Maxx Crosby’s agent say he’s on track to return during offseason program

With the Ravens (per the Raiders) backing out of the trade agreement that would have sent Maxx Crosby to Baltimore, one of Crosby’s agents has chimed in.

“Maxx continues to be on track in his recovery and if anything is ahead of schedule according to his surgeon Dr Neal El Attrache,” agent C.J. LaBoy said on Twitter. “Maxx remains on track to return during the offseason program & will undoubtedly return as the dominant game wrecker he has been these past 7 seasons.”

Crosby had knee surgery in January. It was a meniscus repair, which is more involved than a trimming of the cartilage. Per an orthopedic surgeon with whom PFT consulted on Tuesday night, a physical examination of the knee would explore the question of whether the meniscus damage was acute or chronic, whether and to what extent arthritis is present in the knee, whether other portions of the knee (ligaments, for example) have been affected, and whether the surgery itself seems to have worked.

Crosby’s willingness to play through the condition, while admirable, may have complicated the repair and/or caused other damage. Thus, while the Raiders’ characterization of the development blames the Ravens for backing out of the trade, it’s possible that the Ravens legitimately decided that they weren’t comfortable with the condition of the knee.

For now, the Ravens have said nothing. And while it would be unwise to doubt Crosby’s determination to play like he always has, the human body has its limits. For the Ravens to give up a pair of first-round picks and possibly to give Crosby a new contract on the way through the door, they needed to be comfortable with the condition of the knee, post-repair.

They weren’t. And that’s how every NFL trade works.

Is it beyond the realm of plausibility that the Ravens got cold feet and used the physical as a way to scrap the trade? Yes — especially since the Raiders expressly said the Ravens “backed out” of the trade agreement.

That puts the ball in Baltimore’s court to come up with a way to respond to the Raiders. While the Ravens may be tempted to take the high road and say nothing, silence could be regarded as agreement with the Raiders’ position that the Ravens simply reneged on the deal.