In a stunning turn of events, the Baltimore Ravens elected to back out of the trade for edge rusher Maxx Crosby on Tuesday night. It put their pass room in an eerie situation, lacking not just a star, but much starting-caliber talent at all. They quickly solved that issue by agreeing to terms with edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.
Hendrickson is expected to sign a four-year, $112 million deal with Baltimore when free agency officially opens. After moving away from the Crosby deal due to medical reasons, they land Hendrickson, who, while coming off an injury of his own, has fewer health concerns.
The Ravens still have plenty of work to do. They freed up a bit of money with a cheaper, albeit still expensive, contract for Hendrickson, and pending details, they should avoid a heavier cap hit in 2026. Now, general manager Eric DeCosta has to prove there are bigger plans in store for this questionable pivot.
3 moves the Baltimore Ravens can make to save face after adding Trey Hendrickson
Continue to invest in defensive line with Calais Campbell
The Ravens could turn the tables by making a stronger free agency push to continue adding to the defensive line. What better than a reunion with a fan favorite? Veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell remains a free agent and would likely be a strong fit.
Baltimore is expected to make defensive lineman Broderick Washington a cap casualty. That would leave a vacancy on the defensive line, and with Nnamdi Madubuike’s future up in the air, it’d be smart to keep adding to the trenches.
Campbell would fit well, as even at 39 years old, he’s still a productive pass rusher with 6.5 sacks last year. He’s also a stout run defender. At his age, the Ravens could get him on a bargain.
Stack the corner room with Kader Kohou
Baltimore’s cornerback room needs some depth. They’ll more than likely address that spot early in the 2026 NFL Draft, but there are some talented pieces still available in free agency. Enter Kader Kohou.
Kohou brings familiarity. He played under defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver with the Miami Dolphins for the past two seasons and has proved to be a steady contributor over the years. A partially torn ACL caused him to miss the entire 2025 season, but a cheap prove-it deal in Baltimore could make sense for him to get his career back on track.
Kohou is a slot corner, and he could be a key contributor in that spot. Versatile corner Marlon Humphrey regressed in 2025, so questions could arise about how much he has left in the tank. Humphrey should get a shot to bounce back, but a sturdy rotational option like Kohou would improve a troubling secondary from last year.
Invest in Lamar Jackson with wide receiver help
Quarterback Lamar Jackson still needs help at wide receiver. Most of the top free agent names have already agreed to deals, and while they probably won’t have the cap space for a bigger signing like Jauan Jennings, there are some veterans that they could get on cheaper one-year deals to make a run in 2026.
Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel, and Stefon Diggs are the veterans who, if signed, would immediately be thrust into the wide receiver two role in Baltimore. Each is past their prime, but for a group that had just one player tally over 422 receiving yards in 2025, any of them would be a significant improvement.
The Ravens could also choose to address the top of the wideout room with the first-round pick they got back from the failed Crosby trade.