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The Baltimore Ravens shipped off tight end Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons this offseason. While the move came as a shock to many fans, it was a decision that was apparently in the works for a little while according to Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta.
On the Ravens Lounge Podcast, DeCosta spoke at length about the process of trading Hurst and why the former first-round pick wanted to get out of Baltimore.
There’s no denying Hurst had been buried on the Ravens’ tight end depth chart. With the way Mark Andrews stepped up last season and the blocking proficiency Nick Boyle brings to the table, Hurst was the odd-man-out in Baltimore. Though the Ravens still put him on the field a bunch, he wasn’t able to truly excel in the way he would if he was the obvious top option. DeCosta said Hurst was feeling “anxious to prove what he could be” and wanted a better opportunity to do that.
With a decision made to at least listen to trade offers, it then came down to what DeCosta called getting “fair compensation” in return. DeCosta revealed that three or four teams were “in the mix” but the Falcons ended up being the best scenario for both the Ravens and Hurst. Though DeCosta didn’t say which teams had shown interest, the list of teams that covet tight ends in their offense and needed help there is pretty small.
With a chance to start and a capable quarterback in Matt Ryan throwing him the ball, Hurst will get a chance to prove his worth in the NFL. In return, Baltimore got an extra second-round pick to continue building towards a Super Bowl. It’s a rare win-win-win deal that works out for everyone involved.
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