NFL Execs Say Ravens Known for 'F--king With People' amid Maxx Crosby Trade Fallout

The Baltimore Ravens' failed trade for Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is bringing some heat onto general manager Eric DeCosta and the front office.

Mike Sando and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic cited multiple agents, executives and coaches around the NFL who described Baltimore's decision as "bad business." The situation also reinforced the outside perception of Baltimore's habit of "f--king with people."

The team reportedly rescinded the deal because of something flagged in Crosby's physical.

The five-time Pro Bowler had surgery on his meniscus in January, something that every team was aware of. It's another bone of contention with the Ravens' approach.

"Sources noted that anything discovered in the Ravens' separate medical evaluation of Crosby should not have surprised them," Sando and Rodrigue wrote. "The league at large has known the details of Crosby's meniscus surgery since mid-February."

One executive told the insiders that providing detailed medical info on players is "one place in the NFL where there is honor amongst thieves."

The Athletic report isn't the first revelation that DeCosta might face some blowback.

"And a lot of people around the league are saying, 'Eric DeCosta is who we think he is,'" Rich Eisen said Wednesday on his show. "He's a guy that you need to, you know, side-eye a little bit."

Some wondered whether DeCosta was already getting buyer's remorse after agreeing to send two first-round picks to the Raiders. A trade of this magnitude was out of character for Baltimore.

"Several people, including some who've worked in Baltimore, were stunned by the result because the deal was so un-Raven-like—the organization had never traded even one first-round pick, let alone two, for a veteran player," The MMQB's Albert Breer wrote Sunday.

Breer followed up Wednesday to report the three GMs he spoke to believe the Ravens got "cold feet," a narrative that was echoed by The Athletic's Dianna Russini.

Russini also reported Baltimore was prepared to give Crosby a raise in conjunction with the trade, but his agent called that "fake news."

General managers are often operating in a captive market. That means negotiating with people you may not like or fully trust. Whatever frustration DeCosta's peers are feeling toward him, it probably won't stand in the way of completing a transaction.

But damaging your reputation can come with a cost.