The Baltimore Ravens came close to acquiring Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry at the trade deadline, but they’ll get another chance to do so in free agency this offseason.
As a matter of fact, former NFL halfback and current NFL.com analyst Maurice-Jones Drew thinks the Ravens will be a perfect landing spot for Henry in the spring.
“With Baltimore operating a downhill run game at the center of its offense, the veteran back would fit perfectly as a physical north-south rusher who’s still capable of breaking a big gain even at 30 years old,” Jones-Drew wrote.
While Henry may no longer be the same elite rusher from several years ago, he remains a productive force and is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per carry, earning his fourth Pro Bowl selection.
Henry, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was selected by the Titans in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He was a bit of a late bloomer, as he did not truly break out until his fourth season. That was when he proceeded to lead the league in rushing in consecutive years, topping out at 2,027 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2020. He also logged a robust 5.1 and 5.4 yards per attempt in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Since then, Henry has certainly declined, but there is no question that he can still help another team’s offense…like Baltimore’s.
The Ravens may end up losing J.K. Dobbins—who is recovering from a torn Achilles—to free agency, so replacing him with Henry may be a fine idea.
Baltimore ranked No. 1 in the NFL in rushing this season, thanks mainly to quarterback Lamar Jackson. Because Jackson will always be a major threat on the ground, the Ravens can plug in a veteran running back who may be past his prime—a la Derrick Henry—and still see plenty of success in the rushing attack.
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