Published on: March 19, 2026, 10:36h.

Updated on: March 19, 2026, 10:39h.

• Former CBS insider Jason La Canfora provided exclusive insights to casino.org
• An NFL general manager commented, “The agents were aware that the Ravens might back out.”
• A negotiator from another NFL team remarked: “They were overly optimistic in their approach.”

The Baltimore Ravens have faced significant criticism across the NFL after withdrawing from a verbal agreement to trade superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Las Vegas Raiders.

While the Ravens have drawn the ire of many, the Raiders are also culpable, as highlighted by several NFL executives.

The Ravens cited a failed physical as the reason to retract from the deal, which would have entailed sending two draft picks for the disgruntled future Hall of Famer, Maxx Crosby. However, it was widely understood that Crosby, recovering from knee surgery in January, would present a challenging evaluation.

Multiple general managers expressed the belief that after the Ravens lost key players in free agency and found the market for pass rusher Trey Hendrickson less favorable than anticipated, they decided to pivot toward a more economical option, using medical issues as justification.

The actions of the Ravens were perceived within the industry as a mix of trepidation and sheer audacity, yet many executives felt it shouldn’t have come as a shock to the Raiders. “You need to understand who you’re dealing with,” said one GM interested in Crosby.

The GM elaborated: “They’ve previously leveraged physicals to back out of trades. They’ve never dealt a first-round pick for a player, let alone two for a 29-year-old coming off surgery. The agents were aware that Baltimore could pull out.”

This sentiment was strongly shared, placing the Raiders’ front office—led by Tom Brady, who is new to ownership, along with inexperienced GM John Spytek—under scrutiny.

The Ravens insisted they were aligned with the Raiders’ timeline for thoroughly assessing Crosby. However, several executives with experience in complex negotiations involving players recovering from injuries pointed out that a more seasoned football operation would have imposed specific conditions for a trade of such magnitude to avert potential failure.

How Could the Raiders Have Handled This Better?

“They were overly optimistic in their approach,” noted a contract negotiator from another NFL franchise. “The Ravens have a history. You either need to insist that the deal is not contingent on a physical, as he wouldn’t be ready for football activities in March, or you allow them 48 hours to evaluate the player, ensuring clarity before any second-guessing occurs.”

A second general manager added, “It’s easy to critique in hindsight, and I genuinely feel for John, realizing he was caught off guard. However, providing them more time to reconsider was a misstep. Allowing five days was excessive.”

In this situation, the Ravens appeared to be at the forefront of teams aiming for Crosby. The agreement was reached on Friday, yet Crosby didn’t complete his thorough testing until Tuesday.

The league’s free-agent negotiation window opened on Monday, with contracts starting to be secured by teams. This would have enabled the Ravens to determine what it would take to sign Hendrickson without relinquishing key draft picks. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta’s mention of pursuing both Hendrickson and Crosby was met with skepticism throughout the league—many found it difficult to believe the Crosby deal fell apart solely due to his knee issues.

“Get lost,” retorted the first general manager. “They’re completely deluded.”

Despite the frustrations regarding how the Ravens managed the situation, Crosby and his team received high praise for their public response. Agent CJ LaBoy issued a statement clarifying Crosby’s timeline, and Crosby reaffirmed his commitment to the Raiders after previously exploring a trade early in the offseason, which initiated this saga.

“I commend them,” shared the negotiator. “They elevated their status through this. Crosby is a phenomenal player. Expect him to have his best season yet, fueled by this ordeal.”

Crosby has spent his entire professional career with the Raiders, and now, partly due to the actions of both franchises, it seems that he will continue in that capacity for at least another year.

He frequently references the motivation that this trade debacle has given him on social media, and for the first time in a while, rival general managers are praising the Raiders’ moves in free agency, indicating that Crosby may benefit from a significantly improved roster this season.

Anticipate the Raiders to pursue a veteran quarterback for stability while allowing projected first overall pick Fernando Mendoza (Indiana quarterback) time to develop—watch for Kirk Cousins as a potential target—and it may be worthwhile to consider Crosby for the Defensive Player of the Year (+700, DraftKings).