Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has faced plenty of questions and criticism this week about how the franchise handled the Maxx Crosby transfer.
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For a brief moment, it appeared the Ravens had pulled off one of the biggest defensive moves of the offseason by trading for Crosby from the Raiders for two first-round picks. But in a shocking turn of events, the deal collapsed after the Raiders star failed his physical.
What stirred the pot further was the fact that within hours of the trade falling apart, the Ravens pivoted and signed Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal.
This has since left many around the league wondering whether Baltimore had a change of heart at the last moment and deliberately failed Crosby’s medical to sign Hendrickson without having to give up their picks.
Now, DeCosta has addressed that question directly. Speaking to radio network 105.7 The Fan, the Ravens GM explained what ultimately convinced the franchise that Trey Hendrickson was the right addition for their defense. “We’ve been playing against him for years now. And I think the thing that you appreciate about him is his motor,” he said.
To be fair to Baltimore, Hendrickson has been undeniably one of the NFL’s most consistent pass rushers in recent seasons, highlighted by his 17.5-sack campaign in 2024, which earned him First-Team All-Pro honors and a runner-up finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Citing this, DeCosta made it clear that this ability to disrupt quarterbacks is exactly what the Ravens needed.
“His pass rush ability obviously stands out, one of the best pass rushers in the league,” DeCosta said, before adding, “You know, just a guy that we felt like we needed… a closer on defense who can make a big play for us in the fourth quarter of games and get the defense off the field … Trey has been one of those guys for the Bengals.”
That reputation is backed up by Trey Hendrickson’s recent output. Barring his injury-stricken 2025, across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he led the entire NFL with 35 sacks, consistently finishing drives for Cincinnati’s hapless defense.
DeCosta also acknowledged that Hendrickson’s impact has been obvious every time the Ravens have faced him on the field. This experience further made the evaluation process easier for the Ravens front office. “He’s always been a challenge for us to game plan against,” DeCosta admitted.
Apart from sporting merit, the Ravens GM also suggested that the team’s financial situation played a role in the decision. After restructuring Lamar Jackson’s contract, Baltimore suddenly had more flexibility to pursue proven talent instead of waiting for the draft.
“This is probably one of the first years in recent history that we actually had a decent amount of salary cap room,” DeCosta explained. “That gave us a little bit of flexibility to acquire some players.”
Another factor for Eric was the uncertainty surrounding the No. 14 pick in the upcoming draft.
“I think the other part of it is just looking at the draft at No. 14… who’s the player that’s going to be available?” DeCosta said. “Are there going to be pass rushers there at 14 that we feel are worth the pick?” Hence, instead of gambling on an unproven rookie, Baltimore chose what DeCosta called a “proven commodity.”
What was it about pass-rush specialist Trey Hendrickson that made the Ravens seek after him? Eric DeCosta joined Fresh Take with @cordellwoodland & @bhjournalist and shared his thoughts. pic.twitter.com/4XxHpXKBEa
— 105.7 The Fan (@1057TheFan) March 13, 2026
That said, given how quickly the Trey Hendrickson deal followed the collapsed Maxxx Crosby trade, it is fair to speculate that the Ravens simply decided the safer move was securing an elite pass rusher without sacrificing multiple first-round picks.
Either way, DeCosta believes Hendrickson is exactly the type of defender Baltimore needed. “We feel like he fits our culture very well,” he said.
