On Tuesday, the Las Vegas Raiders revealed that the Baltimore Ravens had unexpectedly withdrawn from a high-profile trade that would have sent standout pass rusher Maxx Crosby to Baltimore in exchange for two first-round draft picks.
In a surprise move that defies typical NFL trade patterns, this proposed deal involved significant assets and talent on both sides.
The Raiders’ announcement did not specify the reasons behind the Ravens’ decision to pull out of the agreement.
Nonetheless, according to Diana Russini from The Athletic, the breakdown was attributed to Crosby’s failure to pass a physical examination.
Per NFL regulations, a trade is only finalized once the player involved clears a physical. Crosby had previously undergone meniscus surgery at the conclusion of the last season.
The collapse of this trade leaves both Las Vegas and Baltimore in challenging situations. The Raiders had engaged in substantial free-agent acquisitions, anticipating an increase in salary cap space without Crosby. Meanwhile, the Ravens had already released several key players to make room for Crosby’s salary, expecting his arrival.
According to NFL rules, no trade can become official until a player passes a physical. Crosby had meniscus surgery at the end of last season.
The deal falling apart puts both Las Vegas and Baltimore in very awkward positions, as the Raiders just completed a major free-agent spending spree based on the assumption they would have ample cap space with Crosby no longer on the team. And the Ravens let several important players go in free agency, based on the assumption that they needed to create cap space for Crosby’s arrival.
All that, in addition to the Raiders not having two additional first-round picks.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Ravens backed out of a high-profile trade. As Adam Schefter reports, Baltimore nixed their trade to acquire Brock Marion from the Cowboys in 1997.
However, Eric DeCosta, the Ravens general manager, was not calling the shots at that time.
Of interest in this story, among other things, is the Raiders’ description of the deal’s demise as Baltimore having “backed out.” If Crosby had failed the physical, why not say so? Why make it sound as if Baltimore got cold feet?
It’s entirely possible that Baltimore got cold feet. The Ravens are the only team in the NFL to have never traded a first-round pick. But that reasoning cuts both ways: For Baltimore to break character this hard, trading not just one but two first-round picks, it gives some indication of how badly they wanted Crosby. Which cuts against the argument that they would have gotten “cold feet.”
Not to mention the fact that the Ravens knew Crosby had meniscus surgery in January and still offered two first-round picks.
It seems as though two possibilities could explain Baltimore’s behavior: A) the meniscus truly looks bad, and despite assurances from the Raiders that everything was “all good,” Crosby’s knee is a true risk. Or B) we are going to find out something very newsworthy from Crosby’s physical, such as him testing positive for a banned substance or something like that.
Either way, this story is far from over.
