The Cincinnati Bengals and Trey Hendrickson went their separate ways after three seasons together, with Cincinnati opting not to place the franchise tag on the defensive end. Now, with the Baltimore Ravens, Hendrickson has already made one of their coaches his big fan. 

It’s the new season for Jesse Minter as the Baltimore Ravens head coach. The debut head coach can already see how the failed Maxx Crosby trade has been a blessing in disguise that led them to sign Hendrickson to a four-year, $112 million deal.

"He's an extremely well-defined technical rusher," Minter said via NFL.com after the OTAs. "So, he uses his hands really, really well. He's really good at seeing the snap count and being able to do that. He knows how to attack different tackles based on how they set, things like that.”

During the OTAs, Hendrickson easily got past left tackle Carson Vinson and had a clear lane straight to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was still looking downfield for a pass.

But right before reaching him, Hendrickson pulled away to avoid hitting his new teammate. A blindside rush with a direct path to the quarterback is exactly the scenario Hendrickson hopes for, though he’ll need to wait for the regular season before finishing those plays.

Yet then, he celebrated the pressure enthusiastically with teammates and got a congratulatory tap from Minter.

"But man, [it's] just how he plays,” the coach continued. “I think he's done a great job learning some different techniques that maybe he hasn't done before. So, I am just very excited.”

Entering his 10th NFL season, the veteran became the team’s biggest offseason acquisition after signing the richest free-agent deal in franchise history.

Turns out that Hendrickson is winning hearts not just with his gameplay. 

Hendrickson’s Presence Bringing Energy to Ravens Camp

Hendrickson provides valuable guidance for Baltimore’s young pass rushers like Mike Green, Zion Young, and fourth-year pro Tavius Robinson. At the same time, he also pushes the offensive line by presenting a tough matchup during team drills and future one-on-one battles.

Ronnie Stanley’s absence from Wednesday’s, May 27, open practice gave second-year tackle Vinson the opportunity to work with the first-team offense. It also meant matching up frequently with Hendrickson off the edge.

"They just work really well together," Minter said. "It's non-competitive, but they talk a lot after each play. They help each other out. They talk about their pass sets, their run blocking and their hand placement. So, it's invaluable for him."

With Hendrickson now in the camp, the Ravens will have to script a turnaround story. Baltimore’s defense looked out of sync at times last year, something uncommon for the franchise.

Will Hendrickson live up to the expectations he created this offseason? Share your thoughts. 

Read more at Cincinnati Bengals Community.

Written by

Soheli Tarafdar

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar