Trey Hendrickson is changing teams, but he's staying in the AFC North. That's not necessarily great news for the Cleveland Browns, given that he's amassed 12 solo tackles and seven sacks in eight games against the Browns.
However, his agreement with the Baltimore Ravens was a source of joy for Browns fans. It was yet another step in their recent implosion, and — with all due respect to Hendrickson — he's not Maxx Crosby.
Even if the Ravens get to keep their two first-round picks, backing out of that Crosby trade may have burned Ravens GM Eric DeCosta. His buyer's remorse has cost him credibility around the league, and he'll have a tougher time making deals going forward.
And with the way the Ravens have started free agency, he's going to need as much help as he can get to keep his team afloat.
Trey Hendrickson's $112 million move reeks of desperation
Just hours after Maxx Crosby failed his physical with the Ravens, they jumped the gun with a four-year, $112 million deal with Trey Hendrickson. He was reportedly having a tough time finding someone to meet his asking price, so the Ravens probably had to overpay to ensure they wouldn't end up empty-handed.
As a result, they're giving a player who's three full years older than Crosby $28 million a year. That's despite watching him suit up for just seven games last season, producing four sacks after he combined for 35 in the previous two campaigns. His chances of still being an elite pass rusher at 34 and 35 are slim, to say the least, and there are no guarantees that he'll even play a full season in 2026.
Not even counting the massive coaching exodus with those who followed John Harbaugh and Todd Monken to new teams, the Ravens have also lost multiple key contributors from recent years. Tyler Linderbaum, Dre'Mont Jones, Isaiah Likely, Alohi Gilman, Charlie Kolar, Jordan Stout, Jake Hummel, Patrick Ricard, and As'Darius Washington are all on the way out, and the Ravens have only signed Hendrickson and John Simpson so far.
The Ravens still have several major free agents who may leave as well, including the likes of Daniel Faalele, Kyle Van Noy, Chidobe Awuzie, and DeAndre Hopkins. They'll have a first-year head coach and a front office that will have a tough time making deals with other teams after setting a dangerous precedent with the Crosby blunder.
If that wasn't enough, they still haven't reached an agreement with Lamar Jackson about a new contract, and given how difficult negotiations have gotten with him, it wouldn't be shocking to see him play out his deal and leave in 2028 — if not sooner.
The AFC North is one of the most competitive divisions in all of football, not to mention the most bruising. Not having a true superstar of Crosby's caliber is a major win for everybody else, even if Hendrickson is no slouch himself.
Still, the reasons to rejoice go way beyond who the Ravens actually got. They took a huge risk when they finally decided to move on from John Harbaugh, and watching every decision they've made since be the wrong one is telling of a larger pattern, and one that's actually great news for this organization.