Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton did not want to get into trade speculation, but it continued without him, and Derrick Henry could be a fitting target.
“Y’all know I don’t live for clickbait, & I’m not big on trading for aging stars at devalued positions,” Mile High Huddle’s Nick Kendell posted on X on November 2. “But with Lamar headed to IR & Baltimore’s season slipping away (& uncertainty about future), I’d at least call about Derrick Henry.
“A 2027 5th and 2028 pick swap?”
Broncos get:
- Derrick Henry
- 2028 seventh-round pick
Ravens get:
- 2027 fifth-round pick
- 2028 sixth-round pick
“The appeal w/ Henry is the cost. Baltimore gets a 2027 5th & moves up from a 7th to a 6th in 2028,” Kendell said in a follow-up, adding, “Denver gets a potentially impactful RB with minimal 2026 cash & no guaranteed 2027 salary. That’s a pretty manageable bet on an aging player. Fits w [RJ] Harvey/[Jonah] Coleman too.”
Kendell did not mention incumbent starter J.K. Dobbins in his breakdown of the situation, but he could be included in the deal, too.
Dobbins spoke candidly about not being disgruntled with a reduced role as long as the team was winning. He started in Week 8 but ceded top billing to rookie Jonah Coleman for the second straight week. This time, the game still hung in the balance.
Of course, the Broncos would need the Ravens to play ball in a trade for the Pro Bowler.
“Whether the Ravens would trade Henry depends on whether they plan to keep him beyond this season. If they’d cut him before a $1 million roster bonus comes due in March, they wouldn’t get a compensatory draft pick. The only way to get value for his contract would be to trade it,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on November 2.
“Given the quarterback injuries in Baltimore, the Ravens surely will get a call or two about Henry.”
Broncos Urged to Trade for Ravens RB Derrick Henry
Henry leads the NFL in rushing attempts with 158, tallying 632 yards and 8 touchdowns so far this season. That is with Lamar Jackson missing three games to this point, and at least four more to come.
“First-ballot Hall of Famer Derrick Henry, in a running back market that is already getting heated up for Jonathan Taylor (Colts) and Tony Pollard (Titans), could bring back decent return now and with so few other options, the rebuild should begin with him,” On SI’s Jason La Canfora wrote on November 2.
“It’s over for Henry here. It has no shot to be even slightly below functional, let alone league average.”
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La Canfora noted the Ravens’ QB quandary, which Baltimore may still try to resolve, especially if Jackson can return this season. However, La Canfora also noted the Ravens’ poor offensive line play, which they already tried to address.
“Let the selfish GM who is never at fault and always shuns accountability do right by this man and move the remaining $6M of his deal and get back some picks,” La Canfora wrote.
Whether the Broncos would be interested in Henry is unclear. The 6-foot-3, 252-pound star is unlike most backs Payton has rostered, let alone utilized, during his career. Nevertheless, the idea of adding one of the most prolific players in the NFL at any position will always be intriguing.
Broncos Trade Pitch Lands 6-Foot-3, 252-Pound Pro Bowl Sledgehammer