Getty A Baltimore Ravens newcomer is predicted to have a bigger impact than Odell Beckham Jr. made in 2023.
Big-name veterans are the stock in trade for the Baltimore Ravens, but not every superstar arrival plays as expected. It didn’t work with Odell Beckham Jr. last season, but Derrick Henry is expected to outperform OBJ.
Signing Henry, who’s still one of the NFL’s premier running backs, “is the type of move that resonates in a locker room, which was needed for the Ravens after the team suffered a talent exodus,” according Mike Sando of The Athletic.
Sando also noted how “Adding Odell Beckham Jr. last offseason served a similar purpose. Henry will likely deliver more on the field than Beckham did.”
The chances of Henry making good on Sando’s prediction are strong for two reasons.
Ravens Ready to Lean On Derrick Henry
He’s 30 and battle-worn, but Henry is still a true workhorse. At least that’s what the Ravens are counting on, based upon offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s 300-carry plan for the four-time Pro Bowl running back.
Sando believes Henry’s arrival “signals renewed commitment to the running game after Baltimore lost its way in the playoffs.”
That’s a reference to the pass-heavy gameplan Monken called when the Ravens lost the AFC Championship Game to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens ran the ball a mere 16 times at M&T Banks Stadium, despite owning the league’s most-prolific rushing attack.
Henry leading the way will ensure the ground game remains the Ravens’ signature. Particularly a power-based, run-heavy offense based on yards after contact, an area where eight-year pro Henry still thrives, per PFF BAL Ravens.
Derrick Henry still has the juice🥤
All signs point toward Henry not only avoiding a late-career slide in Baltimore, but possibly playing his best football as a Raven. That would mean easily clearing the low bar set by Beckham last season.
Odell Beckham Jr. Delivered Only Modest Production
Beckham had been out of football for a year recovering from a torn ACL, but the Ravens would still have expected more than 35 catches for 565 yards. His 155 yards after the catch and 16 yards per reception were solid, but OBJ never became the go-to wide receiver the Ravens hoped he would.
There were glimpses of prime Beckham. Like a 40-yard catch and run for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns, but splash plays like this proved rare.
HIM
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Instead, Beckham was outplayed by rookie Zay Flowers, the Ravens’ top pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Flowers hauled in 77 of Lamar Jackson’s passes and found the end zone six times.
The Ravens are hoping Flowers can be Jackson’s No. 1 target because they were content to let Beckham test free agency. OBJ is now a member of the Miami Dolphins, after the Ravens opted instead to bring back veteran Nelson Agholor.
Those decisions marked an unceremonious end to Beckham’s time in Baltimore. Avoiding a repeat of the same conclusion is the challenge facing Henry.
To do it, Henry has to refute any comparison with Beckham. Those comparisons have already been made by some, but joining an offense geared to his talents should keep Henry at the top of his game.
Monken has a clearer plan for getting Henry involved than he had for Beckham. Meanwhile, the player isn’t coming off a serious injury, so there are enough differences to suggest Henry will justify the hype.