Ravens are hopeful that Trey Hendrickson bucks a known NFL trend
· Yahoo Sports
Once upon a time, they used to say 30 is the new 20. Others would argue that it isn't. Aging sometimes demonstrates that 30 is the same old 30. There is a stigma attached to older NFL stars, and that conversation was reintroduced when the Baltimore Ravens signed Trey Hendrickson. The arrangement is a four-year, $112 million deal with $60 million guaranteed. His signing bonus is $20 million. That's where the discussion about age begins. He turns 32 at the beginning of December, and last season he missed time due to injuries.
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If he plays the new deal out successfully, he'll be 35 by the time it expires. That's really the only reason everyone is nervous. When NFL stars reach the 30-year-old threshold, questions are asked about whether or not they ought to start thinking about life after football.
Ravens fans are hopeful that both Trey Hendrickson and his four-year deal age well.
Those who are nervous about the chances of this working may want to steer clear of a recent write-up by Pro Football Focus. In an article, Investigating positional aging curves with PFF WAR, they mentioned that elite play by edge rushers who are 30 is the exception to the rule, not the norm.
Their studies suggest that edge rushers tend to decline at 30. They even mentioned that 17 defenders enjoyed double-digit sacks last season. Of that number, only four entering Week 1 were at least 30 years old:
Those players were Cameron Jordan (New Orleans Saints), Al-Quadin Muhammad (Detroit Lions), Danielle Hunter (Houston Texans), and Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns). Take that for what you will, as Baltimore has had some success with 30-plus edge rushers. Terrell Suggs left the organization at 36 after 16 years. This past season, Kyle Van Noy played at 34.
The Ravens, to their credit, are exuding confidence about this deal. This isn't a franchise that blindly ignores trends. It understands context. Hendrickson hasn't shown the type of steep decline that typically triggers concern. When healthy, he’s remained productive, disruptive, and capable of changing games off the edge.
Baltimore isn’t asking him to carry the entire defense. Well, they are asking him to be the closer, but they’re also asking him to be a key piece of a larger, well-constructed unit. The Ravens have a nice mix of young talent and capable veterans.
At the end of the day, this move isn’t without risk, but very few are. The Ravens are simply wagering that Hendrickson can be the exception rather than the rule. If history in Baltimore tells us anything, it’s that betting on the right veteran at the right time can still pay off in a big way.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens are hopeful that Trey Hendrickson avoids a falloff after 30