The Cincinnati Bengals had a quiet day 2 of free agency, but some recent developments may change the landscape of their roster and the AFC North. In the days preceding the onset of Free Agency, the Baltimore Ravens had agreed, in principle, to a trade with the Raiders on star defensive end, Maxx Crosby.
While it seemed like a done deal, news on Tuesday evening emerged that the trade has fizzled out. By no coincidence, the Ravens have seemingly pivoted to Trey Hendrickson, whose market has been cool
since apparently being set to depart from the Bengals after five seasons.
Hendrickson’s market has been quiet, and with the demands seemingly lowered, the Ravens may be more inclined to give him a favorable contract, as opposed to two first-round picks and a possible contract extension for Crosby. Multiple sources, including the Las Vegas Raiders, have confirmed the Ravens’ backing out of the trade:
Before the onset of the legal negotiation period of free agency, the Ravens had a lucrative trade in place, sending two first-round picks to the Raiders. For a number of reasons, some unspecified, but some pointing to Hendrickson’s unexpected availability at this point, Baltimore has backed out of the trade.
The seriousness from the Bengals may be questioned, but the Bengals were inquiring about Crosby recently, but the two first-round picks seemed to have been too rich for their blood. It’s possible with a quiet day two in free agency, the Bengals caught wind of this voided trade and decided to pass on players they’ve been linked to, such as Devin Lloys, Leo Chenal and others.
More to come on this as it develops…
