During his introductory press conference, Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Trey Hendrickson offered his honest thoughts on the Maxx Crosby trade fallout.
The Baltimore Ravens have had a whirlwind free agency. After trading two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby, the trade fell through due to a failed physical.
Baltimore quickly signed Trey Hendrickson, but the plan had been to have both transform the defense and pass rush. During his introductory press conference, Hendrickson offered some honest thoughts on the trade fallout.
One of the glaring needs for the Ravens has been in their pass rush, and the team was slated to make a major improvement. General manager Eric DeCosta indicated to the media following the Crosby trade fallout that the front office had planned to bring in Hendrickson to line up alongside the Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher.
The Ravens having two perennial pass rushers would have transformed the defense into something quite ferocious, but it never came to be. Crosby's knee injury and surgery were a cause for concern, and the team backed out.
Despite losing Crosby, the team gained Hendrickson. During his media session, the former Cincinnati Bengals defender opened up about what it would have been like to play alongside Crosby.
"What a phenomenal opportunity that would have been. Nothing but respect for him and the way he carries himself on and off the field. The adversity that he has overcome in his personal life. Another guy I met at the Pro Bowls and stuff like that. Great person ... I knew for myself and my family that this was a tremendous opportunity to rush on a great defense," Hendrickson said.
While Hendrickson did praise Crosby for his play style and what could have been a great opportunity, he pivoted to stating that playing for the Ravens is a great opportunity for himself and his family.
On paper and in football terms, having Crosby and Hendrickson on the same team would have made the Ravens defense one of the best in the league. However, that will not be the case.
Hendrickson joining the team still changes things. He has 39 sacks in the last three seasons, with 17.5 in 2023 and 2024. The Ravens needed a strong pass rusher, and they got one of the best in the league.
Now, it will be up to DeCosta to mitigate some of the free agent losses with additional players, though he indicated the team may not make any more big moves. For now, at least, Baltimore has a key component for their defense that was sorely missed in 2025.