and then we can explore the implications for the Ravens, Raiders, Crosby, and the remainder of the NFL. The only thing more captivating than the initial exchange involving Crosby might be reversing one of the most significant transfers of the last decade just four days later. Let us endeavor to comprehend this situation and subsequent developments.
Jump to:
What happened?
Did the Ravens get cold feet?
Will Crosby still get moved?
Where could he fit?
Who else is impacted?
What transpired here?
Let’s commence with the fundamental realities. Every NFL contract and exchange is contingent on a medical assessment. No transaction is finalized until athletes successfully complete these examinations. Clearly, each team’s tolerance for the degradation and strain they observe on football players hinges on numerous elements. Nobody is going to clear a physical with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, but franchises might be more willing to disregard issues if they are bringing on an older seasoned player for a minimal sum during a postseason pursuit in December than they are if they are signing an athlete to a substantial agreement in March.
In this instance, the Ravens were clearly confronted with a profoundly significant, pivotal choice for the organization. They were both exchanging a pair of first-round selections for Crosby and effectively pledging to compensate the individual slated to become their formidable new defensive end nearly $94 million over the subsequent three seasons. Crosby was concluding a season cut short by ailment, with the 28-year-old sustaining a meniscal affliction early in the year and continuing to compete despite it before ultimately having an operation that concluded his season.
Crosby had a meniscal restoration procedure rather than excising his meniscus, which holds significance in several aspects. A meniscus excision enables a quicker recuperation for an athlete than a repair, but organizations I’ve consulted previously about these injuries commonly hold the view that excisions lead to additional issues subsequently and curtail professional longevity in the long run. Meniscus repairs necessitate extended recuperation periods, but they tend to result in more robust knee joints after recovery and less harmful enduring consequences than the excisions. Crosby could quite possibly still be rehabilitating from the surgery he received at the conclusion of the 2025 season, considering the usual period.
The moment of the exchange only exacerbated the situation. Both sides aimed to finalize an agreement for Crosby before the weekend and the commencement of the official negotiation window on Monday. The Raiders were poised to bargain with the broadest spectrum of franchises before free agents started quickly being signed and teams addressed their requirements for defensive ends. The Ravens required a clear understanding of what their financial allocation would appear like with or without Crosby as a number of their prominent athletes became available for recruitment.
Even though the teams reached a consensus on the exchange on Friday, the deal could not be formally completed until the beginning of the fresh league calendar on Wednesday, at which juncture Crosby would be obliged to clear a medical assessment. That appeared routine until it became problematic. Had the exchange happened in early April or in the middle of October, the two sides could have completed the medical examinations promptly and concluded the arrangement within a few hours if they conferred discreetly. Here, there were multiple days separating the choice to execute the exchange and the choice to annul it, and those happen to be some of the most highly significant periods of the NFL calendar.
Did the Ravens merely develop apprehension and reverse their decision because they had a change of heart?
That is a query of immense financial implication. You scarcely have to surmise what the Raiders are intimating transpired in this instance. The Ravens were aware Crosby was rehabilitating from meniscus surgery. He is 28 years old, and one of his distinguishing attributes as a professional has been playing an astounding quantity of plays. Since joining the professional circuit in 2019, Crosby has participated in 6,449 snaps. He possesses the two greatest individual-season defensive play counts of any player on the defensive front — having participated in 1,038 snaps in 2022 and 1,037 in 2023 — and four of the top 21 over the past seven seasons. The Ravens would not approach a medical examination for an athlete who has exerted himself with the same intensity as Crosby over the past few years and find that everything was impeccable.
The Raiders evidently hold the conviction that the Ravens are unduly exaggerating any discovery they made and employing it as an excuse to reverse their decision. Is that what truly occurred? It would be nearly infeasible to substantiate, unless some extraordinary definitive proof emerged from inside the Ravens organization. There is scarcely any means for the Raiders to compel the Ravens to account for their actions or demand they honor the agreement because they are merely feigning Crosby’s insufficient fitness to clear a medical examination.
While it isn’t customary in prominent player exchanges, we do see contracts affected and even nullified by failed physicals. These teams have each experienced a significant agreement unravel over the past 15 years. In 2017, the Ravens brought in Washington’s receiver Ryan Grant to a four-year, $29 million pact guaranteeing $14.5 million, but a medical examination revealed that a late-season ankle injury was graver than the franchise had anticipated. Baltimore withdrew from the agreement.
The Raiders, concurrently, secured offensive line player Rodger Saffold to a five-year, $42.5 million agreement during spring 2014. While that seems
Akin to a reasonable contract presently, Saffold’s typical annual compensation of $8.5 million would have stood as the highest for any offensive guard in the league back then. The agreement faced extensive criticism; then, my assessment labeled it as “utterly perplexing and beyond comprehension.” This constituted an enormous overpayment from a team struggling to draw numerous unrestricted players to Oakland, representing a club over ten years past its last victorious season.
Upon Saffold’s arrival for his medical examination, it was the Raiders, in fact, who experienced a change of heart. They deemed the Rams’ guard medically unfit due to worries regarding his shoulder, subsequently withdrawing from his contract. Saffold re-entered the pool of free agents, securing a five-year, $31.3 million agreement to rejoin St. Louis. The Raiders ultimately utilized a third-round draft choice on Gabe Jackson, positioning him as their left guard instead.
Regardless, both franchises likely possessed valid arguments. Saffold had an operation on the shoulder that worried the Raiders post-2014 season and participated in just five games in 2015 before necessitating an end-of-season procedure on his other shoulder. Grant reacted to his rejection by the Ravens by agreeing to a one-year, $5 million pact with the Colts, yet he secured merely 39 additional professional receptions across the subsequent two seasons prior to departing the league. One could contend that both the Raiders and Ravens exercised sound judgment at that juncture, even if their choices lacked widespread approval.
I hold three reasons for disbelieving that the Ravens feigned using the medical evaluation as an excuse to withdraw from a new agreement they no longer wished to forge. Firstly, the public’s response to the announcement. Although some individuals, myself among them, weren’t entirely fond of the Crosby trade, there was no extensive outcry or indication that the Ravens had been swindled. This transaction was, on the whole, well-received by Ravens supporters. Had this been an exceedingly unpopular arrangement turning the Ravens into a national joke, there might be grounds to suspect that general manager Eric DeCosta and Baltimore’s executive team would have reconsidered. Such was not the scenario in this instance.
Secondly, rescinding the trade creates complications for the Ravens’ organization both in the immediate future and over the long haul. Players in Baltimore were enthusiastic about competing alongside Crosby. Supporters were overjoyed at the acquisition of a standout player. They are all presently disheartened. Even if they don’t think the Ravens simply altered their decision, other teams will likely be more reluctant to discuss exchanges with Baltimore, considering the impression that they might be more particular about medical assessments and inclined to revoke agreements than other franchises. This factor wouldn’t deter the Ravens if they genuinely believed the Crosby transaction, their most significant over the upcoming decade, would have proven catastrophic due to his health, but it certainly won’t simplify matters for Baltimore going ahead.
And the third justification is that the Ravens largely remained inactive during the initial days of free agency while awaiting the Crosby agreement’s completion, with their sole signing to date being offensive guard John Simpson. While the prospect of Trey Hendrickson looms large as an alternative to the Crosby transaction, the Ravens are not guaranteed to secure the Bengals’ prominent player. Even if they do enlist Hendrickson — and particularly if they don’t — the Ravens would have desired greater participation in free agency over the weekend, unburdened by the potential of committing over $30 million annually to Crosby.
Conversely, the Ravens saw several significant contributors depart, foremost among them star center Tyler Linderbaum, who inked a contract with these same Raiders. Isaiah Likely moved to the Giants, joined in departure by Jordan Stout, Ar’Darius Washington, and Patrick Ricard. Dre’Mont Jones committed to the Patriots. Alohi Gilman aligned with the Chiefs. Charlie Kolar transferred to the Chargers. The Ravens likely wouldn’t have acquired Linderbaum given his substantial contract in Vegas, yet they might have been more competitive for promising talents such as Kolar or Likely had they possessed greater fiscal leeway, let alone exploring other free agency possibilities.
Ultimately, no one beyond Baltimore’s facilities can definitively ascertain whether the Ravens were solely responding to Crosby’s medical assessment, merely had a change of heart, or a blend of both. My assertion is that the weight of the evidence leans towards the former explanation. However, should the Ravens indeed sign Hendrickson on Wednesday afternoon, you will grasp why speculative theories will proliferate rapidly across the NFL.
0:39
Raiders: Ravens ‘backed out’ of trade for Crosby
Raiders: Ravens ‘backed out’ of trade for Crosby
Is a Crosby transaction still feasible?
As Crosby’s contractual rights revert to the Raiders and the Ravens recover their two first-round draft selections, both franchises can proceed as if this exchange never took place. Nevertheless, having previously dealt Crosby once, the Raiders ought to remain motivated to finalize an agreement without delay. While he could, in theory, return to play for another ten years in the desert, it’s challenging to envision either party being especially enthusiastic about a reconciliation.
The Raiders required the draft selections more than they needed Crosby, considering their distance from championship contention. Crosby was poised to at last compete for a victorious squad and a consistent contender. This had the potential to be a mutually beneficial exchange.
What are the other possibilities? Let’s delineate several prospective situations for how a renewed Crosby deal might appear:
1. The Raiders and Ravens might consent to a different trade under revised conditions. The most straightforward approach to settle this debacle would involve sending Crosby to the Ravens with a less substantial compensation package returning to the Raiders. The Ravens could forward a first-round choice and a Day 2 selection rather than two first-rounders. They might dispatch a conditional pick that converts to a first-rounder if Crosby reaches a specific snap or game count in 2026. The Raiders could append a conditional pick in 2028 slated for the Ravens if Crosby is sidelined in 2026 and 2027.
Theoretically, that seems rational. In practice? I doubt the Raiders will answer calls from a 410 number until roughly 2035. It’s quite evident that Mark Davis and his associates feel slighted by these events, and it’s hard to conceive they’d accept less than the Ravens’ original offer to finalize a Crosby transaction with Baltimore a second time. Such an action might prompt other teams to attempt altering agreement conditions with the Raiders moving forward. Moreover, Las Vegas might refuse to trade any player to the Ravens on principle for some time, let alone Crosby.
2. A different team exchanges two first-round selections with the Raiders for Crosby this week. Evidently, the optimal outcome for the Raiders currently would involve receiving a comparable package from another franchise that does not harbor the same medical apprehensions about Crosby as the Ravens. Achieving this would both provide the Raiders with their desired draft assets and subtly imply that Las Vegas was justified in proposing that the Ravens withdrew from the trade for motives separate from the medical examination.
It is conceivable that this will materialize. If the Ravens were prepared to relinquish two first-round selections to acquire Crosby, it is probable that other organizations were prepared to approximate or even equal that proposal, albeit with a later pick in the first round of the 2026 draft than
the Ravens (who were prepared to offer the 14th overall pick in the proposed exchange). Securing a new arrangement with a team making a selection in the twenties would not be as desirable, yet it would be adequate for the Raiders to be content with parting ways with Crosby.
However, finalizing this agreement will now be more arduous than it would have been a week earlier. I will soon address potential suitors for Crosby, but franchises that believed they had missed out on the five-time Pro Bowler have already allocated some of their resources elsewhere. Fewer organizations will be vying, limiting the Raiders’ ability to pit them against one another. Knowing that the Raiders were open to trading Crosby last week, Vegas will not possess the same negotiating power it previously held before Friday.
Furthermore, general managers and owners will harbor serious reservations regarding the Ravens’ assessment. Transferring two first-round selections for an athlete nearing 29 years old, commanding substantial compensation, and failing a physical examination presents a highly precarious undertaking for any executive. Even if another organization, upon closer scrutiny, does not share the identical medical concerns about Crosby, internal queries will arise concerning the Ravens’ findings and whether there is any underlying issue that should alarm new prospective buyers for Crosby. Teams are aware of this and will consequently attempt to undervalue the Raiders in their potential proposals.
3. Another squad acquires Crosby from the Raiders for two first-round picks at some point in the upcoming months. This is improbable, but it is conceivable that Crosby’s meniscus might appear more favorable closer to the draft or even post-draft, leading a team to feel more confident in surrendering two first-round selections. Should another team await until after the draft, they could obtain Crosby in 2026 and retain their first-round pick this year while dispatching their 2027 and 2028 first-rounders to the Raiders, which would constitute a less valuable and more uncertain proposition for Vegas.
4. Another organization trades a 2026 first-round pick and something other than a 2027 first-round pick to the Raiders to obtain Crosby. This strikes me as the most probable outcome. It will be exceedingly challenging for the Raiders to secure an offer of comparable magnitude to the one Baltimore presented over the weekend. Too many previously interested teams are no longer contenders, significant funds have been expended elsewhere, and the remaining teams will either be apprehensive about Crosby’s knee or leverage those anxieties to depress the trade price.
At this juncture, the previously agreed-upon Ravens’ proposal is largely irrelevant for negotiation purposes. Vegas general manager John Spytek must return to the negotiating table and secure the most advantageous deal possible for Crosby immediately. Can the Raiders land a top-15 pick along with a third-rounder? A late first-round pick in 2026 and a couple of Day 2 selections over the next few years? Will they be forced to accept a late first-round pick in 2026 and a second-rounder in 2027? A transaction within that range appears plausible to me, even considering the concerns about Crosby’s physical condition.
5. Another team procures Crosby without needing to relinquish a first-round selection. If Crosby’s medical reports are genuinely as worrying as the Ravens suggest, a first-round pick might not be involved for the Raiders’ star. There is always a financial threshold at which a team would be willing to take a chance on a player of Crosby’s caliber, but teams have typically been disinclined to pay top dollar for players as they approach thirty. Anyone sending a first-round pick for Crosby is banking on acquiring a player who can make an impact under this contract and on a subsequent agreement extending into his mid-thirties.
At that juncture, however, I am inclined to believe the Raiders would simply call off the negotiations. The franchise seemed prepared to move Crosby, but this was not a scenario where the Raiders would simply accept the best available offer if what was on the table was no better than a Day 2 pick. It was always going to require a significant premium for the Raiders to part with their most popular and accomplished player.
It would be awkward to welcome Crosby back, but if the Raiders cannot secure a first-round pick, they would have to reintegrate their veteran edge rusher into the squad for 2026. They could always explore a trade at the deadline or after the season if Crosby reverts to his customary form and performs well next year.
Eventually, Crosby’s market value will diminish. Panthers supporters will recall Carolina declining two first-round picks from the Rams for Brian Burns before ultimately accepting a second-round pick from the Giants for their star edge rusher, but that process spanned a couple of years. If Crosby remains on the Raiders’ roster in 2027 or 2028, Vegas might not be in a position to command a first-round selection. For now, though, I cannot envision the Raiders sending Crosby away without receiving at least one first-round pick in exchange.
Which organizations might be interested in trading for Crosby?
It might be more insightful to begin with the teams who would not be as keen as they were a week ago. That roster commences with the Cowboys, who dispatched a fourth-round pick to the Packers to obtain Rashan Gary after failing to secure a Crosby trade. Gary is earning $18 million in 2026. Rumors circulate that the Cowboys are open to offers for defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, and trading the 27-year-old tackle would release $16.75 million in funds. Dallas still possesses ample draft capital, but even after trading Odighizuwa, it would be difficult to compensate Crosby, Gary, Quinnen Williams, and Kenny Clark upfront on defense before even considering the extensive commitments this team has made to its offensive stars.
Teams that made significant investments in edge rushing talent are also unlikely to be participants in the Crosby sweepstakes. The Panthers recently awarded Jaelan Phillips $30 million annually. The Commanders paid Odafe Oweh $25 million per year. The Bengals might have considered Crosby as a replacement for Hendrickson, but they are now committed to paying Boye Mafe $20 million per year. The Patriots only gave Dre’Mont Jones $12.5 million, but that ensures he will start opposite Harold Landry III. Other long-shot possibilities, such as the 49ers, Saints, and Seahawks, have allocated substantial funds elsewhere. And while the Chiefs could utilize a star edge rusher, I do not foresee the Raiders trading Crosby within their own division.
Who remains? There is no obvious frontrunner, but then again, the Ravens were hardly the favorites to land Crosby a week ago. In no particular order…
The Jaguars were reportedly involved in discussions for Crosby earlier this offseason, only to fall short of Baltimore’s proposition. They do not possess a first-round pick to offer the Raiders in 2026 after sending it to the Browns in the deal to move up for Travis Hunter, and that likely hindered them in comparison to other offers and opportunities.
What the Jaguars do have, however, is promising young talent that might appeal to the Raiders. If the Jaguars did trade for Crosby, his position in the lineup would likely come at the expense of former first-round selection Travon Walker, who will be entering his fifth-year option in 2026 before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Walker is coming off a disappointing 3.5-sack
year, but his fundamental statistics have proven more dependable than his sack figures, and he would readily assume a vital role as a substitute for Crosby along the defensive front.
Another Jaguars player who would certainly draw the Raiders’ attention is wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who would furnish presumptive top draft selection Fernando Mendoza with a youthful premier pass-catcher. ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated on Tuesday that the Jaguars are disinclined to trade Thomas, but the Crosby developments might shift their position. Nevertheless, if the Raiders prioritize draft selections, the Jaguars would likely not be an ideal partner.
The Lions have maintained a low profile during free agency, with former Panthers center Cade Mays representing their sole significant acquisition at present. Al-Quadin Muhammad and Marcus Davenport are both unattached players, creating a substantial void opposite Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive edge. The Lions possess the 17th pick in 2026, which would fall within a similar range as the selection the Ravens were offering as part of their proposed transaction. And I scarcely need to explain the natural synergy between Crosby and Dan Campbell.
For the Lions, however, other issues might be more pressing. Taylor Decker was granted his release, and Detroit is restructuring an offensive line that failed to meet its benchmarks last season. The 2023 draft class recently became eligible for contract extensions, potentially leading to substantial salary increases for Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch as early as this current offseason. While I admire the theoretical compatibility, Crosby might prove too costly for Detroit.
The Bills executed a major move by acquiring DJ Moore from the Bears, a transaction that added $24.5 million to their financial commitments in 2026 and 2027. They still face the imperative of rebuilding their defense, where Joey Bosa and AJ Epenesa are free agents on the edge. Buffalo has already committed to Greg Rousseau for one starting position, but Crosby could step in on the opposite side, providing Buffalo with the star pass rusher it has long desired.
This particular maneuver doesn’t quite resonate as a typical Bills strategy to me. The previous attempt to make an aggressive “all-in” move for Von Miller in free agency proved disastrous, and General Manager Brandon Beane should not feel compelled to repeat that course of action. The Bills arguably have more pressing requirements along their offensive line and within their secondary, and after relinquishing their second-round pick to the Bears, it’s difficult to conceive that they would then surrender their first-round pick and additional future draft assets for another veteran player. Yet, following all the drastic alterations Beane and ownership implemented subsequent to the heartbreaking defeat against the Broncos, I am uncertain if we can dismiss any possibility in Buffalo.
The Bears liberated all of that capital as part of the Moore trade. When I composed my hypothetical trade column last month, I envisioned the Bears dispatching Moore to the Raiders as part of a package for Crosby, utilizing the financial relief at wide receiver to help incorporate all the funds owed to Crosby over the subsequent three years. I believed the Bears would only need to send one first-round selection alongside Moore to finalize that transaction, but considering the Ravens’ offer, that valuation appears modest.
The Bears already have $37 million allocated to their starting edge rushers, Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo, the latter of whom is still recuperating from an Achilles injury. General Manager Ryan Poles has freed up funds by dealing Moore and releasing Tremaine Edmunds, but the Bears have signed Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million agreement and completed a series of smaller acquisitions. They possess the draft resources to execute a deal and a foundation of promising offensive talent that should permit substantial defensive investment, but are they genuinely prepared for an aggressive, all-in maneuver?
The exciting prospect for a Crosby trade would be the Eagles, who allowed Jaelan Phillips, Nakobe Dean, and Reed Blankenship to depart before securing Riq Woolen on a one-year agreement Tuesday evening. We are aware of General Manager Howie Roseman’s strong reliance on exceptional offensive and defensive line performance, and the Eagles’ edge play was substandard after losing Josh Sweat last year. Jalyx Hunt had a respectable season, but Nolan Smith Jr. managed merely three sacks in an injury-plagued campaign, and budget-friendly additions like Azeez Ojulari and Joshua Uche failed to make a significant impact.
The Eagles have a considerable amount of capital committed to their 2026 roster already, but there exists an evident trade candidate in A.J. Brown. Roseman has suggested that the Eagles are not in the practice of divesting themselves of elite players, and Brown remains one of football’s premier receivers on a per-route basis, yet he appeared to grow disenchanted with the organization, and vice versa, a year ago. He would provide Mendoza with a legitimate top wideout, and Vegas’ primary objective in 2026 must be to simplify their new quarterback’s role as much as feasible.
From a financial standpoint, a Brown trade only truly makes sense after June 1st, at which point the Eagles could defer $27 million of the $43 million in dead money that would result from a Brown exchange onto their 2027 cap. Accommodating Crosby would necessitate some cap maneuvering, and that defensive line would become quite expensive with Crosby, newly compensated tackle Jordan Davis, and the substantial deal likely forthcoming for Jalen Carter, but that is an area where the Eagles must feel comfortable allocating their funds.
Is a receiver who will turn 29 before the year commences genuinely the optimal return for Crosby, considering how distant the Raiders are from contending? Probably not. If they reach June and have been unable to finalize a Crosby deal, however, a swap involving Brown (and some draft assets) heading to the Raiders for him will become the prevailing rumor of the summer.
What happens next for the teams and players most directly impacted by the rescinded trade?
Let’s begin in Vegas. There have been intimations that the Raiders might find themselves in a precarious cap situation after embarking on an early-market spending spree under the assumption that Crosby’s contract would not be on their books. Few teams can simply absorb an additional $35.7 million cap charge unexpectedly just before the commencement of the new league year and maintain cap compliance.
The Raiders, though, happen to be one such team. Depending on the construction of some of their recent agreements, they should possess between $30 million and $50 million in cap availability, even after reintegrating Crosby’s contract into their roster. And while they likely won’t desire to restructure his deal given the probability of him being moved again in the coming weeks, the Raiders could free up $14 million in cap space instantly by restructuring Kolton Miller’s contract and adding void years. There will not be a cap crisis here.
From a monetary perspective, however, the Raiders likely have extended themselves too much regarding funds allocated. This franchise isn’t among the wealthiest in the NFL year-to-year, and it’s probable the Raiders would have exercised more restraint in free agency had they foreseen potentially allocating $30.7 million to Crosby in 2026. Should Crosby be moved in the upcoming weeks, this point becomes moot; however, if he remains on the Raiders’ squad this season, I speculate they could be less engaged than anticipated during next year’s free agency period.
Barring any significant medical issues with Crosby, the prevalent outcome suggests the Raiders will once more deal Crosby, albeit for a return worth less than two first-round selections. While not optimal, this prospect doesn’t fundamentally alter the Raiders’ immediate strategy for 2026.
The Ravens find themselves in a challenging predicament, albeit one they created. They largely remained inactive during free agency, and during that period, most of the available edge rushers were signed. Ideally, they would acquire Hendrickson, who is the most similar player to Crosby currently accessible. Though Raiders supporters would express strong disapproval, the Ravens would be nearly complete and retain their two first-round draft picks (even if they would probably forfeit the third-round compensatory pick anticipated for Linderbaum).
Should they fail to do so, truthfully, no genuine replacement exists. The Ravens would probably shift from securing a single star player to bringing in multiple players. Experienced players such as Joey Bosa, Haason Reddick, and K’Lavon Chaisson remain on the market; however, signing free agents would affect the Ravens’ compensatory pick calculation as they aim to gain something back for parting with players like Dre’Mont Jones and Isaiah Likely. DeCosta might acquire a few of these individuals and still possess remaining funds compared to what he was prepared to offer Crosby, yet he couldn’t expect equivalent on-field production from these alternative options.
Even if the Ravens were prepared to relinquish two first-round draft selections for a different athlete, there genuinely isn’t anyone on the open market who would warrant such a transaction. Offering that quantity of draft assets would make many players accessible, but I do not perceive a prevailing, game-altering talent available who merits that magnitude of exchange.
DeCosta retains the option to utilize draft assets to integrate NFL players into their edge rush rotation, though not by expending first-round selections. He might contact the Giants regarding Kayvon Thibodeaux, whose contract expires next year. The Vikings could find it necessary to trade Jonathan Greenard for salary cap reasons. The Dolphins could be persuaded into a Chop Robinson trade amidst their restructuring. Given Nnamdi Madubuike’s uncertain standing for 2026 following a neck injury last season, the Ravens might reach out to the Cowboys, who could be prepared to part ways with Odighizuwa. Acquiring none of these individuals would necessitate first-round picks, yet all those organizations will demand elevated compensation beyond their initial expectations, recognizing the Ravens’ urgent need for pass-rushing reinforcement.
Hendrickson likely secured substantially more earnings overnight without exerting any effort. If your team was confident in its proposal for Hendrickson on Tuesday afternoon, anticipating the star edge rusher’s decision on Wednesday, the Crosby development completely altered the situation. One must anticipate the Ravens making an exceedingly generous offer. This will, in turn, prompt other teams with genuine interest in him to increase their bids prior to Wednesday.
The Ravens ought to be attractive to Hendrickson, considering their consistent competitiveness and willingness to compensate him as generously as any other franchise in the league. However, would the Crosby predicament cause Hendrickson to hesitate? The 31-year-old has accumulated extensive playing time himself over recent seasons, and he recently sat out 10 games in 2025 due to a hip ailment. Would Hendrickson and his agents worry that the Ravens might sign the prominent edge rusher, only to then discover an unfavorable finding during a medical examination? Should that occur, would the Ravens possess the fortitude to annul a *second* agreement within a mere few days?
0:55
Schrager: Trey Hendrickson joining Cowboys ‘appears quite logical’
Peter Schrager connects with Pat McAfee to deliberate on the probable appearance of Trey Hendrickson’s free agency landscape.
Should the Ravens fail to secure Hendrickson, this would represent a favorable result for the AFC North. The Ravens will retain their initial draft picks, which is ultimately most beneficial for them; however, they concurrently abstained from the initial days of free agency, parted with several gifted young athletes, and allocated substantial funds for a player who ultimately did not become part of their franchise. This will negatively impact Baltimore’s 2026 roster, thereby simplifying matters for the Bengals and Steelers as they contend for the division championship.
The other contending teams in the league may not be equipped to acquire Crosby at present, but if the Raiders fail to secure a satisfactory trade agreement during the off-season, he would immediately emerge as the most sought-after asset at the trade deadline next autumn. A team obtaining Crosby mid-season would economize millions in salary, simplifying the process of integrating the prominent pass rusher into their squad. Furthermore, they would not be required to surrender any 2026 draft resources. It’s unfeasible to predict which teams will be vying for a title or what their requirements will be by late-October, yet if the Raiders indeed retain Crosby, they possess the potential to instigate another competitive auction midway through the subsequent season.