The Ravens' pivot from Maxx Crosby to Trey Hendrickson: Answering four big questions

Less than a day after backing out of their trade for Maxx Crosby, the Baltimore Ravens made the best move available to significantly improve a floundering pass rush by striking a deal with free agent Trey Hendrickson.

Baltimore reached a four-year, $112 million agreement with Hendrickson on Wednesday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter, which capped a surprising turn of events that has captured the attention of the league over the past 24 hours.

The Ravens have drawn criticism among league circles for quickly pivoting to Hendrickson after rescinding a trade for Crosby, which would have cost them first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. League sources told ESPN that the Ravens had medical concerns that arose during Crosby's physical on Tuesday.

By moving on from Crosby, Baltimore was still able to land a four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher in Hendrickson, who lasted longer than expected on the free agent market, without having to give up major draft capital. Hendrickson had received interest from a handful of teams (the Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler) over the first couple of days of the free agency window opening, but the Ravens made the aggressive move to get a deal in place by Wednesday morning.

ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley, NFL analyst Ben Solak and national NFL reporter Dan Graziano answer pressing questions on the Ravens' acquisition of Hendrickson.

Is the Ravens' roster in a better spot now than it was 24 hours ago?

The roster alone is not better. Crosby is a better all-around defensive end than Hendrickson, as he is leagues ahead as a run defender and is still a dominant pressure player even if he doesn't produce the same sack totals. Crosby is also three years younger than Hendrickson; that's almost the whole length of the deal on which the Ravens would have had Crosby.

However, it is arguable that the roster and assets combined are preferable now that the Ravens have Hendrickson and hang on to those two first-round picks that would have been part of the Crosby deal. Once that No. 14 overall pick becomes a player -- say a cornerback such as LSU's Mansoor Delane or a wide receiver such as USC's Makai Lemon -- then the comparison will be between Crosby and Hendrickson plus that player. And there is still the 2027 first-rounder coming down the mountain as well.

As of this moment, the roster is worse ... but things might still come out in the wash for the Ravens. -- Solak

How do Hendrickson and Crosby compare?

They bring the same level of production as far as the pass rush, which is what the Ravens desperately need to improve. Since 2019, Hendrickson has totaled 79 sacks, which are 10 more than Crosby over that span. Hendrickson also has recorded a 12.3% pressure rate over the past seven seasons, which is better than Crosby's 10.4% pressure rate. And, like Crosby, Hendrickson has put up four double-digit sack seasons since 2019. During that period, Baltimore has had only two edge rushers with more than 10 sacks: Kyle Van Noy (12.5 in 2024) and Odafe Oweh (10 in 2024).

Hendrickson isn't the same run defender as Crosby, but the Ravens have Tavius Robinson who can set the edge on early downs. What Baltimore has lacked for years is a feared rusher coming off the edge. The Ravens' outside linebackers currently on the roster -- Robinson, Mike Green, Adisa Isaac and Kaimon Rucker -- have a combined 12.5 career sacks. -- Hensley

How will Hendrickson mesh with the Ravens' D?

In the same vein as Crosby, Hendrickson is a relentless pass rusher who brings intensity to every snap, which fits into the "Play like a Raven" culture. And, just as Baltimore envisioned with Crosby, the Ravens' defense needs Hendrickson to be a difference-maker when it counts the most. Hendrickson's 33 sacks in the fourth quarter and overtime leads the NFL since 2019. He can become a closer for Baltimore, which has blown an NFL-worst 16 leads in the final five minutes of games over the last five seasons.

This is an uncharacteristic move by the Ravens because they've been reluctant to sign veteran pass rushers to big-money contracts since Terrell Suggs left in 2018. But Baltimore made this big swing because its draft picks (Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo and Isaac) have underachieved during their time with the team. Last season marked the first time since the Ravens' inaugural 1996 season that they didn't have an edge rusher record over 4.5 sacks. -- Hensley

Will the called-off Crosby trade have long-term effects on the Ravens' ability to make deals in the future?

I doubt it. It could theoretically make the Raiders, or perhaps Crosby's agents, carry some negative feelings about the Ravens and their trustworthiness into potential future dealings with Baltimore. But teams are always going to do what is in their own best interest, and agents are always going to do what is best for their clients. So to let hard feelings (if there even are any) affect future deals would be bad business.

There are a lot of conspiracy theorists around the league right now throwing shade at the Ravens anonymously, but the fact is nothing is official until the start of the league year, and sometimes these deals just fall apart. -- Graziano