Ex-Ravens QB Defends ‘More Efficient’ Maxx Crosby Switch

There’s no shortage of observers both within and without the NFL happy to slam the Baltimore Ravens for pivoting from Maxx Crosby to Trey Hendrickson, but one former quarterback for the franchise believes the switch was actually a “more efficient” move.

It’s the measured take from Robert Griffin III, who spent three seasons as Lamar Jackson’s backup. RG3 pointed out how general manager “Eric DeCosta just got the Baltimore Ravens Trey Hendrickson, who is a more efficient pass rusher than Maxx Crosby for $12 million less than Houston Texans’ Danielle Hunter who is also 31 years old, $7 Million less than Maxx Crosby’s current contract and kept two 1st round picks.”

That’s a logical, football-centric assessment of a wild few hours for the Ravens. The turbulent times began with the team calling off a trade to send two first-round draft picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for five-time Pro Bowler Crosby.

A failed physical was quickly blamed for the aborted deal, but the perception soon changed once the Ravens agreed to terms with All-Pro edge Hendrickson on Wednesday, March 11. That move prompted uncomfortable questions about the true motives behind the Ravens turning away from Crosby.

Questions DeCosta struggled to answer, despite the GM revealing Hendrickson may not have been a replacement, but a partner for Crosby.

Whatever the hidden reality, Griffin has hit upon another truth. One that should excite Ravens fans.

Trey Hendrickson Offers Ravens More Upside

Hendrickson is no mere consolation prize after the Ravens ended up without Crosby on the roster. In fact, some compelling numbers indicate Hendrickson may offer greater upside than the dominant Raiders star.

Those numbers include Hendrickson’s 18.8 percent pressure rate, the second-highest in the NFL since 2021. Things start to look a whole lot better when looking at a comparison between Hendrickson and Crosby since 2019, that puts the former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end well ahead, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

Signing Hendrickson means the Ravens have gotten a highly consistent disruptor. Somebody who can keep heat on the pocket at a better rate than Crosby.

The numbers suggest the Ravens still came out ahead, even if DeCosta may be wishing his original plan for Crosby had worked.

Eric DeCosta Reveals Key Maxx Crosby Intention

DeCosta says his plan for Crosby involved Hendrickson all along, according to Hensley’s colleague Adam Schefter. The latter reported “Crosby’s medical exam put an end to that discussion.”

Whether or not key figures in other front offices around the NFL will buy DeCosta’s take is another matter. Some doubts are inevitable when, as Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported, “It’s been made clear by multiple people around the NFL at all levels that Baltimore had all the information and understood where Maxx Crosby’s knee was in terms of his recovery timeline. Many in the league believe GM Eric DeCosta and the Ravens ultimately just got cold feet.”

That’s the tough view from the outside, but NFL Daily Podcast co-host Gregg Rosenthal raised a valid point about the critics having only “a fraction of the information Baltimore has.”

Things might have played out differently, but DeCosta still signing Hendrickson at least put something of a positive spin on a bad situation. Doubling down and adding a bookend for Hendrickson, either during the remainder of free agency or via the 2026 NFL draft, would successfully turn the narrative the Ravens’ way.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko