Going into 2023, the running back position was not an issue for the Cleveland Browns, as they possessed one of the NFL’s best in Nick Chubb. However, Chubb suffered a devastating season-ending knee injury in Week 2, and the Browns have been needing some juice in their backfield ever since. Could they consider looking into a trade for Tennessee Titans’ superstar Derrick Henry?
Cleveland did sign back Kareem Hunt, but he has been largely unproductive, carrying the ball just 10 times for 25 yards in a pair of appearances. Rookie Jerome Ford has actually been getting the bulk of the carries, and while he got off to a good start, he had faded over the past couple of weeks.
The Browns are trying to contend in the AFC North and sit at 2-2 after having a Week 5 bye, but with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens both sitting at 3-2 and with the Cincinnati Bengals nipping at their heels, the Browns could certainly stand to bolster their rushing attack between now and the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports views Cleveland as a potential suitor for Henry.
Henry and the Titans were unable to reach a long-term agreement before the season, meaning that the star will be a free agent come springtime.
Tennessee is 2-3, and while it is just a game out of first place in the AFC South, it has hardly resembled a contender over the first quarter of the year.
As a result, the Titans could opt to move Henry in the coming weeks. The club seems likely to enter a rebuild during the offseason, and with Henry being 29 years old, his timeline simply does not match up with Tennessee’s anymore.
The Browns, on the other hand, would represent a perfect fit. Henry could slide right in to Chubb’s role and get the ground game back on track. He may not be the same dominant 2,000-yard back from a few years ago, as Henry is logging just 3.8 yards per carry this season, but he is far better than what Cleveland currently has and would make Deshaun Watson’s job a heck of a lot easier under center (whenever Watson gets back on the field).
The Browns could send the aforementioned Ford and a 2024 first-round pick to the Titans in exchange for Derrick Henry in a deal that would satisfy both clubs.
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