Baltimore Ravens GM says he was "gutted" but nixing Maxx Crosby trade was right decision

Baltimore Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta said he was "gutted" that the team nixed the trade agreement that would have sent two first-round draft picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.

DeCosta said during a press conference on Wednesday that while it was a tough decision, it was in the best interest of the franchise.

"Nobody is more upset about this than me," DeCosta said. "I'm gutted by it. It's a big regret from me, but we will move on as a football team, and I think there are many opportunities for us to grow as a team, to build a roster, and become the team we want to be."

NFL Network reports that medical concerns were the cause of the deal's breakdown after Crosby was in Baltimore this week. He is recovering from surgery for a meniscus repair.

Instead, the Ravens will get their first-round draft picks back for the next two years. Hours later, they agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract with another elite pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson.

DeCosta didn't mention anything about a failed physical, as was reported by NFL Insider Dianna Russini, other than that he relied on feedback from team officials.

"I'm really proud of the team and the doctors and the guys who work with me. This is just a tough thing we have to deal with in this business," DeCosta said. "I don't really know what we could do differently. It was a really tough call. There were moments yesterday where I was probably speechless."

DeCosta said he had several conversations with the Raiders leadership on Tuesday, when he told them the Ravens were backing out of the trade.

The Raiders shared a statement on social media saying, "Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time."

"It is very very disappointing to me, nobody more disappointed than me," DeCosta said. "(Crosby) is a player I greatly admire. I think he's one of my favorite players in the entire NFL. I know our fans are upset and I understand that. It's a tough situation, but I think for the Ravens, the right situation."

Talks with Trey Hendrickson

DeCosta said he had conversations with Hendrickson and his agent as the team was negotiating the trade for Crosby. He said he had envisioned Hendrickson and Crosby lining up on opposite sides of the defensive line of scrimmage, making it a nightmare scenario for opposing offenses.

In their career combined, they have 150.5 sacks. Last season, the Ravens were tied for 28th in the NFL with 30 sacks.

DeCosta said Hendrickson started becoming a real possibility after center Tyler Linderbaum was not going to re-sign with the Ravens. Instead, Linderbaum took a three-year, $81 million deal from the Raiders.

"In terms of Trey, we came to a point probably after we lost Tyler, where as we are trying to find the best way to get better as a football team, and Trey kind of made a lot of sense," DeCosta said. "We started some discussions with he and his agent, thinking potentially that we would have two pass rushers on both sides of the defensive line."

Worried about backlash?

DeCosta rejected any notion that he is worried about upsetting other agents and general managers after backing off the proposed Crosby agreement.

Crosby is headed back to the Raiders, who reported signed $280 million worth of free agents this week, thinking that Crosby's salary would be off the books.

"We live in that age of skepticism, especially those who don't really know me or the Ravens culture," DeCosta said. "I have a responsibility to the Ravens, to this community, to our fans and to Steve Bisciotti to do what we think is best for the club."

DeCosta said that he believes other general managers and agents understand what he is doing.

"It hasn't stopped my phone from ringing," DeCosta said. "I think our relationships with teams and agents are really good. I think GMs understand getting as much information as possible before making decisions. Most agents would say we are a class organization that does business the right way, respectful, and willing to get deals done."