Getty The Baltimore Ravens are tied for the best odds to sign Derrick Henry
The Baltimore Ravens are going to be one of football’s most active teams when free agency opens for the 2024 NFL offseason.
With more than 20 players potentially hitting the open market, the Ravens are going to have to make moves early and often in free agency.
One of those moves could be for a former Offensive Player of the Year.
Draftings Sportsbook has the Ravens’ odds to sign Derrick Henry at +350, which is tied with the Eagles for the best odds of landing the star running back.
Henry’s 4-year $50 million contract with the Tennessee Titans is coming to an end and it appears that he will look to join a new team for the first time since he was drafted in 2016.
The Ravens have Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins heading for free agency during the 2024 offseason and Henry would be a big upgrade at the position for them after he put together another Pro Bowl season.
Another 1000-Yard Season for Henry
2023 was a bit of a down year for Henry.
In fact, it was his worst season since 2018.
He still managed to run for 1167 yards behind a bad offensive line.
That’s just how high the bar had gotten for Henry.
In 2020, Henry topped 2000 yards, missing the single-season record by just 78 yards.
A year later he ran for 937 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 8 games.
In 2022, he ran for 1538 yards and 13 touchdowns.
We’ll probably never see Henry chasing the rushing record again, but he remains an intimidating force in the run game that should get plenty of interest as a free agent.
If the Ravens decide they need a big move at running back during the 2024 offseason, their fans could get to see Henry pass 10,000 career yards in their team’s uniform.
Ravens Running Back Situation
Although the Ravens have consistently been among the most run-heavy teams in the NFL over recent years, it has been a while since they’ve had an elite option at the position.
When the Ravens drafted Dobbins back in 2020, he was supposed to become the star of their backfield. Unfortunately, injury issues have made it difficult for his career to gain any momentum.
Edwards has stepped up when his own injuries haven’t gotten in the way, but the team has been lacking a dominant option at the position.
Keaton Mitchell showed some potential during the 2023 season, but started the year on IR and had his rookie season come to an early end because of a torn ACL.
With Justice Hill currently seen as a potential cap casualty, Mitchell could be the only running back from the 2023 roster that returns next season.
In the playoff loss to the Chiefs, one of the biggest reasons for their loss was the complete abandonment of the run game. They only handed the ball of eight times.
That’s not an issue that would come up again in 2024 if they add Henry to their roster.
A big signing at running back might not be a priority given all of the other positions they’ll need to address during the offseason, but Henry would be a strong addition to the Ravens’ offense as they try to remain in Super Bowl contention.