Dynasty Destinations: Derrick Henry
By John McGlynn
The Tennessee Titans are rumored to be shopping Derrick “King” Henry this off-season in what feels like a rebuilding move. That combined with other Titans players getting released/waived further shows this to be true. My focus in this article is King Henry, as I have a handful of destinations I see him fitting in quite nicely. Here are my top 5 destinations for the superstar running back.
Buffalo Bills
I start off with my #1 destination.. the Buffalo Bills. They should absolutely be on the phone kicking the wheels on the King Henry freight train while it's still in the station. Everyone knows that the Bills have one of the most powerful offenses in the league. Josh Allen has been playing hero ball since his slow start in year one and two. He's on fire now, but how long can that last? How long can Allen hang in the pocket and throw missiles to Diggs with defensive lineman and linebackers hanging all over him? How many times can he get his elbow yanked mid throw before his elbow injuries go from a weekly scare to a long term serious injury? What can the Bills do to fix this offense?
The answer to the question of how do we keep Josh Allen safe is just a phone call away for Bills General Manager Brandon Beane. That phone call should go as follows. “Ran, Brandon Beane here. I need to set up a play action offense to give Josh Allen time in the pocket and I need Derrick Henry in my backfield to do that?” And before you say anything about the salary cap and Derrick Henry’s $10mil and the Bills already negative cap number, just remember that the New Orleans Saints operate in the negative every off-season it seems. Heck.. they aren't even close to the powerhouse team that the Bills are. We all know the salary cap is a fake number that a savvy numbers guy can magically make work with a ballpoint pen.
Now imagine if the Bills do find a way to get the King, his 300 attempts, his 1500+ yards, his 15+ touchdowns, and his long speed. Not to mention the peace of mind it will give Josh Allen in the pocket. Now imagine they are ables to draft Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Quenton Johnston at pick 27. After that they complete their draft with a handful of offensive linemen. The Bills offensive depth chart just became more unstoppable than it seemingly was before.
The Bills always seem to be rumored to be the market for a game changing running back. This is their chance in a Super Bowl-or-Bust type of move. I cannot think of a better way to improve this offense than to add the King of moving the football and then opting to just plug the need at wide receiver in the draft. The Bills can't be scared to go for broke as losing to the Bengals and the Chiefs in the playoffs is getting old. Bills Mafia would be jumping for joy if this were made into a reality. Heck.. I might join the Bills Mafia myself if King Henry is wearing a Buffalo jersey next season.
Miami Dolphins
Miami is another team that could really use a running back like Henry. This is a powerful offense that funnels through Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle. Keeping Tua upright is obviously the priority of the Dolphins and stuffing three hundred plugs carried down the opponents interior defense would definitly achieve that goal. They have the money/cap space, and Henry can certainly help control the clock when Miami needs it most.
Philadelphia Eagles
Moving on from Miles Sanders is something we can see the Eagles doing. Sanders did just fine behind one of the leagues best offensive lines however, he is no Derrick Henry. Sanders averaged about 30 receptions over the last four seasons, and even though Henry is not known to be a PPR machine, he has shown soft hands when he has been targeted. In this high-powered offense, and with a young and very mobile Jalen Hurts, keeping Henry bottled up in the backfield would be almost impossible.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Mixon is rumored to be a cut candidate in Cincinnati. He did regress somewhat last season, but being part of this finely tuned, well oiled machine, there was no excuse why Mixon failed to gain a thousand yards. He had one historic game last year that accounted for a huge chunk of his stats. Samaje Perine could have a chance to prove himself if the Bengals move on from Mixon, but having a raging bull in the backfield all revved up and ready to go would be a welcome site for every Bengals fanatic.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos had some high hopes for Javonte Williams last season, but he suffered a terrible injury that tore multiple ligaments in his knee. As we saw with JK Dobbins, this injury might take time to heal. A new ground and pound offense, under new Coach Sean Payton could be the buffer the Broncos need until Javonte is ready to return. Russell Wilson is use to playing with a workhorse back like Marshawn Lynch, and having the pressure lifted off Wilson as the centerpiece of the offense might right the ship for the whole franchise. Let Russ cook and let Broncos Country ride on the back of King Henry.
