Hendrickson is ready for a fresh start after leaving Cincinnati

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Trey Hendrickson had a close-up view of the Ravens for several seasons while playing for the Cincinnati Bengals — and even if he hadn't been in the same division, he'd have been well aware of the talent Baltimore possessed. "I've seen a lot of purple at the Pro Bowls over the last four years," Hendrickson said. "It's something that I'm excited to play with those guys. I got to meet them and their families at those type of events, which what a blessing to be a part of that. You get to see the behind the mask. We're all people at the end of the day. But a place like this — the standard of defense is very high." Now Hendrickson joins a Baltimore defense that already included Kyle Hamilton in the secondary and Roquan Smith at linebacker. The Ravens signed Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal, and they introduced him at a news conference Friday. Baltimore agreed to, then backed out of, a trade for pass rushing star Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders. Then the Ravens landed Hendrickson to fill a similar role. His signing ended a productive but occasionally contentious five years for Hendrickson in Cincinnati. He had 17 1/2 sacks in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Then he requested a trade, and a contract dispute dragged on until he received a $14 million raise for one more season with the Bengals. Hendrickson said staying in the AFC North wasn't a big factor in his decision, but it was no surprise that he moved on from Cincinnati. "It's exciting to start something fresh. I think that was overdue for me," Hendrickson said. "My family probably took a lot of things more personally than I did, which is saying something. So, for everybody to just kind of get a fresh start and build on this opportunity, it starts day one. I'm excited to get to work. I'm excited to embrace this city, embrace this culture and build from the ground up." For the Ravens, signing Hendrickson felt like a must after the trade for Crosby fell through. Baltimore has had some success producing a pass rush without giving out huge contracts to edge rushers, but that didn't work last season, when the Ravens managed only 30 sacks, tied for the third-fewest in football. Baltimore has also had a tendency to give away leads. That's an area the Ravens are hoping to fix after Jesse Minter replaced John Harbaugh as coach in January. "One of the things that stood out to me — since 2021, Trey is second in the NFL in fourth-quarter sacks," Minter said. "When we talk about being able to have a closer mentality and finish games and dominate in the fourth quarter, Trey is the epitome of that with how he's played the last four or five years." Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said he's looking forward to a quiet weekend, an indication Baltimore might not be all that busy in the next few days of free agency. The Ravens lost quite a few contributors this week, including star center Tyler Linderbaum. The interior of the offensive line was already shaky. Baltimore did add guard John Simpson, who returns to the Ravens after two seasons with the New York Jets. The Ravens also acquired safety Jaylinn Hawkins and tight end Durham Smythe. "John Simpson plays with an energy and a passion that I'm really excited about adding into the offensive line room," Minter said. "He had a great season here in one of the most successful seasons in recent memory here in 2023. He is kind of a force multiplier from an energy (standpoint). It's very contagious how he operates." ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl