So, did they or did they not? As the NFL trade deadline approached on Tuesday at 4 p.m. approached, one of the hot topics was running back Derrick Henry, and whether the Ravens could or would or did make an offer for him. Also significant: Whether the Titans could or would accept that offer.
In the end, we know they did not. But there’s still a lack of clarity in terms of what happened. Ultimately, the Ravens were quiet on NFL trade deadline day, and Henry stayed in Tennessee.
But, according to one reporter who has covered the Ravens, the team did have a deal in place for Henry, but it ultimately fell through. That report came on Monday from Cole Jackson of Russell Street Report:
“Per sources, the #Ravens and Titans had a deal in place for Henry. That deal was vetoed by the Titans owner.”
That reporting has not been confirmed elsewhere, but it was no secret that the Ravens were on the hunt for help after having lost J.K. Dobbins to a torn Achilles injury in Week 1. As Diana Russini of The Athletic wrote on Sunday, “The Baltimore Ravens are looking to add a running back.”
Derrick Henry, it was presumed, was on the trade block.
Ravens-Derrick Henry NFL Trade Complicated by Contract
But then, perhaps the Ravens found out Derrick Henry was not really on the block after Monday in the run-up to the NFL trade deadline.
That probably became clear on Monday, when ESPN insider Adam Schefter pointed out that the deadline for Henry to restructure his contract passed. Because the Ravens have limited available cap space, Henry would have had to have agreed to a restructured deal by Monday afternoon. When that did not happen, the chances of Henry getting moved all but evaporated.
Schefeter wrote: “Any longshot chance of a potential Derrick Henry deal diminished even further at 4 pm ET today, when the deadline passed for him to restructure his contract ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Henry has $5.5M left on his deal. ‘I don’t think it’s going to happen,’ a source said.”
Any longshot chance of a potential Derrick Henry deal diminished even further at 4 pm ET today, when the deadline passed for him to restructure his contract ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Henry has $5.5M left on his deal. “I don’t think it’s going to happen,” a source said.
Whether there was a Ravens deal in place for Derrick Henry, and whether that deal was vetoed by ownership is uncertain. But on Tuesday, the Ravens had likely moved on, either way.
Ravens Have ‘Confidence’ in RBs
As great a running back as Henry is, the Ravens maintain that they have confidence in what they have on the roster in the backfield. Certainly, the performance from Gus Edwards in the win over Arizona on Sunday had to make the team a bit less anxious about the running-back situation. It was just the 12th time that Edwards has crossed the 80-yard threshold, and just the second time in the last three years.
Coach John Harbaugh expressed confidence in Edwards and the running back group as a whole this week.
“Confident. We’re confident in Gus,” Harbaugh said after Sunday’s game. “We’re confident in Justice [Hill]. Obviously, we want to get our guy back Keaton [Mitchell] and get healthy with that. And Melvin Gordon – he’s sitting there on our practice squad, and we think the world of him, too. We’re going to try and find a way to get him involved. Yes, we like our running backs a lot.”
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Ravens Had Blockbuster Derrick Henry Trade in Place at NFL Deadline: Report