Ravens Pivot to Trey Hendrickson After Maxx Crosby Trade Fallout

Minutes after writing about the nixed Raiders-Ravens deal for Maxx Crosby, the next domino in the saga fell.

Let's discuss the Ravens signing Trey Hendrickson in free agency, discussing the real-world and fantasy impacts. We will also hit on another free agent move, then list some available free agents yet before capping this article.

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The Signing and Some Stats

After failing Crosby on his physical, the Ravens wasted little time adding a high-level pass rusher. Hendrickson signed a four-year deal worth $112 million - he could earn up to $120 million.

The 31-year-old Hendrickson is older than Crosby (28), but does the same thing and is in a similar situation.

Hendrickson has been in the NFL for nine years, spending time with New Orleans and then Cincinnati. He has 81 career sacks, with 35 of those coming between 2023-24.

He was limited to just seven games last year, so he too has injury concerns, like Crosby. Hendrickson had four sacks last year.

Ravens Outlook with Hendrickson

Hendrickson gives the team a much-needed pass rusher, the role that Crosby was supposed to fill.

Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington Jr. are the projected starting defensive linemen for Baltimore. 

Tavius Robinson and Mike Green were the top pass rushers, so they will now be the second- and third-best options (at best) behind Hendrickson. Teddye Buchanan and Roquan Smith are the middle linebackers for Baltimore.

The secondary is comprised of cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey, with Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks as a standout safety duo.

The defense was looking more formidable with Crosby, and it looks just as dangerous with Hendrickson. I too like Crosby over Hendrickson, but Hendrickson can deliver as much (or more), so why not just sign him instead of giving up two picks for Crosby. 

On a side note: I bet there's a rule in place next year to keep this situation from happening again.

Anyways, the Ravens' defense is set up for success, and is definitely better after adding Hendrickson. They still could add to that side of the ball, and could add more pass rushers to fill out the roster.

Hendrickson will be a good fantasy IDP option in Baltimore - he just has to stay healthy. I bet he will now that he's got a long-term contract.

Commanders also Add Pass Rusher

Washington continued to be busy during free agency and signed pass rusher K'Lavon Chaisson to a one-year deal.

Chaisson is 26 years old and has been in the league for six years now. He has 17.5 sacks over his career, with 12.5 of those coming over the past two seasons.

He will be on his fourth team already, but clearly he's doing enough to keep bouncing around. As Chaisson nears his prime, he's setting himself up for a big payday if he ever erupts in a single season - Washington is hoping that comes in 2026.

He joins Odafe Oweh, Leo Chenal, Amik Robertson and Tim Settle as free agent additions for Washington. It's clear that defense was a top priority for the Commanders.

The team is likely to keep adding to the defense, whether through free agency or in the draft. Washington is definitely a team on the rise this offseason, and they should be back in contention for the NFC East title, and a playoff spot otherwise.

Available Free Agents

Most of the top-end free agents are already signed, but there's still some good players around.

On the offensive side of the ball, offensive lineman Rasheed Walker is an option after showing some good things while with the Packers. 

Quarterback Kyler Murray should come available today when the new league year officially starts. Not many teams need quarterbacks at this point, so I'll be really interested to see if a team picks him up. If not, maybe he returns to baseball (I'm not joking).

Jauan Jennings is a wide receiver on the market still. There's a bunch of teams that need wideouts yet, so I'd expect him to sign pretty soon.

Stefon Diggs is another wide receiver looking for a new home, but he might not sign for a while, as he's also dealing with some legal trouble. 

Taylor Decker is another offensive lineman looking for a new home still. He should be another guy who signs with a team pretty soon.

On defense, Jaquan Brisker is a safety still searching for a home. There hasn't been a ton of news about him, but several teams could use him, so he likely signs soon too.

Nick Cross is another safety still unemployed. He's just 24 years old, so I'm surprised he hasn't already found a new home. 

Joey Bosa is a pass rusher who could sign now that Hendrickson has signed, especially if teams cannot afford Crosby anymore.

Bobby Wagner is a veteran linebacker who should find a new home soon. He might be nearing the end of his career, but he can still play, and is a great leader, so I expect him to find a new home soon.

FantasySP will keep you updated on the latest NFL transactions throughout the offseason, so keep checking back for more!