(Photo: Sports Illustrated)
What a day it was in sports yesterday. First, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat made NBA history last night by scoring 83 points in a regular-season game. It’s the second-highest point total ever, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance in 2006. Also, NFL free agency has been something to keep up with. One of the biggest trades took place Friday night when the Las Vegas Raiders agreed to trade Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for two draft picks. I remember saying I liked the move because I felt it brought attitude to the Ravens’ defense, which needed it. Last night, however, news broke that the Ravens nixed the trade after Maxx failed his physical, meaning they got their draft picks back in return. Today, the Ravens agreed to a free-agent contract with a familiar face they saw twice a year in the AFC North: Trey Hendrickson. It’s a four-year deal worth $112 million.
Trey started his NFL career in 2017 when he was selected in the third round with the 103rd overall pick by the New Orleans Saints, where he sat on the depth chart behind Cam Jordan. He spent the first four seasons of his career in the Big Easy before signing a free-agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals in March 2021, and Cincinnati is where he had his big break. Trey has become one of the best all-around defensive players in the NFL today, and I also think he’s very underrated. When it comes to pass rushing these days, you have to mention him—he’s been that productive. When I evaluate pass rushers, I immediately look at their technique and the moves they use to get home to the quarterback. Trey wins his battles with elite hand usage and timing rather than explosiveness, which many rushers rely on. He can beat you with a cross chop, a rip move, or an inside counter. His best move, however, is a long-arm bull rush, which makes him very efficient against tackles with slower footwork. Trey is what I refer to as a “motor rusher.” In one-on-one situations, he abuses whoever is in front of him with a clean get-off at the snap of the football, and he’s thinking sack every time he has his hand in the dirt. Going back to that “motor rusher” term, Trey is consistently chasing plays from the backside and continues to work after first contact, meaning he never gives up on the play. Because of that effort, he often picks up late sacks. He’s also excellent at anticipating snap counts and pushing blockers around. He’ll never say this himself, so I’ll say it on his behalf: blocking him one-on-one is an insult. It takes two players to make sure he doesn’t create havoc. I’ve seen Trey sack Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and now his teammate, Lamar Jackson. He’s the type of EDGE player who can bait an offensive lineman into thinking he’s attacking one spot, only to beat them somewhere else with those violent hands I mentioned.
I’m not surprised to see the Ravens make this move. They acted quickly, refilled a void, and helped a team in need after pulling out of the trade with Crosby. This defense struggled to rush the passer last year, and adding Trey should help fix that. As I said on Saturday, they still need to address their run-stopping issues and bolster their secondary. I still think they’re the favorites to win the AFC North. I’m not sure what to expect from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals have their own question marks, and the Cleveland Browns—well, they still play in Cleveland. Hiring Jesse Minter as head coach was one thing, but this move is one I really like.
