Derrick Henry

Ravens, Cowboys Eyeing Derrick Henry?

October 26th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derrick Henry has emerged as, at least, a fringe candidate to be traded before Tuesday’s deadline. The greatest running back of the Oilers-Titans franchise’s Tennessee years is in the final year of his contract, and with the Titans dealing away Kevin Byard, rumors have emerged about other marquee players exiting.

The latest round of Henry buzz connects the Ravens and Cowboys to the two-time rushing champion. Baltimore is viewed around the league as an interested party, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, who adds the Ravens are on track to explore trades for running backs.

Jerry Jones has made some interesting proclamations at his recent availability sessions, indicating the Cowboys are not planning to reach out to teams about trades. Thursday, the Dallas owner doubled down on this stance. The Cowboys are 4-2 and rank in the top five on offense and defense, though given the firepower at the top of the NFC, the team would obviously be taking a risk by standing pat.

“I don’t see anything heated up to a level that would cause something to happen,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. “… If we don’t do anything at this trade deadline, we’ve got a team, in my mind, that can get us where we want to go.”

The Cowboys cut Ezekiel Elliott and have bumped Tony Pollard into a full-time role, but Pauline adds the Cowboys are expected to look into Henry. A caveat here: the NFC East team would want the Titans to eat some of Henry’s salary. This component came up Wednesday regarding Henry, whose walk-year salary is $10.5MM. An acquiring team would only be on the hook for barely $5.5MM if it landed Henry after Week 8, which would be the expectation if the eighth-year standout is traded. Considering how the RB trade market unfolded this offseason, that $5.5MM number is seen as too rich for a team to take on. The Ravens would likely require this as well, holding just more than $6MM in cap space. The Cowboys are at $7.7MM.

It is interesting to see Henry pop up as a trade option, seeing as Austin Ekeler was not believed to have generated much of a market after requesting a trade this offseason. The Colts also did not see their Jonathan Taylor asking price met, though Indianapolis also did not appear motivated to seek out a trade partner. The dual-threat Charger led the NFL in touchdowns in 2021 and ’22, while Henry’s throwback skillset does not include much of a passing-down role.

Henry, 29, is averaging 4.3 yards per carry (425 total), despite a shaky Titans offensive line — one Pro Football Focus ranks last presently — and Next Gen Stats’ rushing yards over expected metric measures the former Heisman winner’s total seventh. While Henry is likely near the end of his run as a full-time starter, he would be an interesting trade chip. The Ravens rank eighth in yards per carry; the Cowboys sit 21st.

The Ravens have been the NFL’s most run-oriented team during Lamar Jackson‘s career. Baltimore’s 230 rushing attempts trail only the Eagles (235) this season. The Ravens lost J.K. Dobbins to another season-ending injury and have been rolling with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill as their primary ball carriers. Speedy rookie Keaton Mitchell came off IR recently but has not factored into the Ravens’ run game much yet. Ravens officials have downplayed the team’s need for a starter-caliber back, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes (subscription required), but Henry would not be Maryland-bound to become a backup.

It is not yet clear if the Titans are truly motivated to move Henry, nor is it locked in the team would recoup a needle-moving asset for a veteran with 1,848 career carries. A weekend report classified Henry interest as scarce. But Tennessee rosters intriguing rookie Tyjae Spears positioned as the former All-Pro’s successor. The third-round pick is averaging 5.5 yards per tote and has carved out a bigger role than any of Henry’s backups since the bulldozing starter began his back-to-back run of rushing titles.

Henry trade buzz circulated this offseason, however, and the Titans may be in transition soon. Contract-year QB Ryan Tannehill is not expected to play this week, which would lead to Will Levis‘ first start. Will it double as Henry’s last game with the Titans?

DL Denico Autry Drawing Trade Interest; Titans Open To Moving Derrick Henry?

October 25th, 2023 at 10:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Denico Autry is in his age-33 season and operates as a sidekick of sorts on a Titans front seven anchored by Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry, trade interest has emerged. With Autry in a contract year, teams are monitoring him as a deadline buy.

The 10th-year defensive lineman has become a hot name of sorts ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes. Should the Titans be prepared to unload the experienced pass rusher, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds this would be an interesting market.

During a period in which the Titans missed on a few pass rushers — Bud Dupree, Jadeveon Clowney, Vic Beasley, Cameron Wake — since-ousted GM Jon Robinson did well to land Autry, who has been a central component on Tennessee’s defense despite moving toward his mid-30s. Autry signed a three-year, $21.5MM deal ahead of his age-31 season, with the contract coming during the same week in which the Titans overpaid Dupree. But Autry helped compensate for that miss, totaling 17 sacks and 37 quarterback hits between the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Thus far this year, the versatile D-lineman has four sacks and nine QB hits.

Autry is tied to a $6.75MM base salary, giving other teams a price tag barely north of $3MM to pick up in the event of a post-Week 8 trade. A former Raiders UDFA who has been a late-bloomer, Autry has done his best work in the AFC South. A midcareer Colts stay drove up his market in 2021, and he has not slowed down with the Titans. Earning another midlevel contract in 2024 will likely be on the table for Autry, but the issue now will be if the Titans like an offer enough to move on early.

Tennessee traded Kevin Byard to Philadelphia on Monday, a move that will likely prompt teams to investigate if the 2-4 club will be willing to deal away more parts. Ryan Tannehill‘s expected Week 8 absence will lead to the strange setup of Will Levis and Malik Willis each playing — perhaps alternating series, per Mike Vrabel — against the Falcons. That may be by design to showcase Willis, with Fowler adding the second-year QB is more likely to be dealt than Tannehill. The latter’s injury makes it fairly certain he will stay in Tennessee for the season’s remainder, but with the 35-year-old passer on an expiring contract, the Titans will have big questions to answer at the position soon. Considering Willis’ early-career form, the Titans will not recoup anything close to the No. 86 overall pick they invested last year.

Derrick Henry joins Tannehill and Autry on an expiring deal. The Titans reupped Tannehill and Henry during the 2020 offseason, tagging and then extending Henry in July of that year. The dominant running back came up loosely in trade rumors before the draft, but a report last week indicated the team was more likely to stick with the potential Hall of Famer. But Fowler views Henry as a player the Titans would likely consider trading, adding that some league personnel believed the team was open to doing so this offseason.

The two-time rushing champion received a raise for the 2022 season, but he remains attached to the four-year, $50MM extension he signed three summers ago. Henry, 29, is playing on a $10.5MM salary. With more than $5.5MM due between Weeks 9 and 18, the Titans would stand to run into an issue in an effort to unload one of their all-time greats. Execs around the league believe this will be an impediment to the point Tennessee would likely need to pick up some salary to move on, Fowler adds, and it is far from certain the team would be willing to do that in order to cut ties with a three-time Pro Bowler.

The Titans have third-round pick Tyjae Spears in place once Henry departs, and while teams do not make a habit of re-signing workhorse backs ahead of age-30 seasons, it is not a lock the parties do not discuss a third contract before free agency. For now, however, Henry is playing out a contract year and looms as a fringe trade candidate for a team in transition.

Titans Unlikely To Trade Derrick Henry, DeAndre Hopkins

October 22nd, 2023 at 8:49am CST by Rory Parks

The Titans are currently 2-4 and may be without starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill for their last contest before the October 31 trade deadline (they have a bye this week and face the Falcons on October 29). They clearly profile as potential deadline sellers, but head coach Mike Vrabel is not throwing in the towel on the 2023 season, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports.

As such, Tennessee is not motivated to trade star running back Derrick Henry, as Robinson reports. While there is obvious concern about how many carries Henry has accumulated over the past few years, the two-time rushing leader has trade value. He still has some burst and is maintaing a solid 4.3 yards-per-carry average this season, and it is fair to expect that he will remain productive for the rest of the campaign.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic, though, has not found a team with much interest in Henry (subscription required). Perhaps that is because of his high usage rate and the fact that he is less than three months away from his 30th birthday, or perhaps it is simply because rival execs do not believe the Titans will seriously consider trading the longtime focal point of their offense. In any event, it presently appears likely that Henry will stay in Nashville through at least the end of the current season.

Likewise, it seems that wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will stay put. Robinson has spoken to a few receiver-needy clubs, and he does not get the sense that Tennessee will be able to get much of a return in a Hopkins trade. The three-time First Team All-Pro made plenty of PFR headlines during his free agency stint this year, though he later conceded that his market did not develop as he expected after he was released by the Cardinals in May. He ultimately joined the Titans on a two-year, $26MM deal, and it does not sound as if other clubs are anxious to take on the balance of that contract. Through six games in 2023, Hopkins has 27 catches on 47 targets for 376 yards. He has yet to find the endzone.

As opposed to his veteran teammates on the offensive side of the ball, safety Kevin Byard is receiving trade interest, per Russini. However, Robinson does not believe Byard would fetch anything more than a late-round pick, and assuming that’s the case, the Titans would be better served by keeping him in the fold.

Wideout Treylon Burks, a 2022 first-round pick who was supposed to help replace A.J. Brown‘s production, has also been the subject of trade inquiries, as Russini writes. Unsurprisingly, the Titans are not inclined to move any young player, let alone a player who was taken on Day 1 of the draft just one year ago.

Colts Not Dismissing Jonathan Taylor Trade

August 3rd, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts-Jonathan Taylor impasse has showed no signs of ending, as the second week of a training camp observational period begins for the talented running back. Jim Irsay has indicated the Colts will not honor Taylor’s trade request, but this escalating situation might be moving the team toward at least considering a deal.

Trading Taylor is a subject that has not been completely shut down at Colts headquarters, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports, adding multiple NFL execs believe a trade market exists for the 24-year-old back. Going into his fourth season, Taylor is a more attractive commodity compared to the lot of late-20-somethings on the free agent market.

A team that acquires Taylor could attempt to slow-play this, as the Colts are doing by indicating no extension offer is coming soon, with a 2024 franchise tag available. But it should be considered likely a team that acquires the contract-year back would have a contract ready to go. Multiple teams are believed to be open to a trade-and-extend scenario involving the former rushing champion.

Indianapolis’ goal remains to retain Taylor, Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes, and have him back in his starting role to begin the Anthony Richardson era (subscription required). As this offseason has shown, running back leverage has cratered. Midlevel free agent contracts, cap-casualty decisions, pay cuts and a franchise tag deadline coming and going without an extension has turned this into a crisis point for the position. Derrick Henry has initiated talks among backs about their position’s standing, per TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick, and Taylor voiced frustration after the tag deadline hit without Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs or Tony Pollard landing a deal.

A host of anonymous executives informed Howe a trade should not be considered likely, due to the cost of a second contract and the supply-and-demand issue plaguing the position. While Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott were listed by two such execs as cheaper options, Taylor would represent a higher class of player at this stage of his career. The Colts RB has 860 career touches; Cook and Elliott are at 1,503 and 2,186, respectively. A team could view Taylor as a much better asset and pull off a trade, and an extension — despite the carnage on the RB market this year — could line up well as the salary cap booms. That said, no team has even authorized a $12MM-per-year RB deal since the Browns paid Nick Chubb in July 2021. Due to his age and the cap rise, Taylor could logically be targeting the Christian McCaffrey–Alvin Kamara bracket, but no team has signed off on a $14MM-AAV deal for a back since the Saints inked Kamara in August 2020.

The Colts, particularly Irsay and GM Chris Ballard, have been surprised by Taylor’s attitude at camp, per Holder. Taylor hired a new agent this offseason and has not only become frustrated by his contract situation, but Holder adds the Colts’ approach to injury management has irked the Wisconsin alum. Taylor underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery in January, and the procedure was not expected to keep him out too long. Irsay pronounced him as ready to roll for camp. But Holder adds the Colts wanted Taylor to return to Indianapolis shortly before camp. This request did not go over well with Taylor, who interpreted it as a team push to return to action before he was 100%.

Taylor played hurt during last year’s miserable Colts campaign, finishing the season despite needing ankle surgery. Holder echoes the Sunday report regarding Taylor complaining of back and hamstring pain when coming to camp. Taylor has denied he notified the Colts of back pain, a subject that led to the rumor the Colts could shift him from the PUP list to the NFI list — a matter that could affect Taylor’s salary. That rumor only further intensified this situation, though Holder adds the PUP-to-NFI shift is unlikely.

Still, Taylor remains out of action. It is unclear if the ankle injury sustained in October 2022 is truly keeping him off the field or if this is a hold-in measure. The Colts, who have also lost Zack Moss to a broken arm, worked out Kenyan Drake on Wednesday.

It will be interesting to see if any viable trade offers come in for Taylor, who is set to be part of a big free agency class — one that, as of now, would include Barkley, Jacobs, Pollard, Henry, Austin Ekeler, J.K. Dobbins, AJ Dillon. We are still far away from that point, but it represents another factor that would work against him leaving Indianapolis via a 2023 trade.

Latest On RB Coalition

July 23rd, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

Last night, a group of the NFL’s veteran running backs got together on a Zoom call organized by Chargers rusher Austin Ekeler. There was a reportedly strong turnout of NFL-talent for a meeting that ultimately gained little ground. Mike Florio of NBC Sports was able to provide some details on what transpired during the meeting.

According to Florio, despite some of the league’s best backs being in attendance, little progress was made towards a solution. The league’s current collective bargaining agreement is in place through 2030, and it doesn’t provide the running backs much leeway in their options. The NFL Players Association, which was not a part of the conversation last night, can’t necessarily contribute much to the conversation as, due to the nature of a league with a salary cap, giving money to running backs necessitates that money be taken from other positions.

That didn’t stop NFLPA president JC Tretter from suggesting in an interview that running backs could simply stage hold-ins by embellishing, exaggerating, or simply fabricating injuries. That suggestion was brought up on the call but quickly dismissed as it would feed “into the narrative that (running backs are) prone to injury.” It would also provide backs further down the depth chart an opportunity to prove they’re a better roster value than they’re more “injury-prone” counterparts.

Other ideas that could help the group include the use of the league’s Performance-Based Pay Pool to supplement running back income, shortening the position’s track to a second contract, or making adjustments to the franchise tag formula. Performance-Based Pay would reward the league’s top backs whose production exceeds their meager contracts. Shortening rookie contracts for running backs is a complicated solution that would likely require the NFLPA to negotiate on behalf of the running backs, which, again, can take away from other positions represented by the Association.

The franchise tag formula provides two possible solutions. The first would see the formula modified to simply increase the value of running back tags. The normal calculation would be increased to make tagging rushers a bit more costly of an option and force teams to explore second contracts with more dedication. The second solution is actually a bit of an extension on the first, suggesting a source for that increase. Currently, all offensive linemen’s franchise tag amounts are based on the contracts of tackles (the highest earning members of their position group). For this reason, interior linemen often don’t get tagged because they would be paid a tackle’s rate. If the league were to break up the offensive line into three categories (tackles, guards, centers), the interior linemen would no longer be receiving tackle-money, providing some wiggle room for running backs.

One of the players who attended the call was Browns running back Nick Chubb, who spoke to the media about the discussion, according to Jake Trotter of ESPN. Chubb confirmed that such elite athletes as Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, and Saquon Barkley all attended and contributed to the conversation.

Chubb also elaborated on the feeling of being handcuffed in terms of what action can be taken. He expanded on a common complaint that running back is the only position whose production hurts them. If they go out and rush for 2,000 yards, instead of being rewarded, they are assumed to be worn down. Chubb is a year away from a contract year himself, but he fully recognizes that he could find himself in this situation during the next offseason.

Regardless, right now, without the help of the NFLPA, there isn’t much for running backs to do. Some backs pointed out that their own agents have contributed to the problem (agents were not on the call). Often, agents will backload ridiculous numbers into a contract that inflate the annual average value (AAV) to amounts that a running back will never see.

Saints rusher Alvin Kamara‘s contract is a perfect example. With an AAV of $15MM, Kamara has only seen that much money in the first year of his deal, when he received a $15MM signing bonus. In 2021, he only received $2MM cash and, for the three subsequent years, he earned/will earn between $11MM and $11.80MM cash. These numbers are all so much lower than the AAV because, in the final year of the contract, Kamara is set to receive $25MM cash. The chances of Kamara reaching that final, big payout are extremely low, but that amount made what was really a $10MM per year contract much more palatable.

The running backs need to ensure that their agents are on the same page about whatever strategies they decide to implement. Florio wisely points out that, while teams are not allowed to collude in regard to negotiating strategies, players and their agents absolutely have the right to collaborate.

Titans Haven’t Received Calls For RB Derrick Henry

April 24th, 2023 at 10:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Since early in the offseason, rumors have circulated around the availability of Titans running back Derrick Henry. Just before the free agency period officially opened, rumors came out that Tennessee was shopping their star offensive player. According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, though, general manager Ran Carthon continues to refute the veracity of those rumors.

It’s hard to know who to believe since the sources of both rumors are general managers in the league. The sources of the initial rumor were reportedly all active general managers who claimed the Titans were attempting to deal the bell cow back. Just two weeks ago, more reports surfaced that the team was not only making Henry available but quarterback Ryan Tannehill, as well.

Carthon himself seems to be the only one claiming that there is no truth to the rumors. Nearly a month ago, Patra reported that Carthon had called the reports “erroneous.” He said as much in his pre-draft press conference today, as well, claiming he hasn’t received any calls for Henry, which isn’t nearly as pointed as saying they aren’t trying to trade him. He has called the reports “smoke,” thinking that some are just hoping Henry will become available.

As for Tannehill, Carthon had some conversations with the veteran passer about the Titans doing their fair share of homework on potential first-round quarterbacks. “Ryan knows where he stands with us. And that’s really all that matter to me,” Carton said on the matter.

Both players make sense on the trading block, and it makes sense that the Titans aren’t able to get much interest for them. Henry’s heavy usage has deteriorated his trade value over time, and Tannehill, at 34 years old, has found success in Tennessee but has never been a game changer behind center. Combine that with the fact that Tannehill is set for a $36.6MM cap hit in 2023, and Henry has a cap hit of $16.37MM, and there’s not a ton of questions concerning the lack of calls.

The Titans have moved on from a few offensive weapons over the last two offseasons, and so far, it has appeared that Henry and Tannehill are on the shelf, as well. No matter the optics and rumors, though, Carthon is sticking to his guns and assuring that the team has no intentions of trading King Henry.

Titans’ Derrick Henry, Ryan Tannehill Available In Trades?

April 12th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Having moved on from several starters this offseason, new Titans GM Ran Carthon is now in charge of a roster carrying two contract-year cornerstones. The deals Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry signed back in 2020 expire after this coming season.

Rumblings about the Titans shopping Henry circulated just before free agency, and while the two-time rushing champion remains on Tennessee’s roster, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes the team is indeed open to moving him. Tannehill should also be monitored as a trade candidate, La Canfora adds.

The Titans have been connected to quarterbacks in this draft for weeks; they hosted Will Levis on Tuesday and will meet with Anthony Richardson. Though, trade-up scenarios also may involve Tannehill staying put and serving as a bridge player ahead of a 2024 separation. The team cutting the cord now would obviously intensify its need at the position and raise the stakes for Carthon’s first draft as a GM. Tannehill is due a $27MM base salary, and his $36.6MM cap number tops the Titans’ payroll by more than $15MM.

Tannehill’s run of health as a Titan came to an end last season; Tennessee’s starter finished the season on IR after ankle surgery. Tannehill’s unavailability was among the Titans’ top issues in 2022. While Tannehill’s 2019 resurgence elevated the Titans and began a stretch of three consecutive playoff berths for the AFC South franchise, the QB’s high paragraph 5 salary and age (35 in July) will not give the Titans a strong trade market. It would also cost the Titans $18.8MM in dead money to trade Tannehill before June 1.

Teams have already made moves to bring in veteran options as well. The Titans, who acquired Tannehill for just fourth- and seventh-round picks back in 2019, can bolster their draft capital by dealing their four-year starter in the next two weeks. The team could also eat some of Tannehill’s salary to prompt a better offer. Absent many logical suitors, however, it would surprise if a major trade package became available — barring an unexpected injury affecting a team’s depth chart. Waiting on an injury would put the Titans in the same place the 49ers resided with Jimmy Garoppolo last year, but as of now, the team does not have another starter-caliber option on the roster. The new Titans regime does not appear too intrigued by Malik Willis, La Canfora adds, given the 2022 third-rounder’s rookie-year struggles.

Even as Henry missed half the 2021 season with a foot fracture, his 6,042 rushing yards since 2019 lead all rushers in that span by nearly 700. The Titans also authorized a raise for their dominant back last year, but the GM who signed off on that — Jon Robinson — was fired months later. Henry is tied to a $10.5MM base salary this season. The eighth-year back rebounded from his foot injury to amass 1,538 rushing yards — two shy of the total he won the 2019 rushing title with — but he logged an NFL-high 349 carries.

Henry, 28, is undoubtedly near the end of his run, and the Titans would be unlikely to obtain too much in a trade. The team did experience issues finding a Henry backup, but D’Onta Foreman ran effectively in the Alabama alum’s absence in 2021. Henry’s unique presence in the modern game aside, the Titans would have a more difficult time replacing Tannehill. Austin Ekeler‘s struggle finding a trade partner also shows what might await the Titans if they were to insist on trading Henry.

Tennessee extracted considerable value from Tannehill’s $29.5MM-per-year deal and Henry’s $12.5MM-AAV pact. Whether the Titans trade up for a quarterback and how they navigate a running back-rich draft will be telling, but for now, their offense still centers around Robinson-era investments.

Titans Shopping RB Derrick Henry?

March 12th, 2023 at 10:36am CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 12: Sources tell Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports that Tennessee is not, in fact, shopping Henry. Despite a number of recent (and expected) cuts, the Titans should again be able to compete for a playoff spot in a suspect AFC South, and dealing the focal point of their offense would obviously undermine those efforts (though new GM Ran Carthon indicated he is open to spreading some of Henry’s workload around to other players, as Terry McCormick of The Portland Sun writes).

MARCH 6: Although the free agency period has not officially begun, teams often engage in light conversations with other teams at the NFL scouting combine, gauging interest and market value in certain assets. Team officials will also start shopping players that they might be willing to trade, as was the case this past week with the Titans shopping star running back Derrick Henry, according to Michael Silver of Bally Sports.

Silver claims his sources were all current NFL general managers who report that Tennessee was attempting to deal their bell cow back. Henry is currently headed into a contract year, in which he will hold a $16.37MM cap hit. The veteran running back has already far exceeded the average career of most NFL running backs, an exceedingly impressive feat considering the physical nature of Henry’s playing style. There’s nothing to suggest that Henry doesn’t still have plenty of gas left in the tank.

That’s not for lack of trying on the Titans’ part. In three of the last four years, Henry has led the NFL in rush attempts. In that fourth year, Henry had 219 carries in eight games before suffering a season-ending injury. In a 17-game season last year, Henry was on pace for 465 carries, which would’ve been an NFL record. This excessive usage has resulted in some very strong seasons for Henry. He led the NFL in rushing yards in 2019 and 2020, breaking the 2,000-yard rushing mark in the latter season. In the 2021 injury-shortened season, Henry was on pace to be approach 2,000 yards rushing for the second straight year. He’s also recorded double-digit touchdowns every season since his second year in the league, including the eight-game 2021 season.

Which teams might be interested in acquiring the bruising runner? There certainly are some strong options for Henry. He may find himself joining Sean Payton‘s first team in Denver. The Broncos have plenty of names under contract next year with Javonte Williams, Chase Edmonds, Damarea Crockett, and Tyler Badie. Williams is expected to be the starter, but after a strong rookie season, injuries held Williams back in Year 2. The Dolphins are another team that could utilize Henry. They currently don’t have any running backs under contract as Salvon Ahmed, Myles Gaskin, Raheem Mostert, and Jeff Wilson are all headed towards free agency. Lastly, the Saints could certainly find themselves in need of a lead running back, depending on what happens with Alvin Kamara.

Even at 29 years old, Henry would be a huge addition to any of these franchises. For one whose past career would indicate a player with not much tread left on the tires, Henry shows no signs of slowing down. The Titans may not be willing to shell out for Henry’s final year, but odds are that some team will.

Titans To Start Joshua Dobbs Vs. Cowboys

December 29th, 2022 at 11:44am CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans are not exactly going into Thursday night’s Cowboys game with a clear intent to win. The injury-plagued team is planning to rest numerous starters, with a Week 18 date against the Jaguars set to determine its playoff fate.

But Tennessee will make an interesting change at quarterback. Rather than give Malik Willis more reps in his rookie season, the Titans are preparing to start recent acquisition Joshua Dobbs, Justin Melo of The Draft Network tweets. Tennessee brought in Dobbs on Dec. 21, with Ryan Tannehill out with an ankle injury. Tannehill is not expected to return this season, though the starter has not shut it down just yet.

A former Tennessee Volunteer, Dobbs has bounced around in the pros. The sixth-year backup has been with three teams just this year, moving from Cleveland to Detroit to Nashville over the past month. The former fourth-round pick has not thrown any regular-season passes this season; his most recent game work came in 2020 with the Steelers. The Browns signed Dobbs this offseason and used him as Jacoby Brissett‘s backup for much of the year, but once Deshaun Watson was eligible to play, Cleveland cut bait. Dobbs landed in Detroit, but Tennessee poached him from the Lions’ practice squad.

Dobbs has seen most of his NFL work come in the preseason, and the Titans’ Week 17 lineup will have the look of an August matchup. Tennessee placed O-line starters Nate Davis and Ben Jones on IR last week, and the team will be without right tackle starter Nicholas Petit-Frere against Dallas. With Taylor Lewan out of the picture, the Titans will deploy basically a second-string O-line tonight. While Willis’ early work points to extensive development being needed, the Titans may be leery of putting the third-round pick behind this set of blockers against a top-tier Cowboys pass rush.

In an arrangement that will surely test Al Michaels’ patience, Titans will also sit Jeffery Simmons, Denico Autry, Amani Hooker, Bud Dupree and Zach Cunningham. Oh, and they are unlikely to deploy Derrick Henry, who is doubtful with a hip injury. This sets up an unusual Week 17 and an odd Week 18 plan. The Titans look like they will be trying to salvage their season in Jacksonville next week on the heels of a six-game losing streak. Even if the Titans drop to 7-9 tonight, the AFC South will be on the line next week.

Willis has shown some promise in the run game but has looked woefully overmatched through the air. The mid-major product has not eclipsed 100 passing yards in any of his three pro starts and has a 0-3 TD-INT ratio on 61 pass attempts. It will be interesting if the Titans turn back to Willis or go with Dobbs (17 career attempts) against the Jaguars, when they reconvene for relevant football, next week.

Titans Give RB Derrick Henry Raise

September 1st, 2022 at 1:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derrick Henry will collect a bit more money than expected this season. The Titans authorized a $2MM raise for the two-time rushing champion, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Tennessee is taking $2MM off Henry’s 2023 salary, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter), bumping his 2022 wages from $12MM to $14MM. Thursday’s agreement does not change Henry’s contractual timeline, however. Henry remains signed through the 2023 season, but this deal bumps him to the top of the running backs list for 2022 cash, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds (via Twitter).

This raise is contingent on Henry’s availability, but it also will provide cash to the All-Pro sooner in the form of a $9MM signing bonus, Florio adds. This popular genre of restructure will create cap space for the Titans, who have dropped Henry’s 2022 base salary from $12MM to $4MM. The other $1MM in the $2MM bump will be available through gameday roster bonuses, which will only pay out if Henry is active for Tennessee contests. Henry missed nine of those last season.

This does set up the possibility of 2022 being Henry’s final year on his current deal. Should the bulldozing back re-emerge from his injury-abbreviated 2021 season with another strong year, the Titans may end up rewarding him again. This restructure also stands to make it more difficult for the Titans to move on from Henry in 2023. Prior to Thursday’s reworking, the Titans would have only incurred $3MM in dead money by releasing Henry. A higher charge would come from such a transaction now. Henry’s 2023 cap hit also will rise from its previous $15.5MM place.

The prospect of a new Henry deal emerged earlier this offseason. His current pact (four years, $50MM; agreed to at the 2020 franchise tag deadline) is not exactly out of step with the slow-moving (at the top, at least) running back market, but Florio adds the thinking behind this move is a third Henry contract could come to pass before next season. Henry’s deal is in line with the contracts given to Nick Chubb Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones and Joe Mixon — each of whom being attached to a contract between $12-$12.6MM per year — though it does sit behind Christian McCaffrey ($16MM), Ezekiel Elliott and Alvin Kamara ($15MM).

A discussion on releasing Henry next year is obviously premature, but running back declines happen earlier than they do at just about every other position. The Jones fracture the former Heisman winner suffered derailed a monster 2021 season — one in which he still finished in the top 10 in rushing yards despite the two-month absence — and does invite questions about his future form. Henry will turn 29 before season’s end.

That said, Tennessee should need Henry more in 2022 than it did last season. After letting backup D’Onta Foreman walk in free agency, the Titans traded A.J. Brown to the Eagles. The player the team brought in to replace the Pro Bowl wideout, first-round pick Treylon Burks, has also not shown readiness to be a locked-in early-season starter. With trade acquisition Robert Woods also coming off an ACL tear, the Titans will need their cornerstone skill player to bounce back.

Tennessee also lost two of its 2021 starting O-line, cutting guard Rodger Saffold and letting right tackle David Quessenberry leave as a UFA for Buffalo, potentially raising the degree of difficulty for Henry’s seventh season. Prior to Henry’s foot fracture, however, he had missed just two games through 5 1/2 seasons. The Titans will hope the previous career trend, despite the steep mileage put on Henry’s odometer from 2019-21, is more indicative of Henry’s path than his 2021 season is.

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