We got a bombshell of sorts over the weekend for the NFC East: apparently, former NFL lineman turned American Ninja Warrior host Akbar Gbaja-Biamila heard that the Eagles are on the verge of trading for or somehow acquiring running back Derrick Henry, adding another stud and former Alabama star to their ridiculous offense.
Gbaja-Biamila and Henry are represented by the same agency, but the rumor has been debunked quite a bit since it came out, so it’s interesting whether AGB has heard something no one else has?
Henry has one year left on his contract and the cap hit is large, but can be taken down a little bit via either a restructure or extension – but as the Junkies (minus New York-bound EB) discussed it on Monday morning, there’s plenty of reasons for a win-now team like the Birds to go after a stud who, just three seasons ago, ran for over 2,000 yards.
“Henry has one year left on his contract at $10.5 million and he is 29 years old, and this is about the age where running backs start depreciating and hitting the wall – especially a guy who has had as much use over his career as Henry has,” Cakes said. “If you’re the Titans and you’re looking to hit the reset button, I’d entertain trading him, especially if a team like Philly thinks he’s the missing piece.”
The Eagles added Rashaad Penny but did lose Miles Sanders to free agency, and while they’d likely have to find a way to restructure Henry’s hit even with Jalen Hurts’ team-friendly contract, his usage would also be a little more subdued on a better offensive team than Tennessee.
“Derrick Henry has arguably been the best RB in the league, but three of the last four years, he’s led the league in carries,” Bish noted. “But he wouldn’t have to run 350 times in Philly.”
Reports are that the Titans have shopped Henry, and A.J. Brown – Henry’s former teammate in Tennessee – has been advocating for it on Twitter, so maybe there is some smoke there…and Commanders fans might want to start getting nervous.
Related
“Let’s be fair: Derrick Henry makes any team better,” Bish said. “Last year, he played the entire year and led the league in carries and had 13 touchdowns. If he’s going to play, he’s going to producer.”
“Wouldn’t shock me at all if it happened on draft night,” Cakes added, reminiscing about how the Birds acquired Brown leading up to last year’s draft. “Howie Roseman won’t give up a ton, Derrick Henry might move for a fourth or fifth-round pick.”
Bish thinks Henry is worth more, but when Cakes said, teams don’t trade much more for older backs in a contract year, Bish thought that kind of return would be a steal.
“That just feels low to me,” Bish said. “I don’t know how they calculate value, and I get he’s 29, but he’s a different build, man. He’s a monster. You might be 100 percent right, but a fifth-rounder seems like you’re stealing him.”
Related
“Read me how many carries he’s had over the last five years,” Cakes replied. “As a GM, I look at that and say we know he’s a special talent, but how much is left in the tank?”
That’s when producer Drab jumped in with the rational thought: “You’d be going all in for one year if you’re the Eagles, and if you’re going to do that, why not just draft Bijan Robinson and get five years of a 20-year-old back?”
Robinson’s only two in-person visits were Philly and Tampa, and Ryan Wilson, who joined the Junkies later Monday, had Bijan going to Philly at 10…but then again, Dallas could also be a possibility for his services, the Cowboys looking to replace Ezekiel Elliot with Henry alongside Tony Pollard – so, yeah, the Commanders could have a couple of nightmares either way.
Follow The Sports Junkies on Twitter: @moneymetalcakes, @ebjunkies, @lurchbish, @glassjoejp, @drabtshirt, & @JunksRadio
Keep up with The Team 980 via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram