OWINGS MILLS, Md. — After a weekend of highs and a devastating blow mixed with controversy, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta addressed the start of free agency for the club on Wednesday.
WATCH: DeCosta talks Crosby trade, Hendrickson signing and Ravens' free agency path
DeCosta began by addressing the failed trade for Maxx Crosby, which the Ravens pulled out of due to a failed physical, per multiple reports.
DeCosta said the team brought Crosby in to gather as much information as possible, but after fully evaluating the situation, the club could not move forward with the deal.
"Very, very — I think disappointing to me. Nobody more disappointed than me. A player I admire greatly, I think one of my favorite players in the entire NFL. I know our fans are devastated. I understand that. Tough, tough situation," DeCosta said.
He added he was "gut-wrenched" by not being able to have Crosby on the roster.
Less than 24 hours after the trade fell through, however, Baltimore signed defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who previously played for the Cincinnati Bengals.
While seen as a surprisingly quick pivot for Baltimore, DeCosta confirmed he had already been in talks with Hendrickson — initially in hopes of pairing him with Crosby if that deal had gone through.
Those talks came after the Ravens lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency on Monday, per DeCosta.
"We had started discussions with both players. We'd already agreed to potentially trade with the Raiders, but we were trying to sign Trey. Obviously, we weren't able to get that done," DeCosta said.
DeCosta also acknowledged the noise surrounding the team allegedly having "cold feet" about the Crosby trade, but said Maxx had the team's full attention and that he believed he would have been a great addition to the squad.
Those reports emerged following a busy stretch of free agency losses between Monday and Tuesday, during which multiple players signed elsewhere, leaving significant holes on Baltimore's roster.
DeCosta said it's hard to watch players he's seen grow and develop leave the organization.
"I'm proud of the fact that everybody spends money on our players, but it's tough. You kind of lose on both ends — you maybe lose out on a Maxx Crosby, and that's gut-wrenching, but it's hard to lose a guy like Tyler or Isaiah. There are a bunch of other guys that you get attached to, watch them grow and become some of the better players in the league, and I'm proud of that," DeCosta said.
The Ravens now turn their focus toward building the roster around quarterback Lamar Jackson, whose contract was restructured to free up cap space after both sides ran out of time to reach a new agreement.
Baltimore made several signings alongside the Hendrickson deal, with more moves expected in the coming days. DeCosta said all avenues to add players remain on the table — whether through free agency, trades, or the draft.
