Eric DeCosta saved his reputation with Ravens fans, but it may come with a cost

It felt like Baltimore Ravens fans were ready to turn on Eric DeCosta when the Maxx Crosby trade shockingly fell through on Tuesday night. Trading for Crosby was an aggressive Super Bowl-level move that DeCosta hasn't been willing to make in the past, and seeing the Ravens back out of the deal was frustrating.

However, DeCosta made the ultimate pivot by signing Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal. By all accounts, this is a better move for the Ravens. It's a similar financial commitment for an elite edge rusher, who is healthier, and the Ravens get to keep two first-round picks.

Ravens fans are thrilled by this rebound, and now, nobody is calling for DeCosta's job. Regardless, there's no denying that this move is fishy, and it has clear ripple effects for the team. 

Opposing teams may be less likely to make trades with the Baltimore Ravens

Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network noted that DeCosta's handling of the Crosby situation could impact how other teams work with the Ravens going forward. And this was before they signed Hendrickson. Now, it's fair to suggest that these concerns about making deals with the Ravens will increase. 

Of course, the Ravens are using Crosby's failed physical as their reasoning to back out of the trade. However, coming off of a meniscus surgery a couple of months ago, it's not a surprise that his physical produced concerning results. Had they not signed Hendrickson, it would be a bit easier to sell the idea that Crosby's medical was at the center of their decision. After making such a quick pivot, it's caused some uproar, though.

In addition to Wolfe's reporting, Dianna Russini of The Athletic noted that "Baltimore had all the information and understood where Maxx Crosby’s knee was in terms of his recovery timeline." 

Reading between the lines of this reporting, the idea that the Ravens saw they could strike a deal with Hendrickson and used Crosby’s injury to pivot away from the trade has been rumored. Thus, teams could be wary of doing business with DeCosta, especially if it's a major trade.

If these reports are any actual indication of how front offices feel, it can be easy to see why other teams would not be keen on doing deals with DeCosta and the Ravens in the future. Baltimore backing out of the Crosby trade puts the Las Vegas Raiders in a difficult spot, as his value will now decrease, and they went on a spending spree in free agency.

Despite all these rumors, DeCosta was pretty confident that the stunning turn of events in the Crosby deal wouldn't affect Baltimore's moves for the rest of the offseason.

Ravens fans should be delighted by the signing of Hendrickson, and this move will silence fans' concerns about DeCosta's willingness to build a Super Bowl contender. Nevertheless, this controversial pivot is something to watch out for.