Ravens clearly dodged a bullet by backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade

Ebony Bird's Eamon Cassels argues that the Baltimore Ravens made the correct decision by backing out of an offseason trade for Maxx Crosby and pivoting to signing Trey Hendrickson instead. By avoiding the deal, Baltimore retained two first-round draft picks, one of which was used to select guard Vega Ioane, while preserving their upcoming 2027 first-round selection.

The writer notes that with quarterback Lamar Jackson injured and the Ravens sitting at 4-4, surrendering premium draft capital would have severely hindered the franchise. Cassels concludes that while Crosby is an elite pass rusher, he would not have addressed Baltimore's larger issues on the offensive line and in the secondary.