It's been a crazy 24 hours for the Baltimore Ravens, but it seems like they still came out on top. After having a deal set in place to acquire Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders for two first-round picks, they backed out of the trade, which surprised many people around the league. Less than 24 hours later, they signed Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal.
Yes, the entire league may be mad with the Ravens and the process that they went through over the course of nixing the trade and signing Hendrickson. As for the Ravens themselves, they ended up with a top edge rusher after nixing the deal with another one, which still keeps them competitive in the AFC North.
Here are some grades for the Ravens and Hendrickson
Ravens address need for edge rusher help
If it hasn't been known by now, the Ravens have been in the market for a top-tier edge rusher to help their team. It's the reason why they were willing to give up two first-round picks for Crosby, who is one of the best in the league at getting to the quarterback. After the trade fell through, the Ravens basically pivoted to the best edge rusher in the free agent market, which was Hendrickson.
For the Ravens, they now have the cheaper option out between Hendrickson and Crosby while also getting to keep their assets. It's also not a stretch to say that they could be getting the same production from Hendrickson, and possibly even more, than they would've gotten from Crosby. Since 2021, Hendrickson has been one of the league's most effective pass rushers, as he has recorded 61 sacks in that span, which is the fourth-highest.
It's hard to say that the Ravens didn't hit big on this deal, but they may have also lost some trust with NFL teams for future moves. That's a hard pill to swallow.
Ravens grade: B+
Trey Hendrickson will make the Ravens better
If we're keeping a spade a spade, Hendrickson was the Ravens' rebound. It's uncertain how he feels about that, but it can't be that bad for him since he signed with them the very next day.
On the other hand, Hendrickson is going to make the Ravens better, and he's going to make the players around him better. Not only that, but he'll have a good chance of winning a lot, something he didn't do much with the Cincinnati Bengals the past two seasons. Hendrickson will still be in the AFC North, so he'll see his former team twice a year, which should be fun for him, and probably one of the reasons he decided to sign with the Ravens.
This was a good move for Hendrickson, as long as he doesn't have any hard feelings.
Trey Hendrickson grade: A
