NFL Offensive Player of the Year ‘Headed’ to Eagles: Report

The NFL world was rocked majorly on Saturday morning with a wild rumor about the Philadelphia Eagles trading for one of the most explosive players in football. Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry could be headed to the NFC champions.

Wait, what? The one-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year would solve an immediate need in the Eagles’ backfield. No offense to Rashaad Penny or Kenny Gainwell, but Henry – a two-time leader in rushing yards – is one of the best to ever play the position. Henry ran for 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns while leading the NFL in carries (349) last year. He has amassed 8,336 yards and 81 total touchdowns since 2016.

Philly Sports Network’s Bryan Cameron was the first to comment on the Henry rumors. The plugged-in reporter traced the “trail of breadcrumbs” and wrote:

Could there be truth to this rumor? Absolutely. With many teams cutting players and moving on from their big contracts. It would be in the Eagles’ best interest to make a move like this to help secure their offense. While they don’t need a big-name running back in the backfield, the fact of the matter is that they need to win now more than ever after extending Jalen Hurts.

According to Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, Henry is headed to the Eagles in a trade. He didn’t give out details on compensation or timeline, adding only: “Just remember who told you first.” Gbaja-Biamila is a former NFL player who now serves as co-host of the popular NBC show “American Ninja Warrior.” He shares the same sports agency representation, Creative Artists Agency, as Henry. So, while the move might not seem plausible, there is legitimate smoke.

Henry is due $10.5 million in base salary (via Spotrac) in 2023 so the Eagles would have to move some money around to make it work. General manager Howie Roseman has been known to manipulate the salary cap in mysterious ways, though. He has already restructured several contracts this offseason, including Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Darius Slay, and Jake Elliott. Don’t count it out.

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Rashaad Penny Leads RB Depth Chart

The Eagles aren’t in dire need of a running back, not after signing Rashaad Penny in free agency. The ex-Seahawks star has been explosive when healthy, therein lies the rub. Penny has been sidelined for 40 games since going 27th overall in 2018. He’s the ultimate wild card. And the Eagles could easily roll with a combination of him, plus Kenny Gainwell and Boston Scott, behind the NFL’s best offensive line. Remember, Miles Sanders rushed for 1,269 yards last season.

But the opportunity to land a generational talent like Henry would have to be more than tempting to the most aggressive front office in football. Henry checks all the boxes as a three-time Pro Bowler who can run inside the tackles and outside them. He’s also made a reputation for breaking tackles with his vicious stiff arm and his hard-charging ability to run people over. Henry is a bulldozer.

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Eagles Comment on Bijan Robinson Rumors

Bijan Robinson has scheduled pre-draft visits with only two teams: the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s it. That’s the whole list. The former Texas standout is widely regarded as the best running back in this year’s draft class, arguably the best player period, so it’s interesting to hear the Eagles are sniffing around him.

The Eagles are in a prime position to take him at pick No. 10, but would they draft a running back that early? History says no, although Eagles general manager Howie Roseman seemed to indicate that Robinson is in play for them in the first round.

“I think the most important thing for us here is that we utilize this opportunity to get a unique player for our team,” Roseman told reporters. “Certainly not planning to be picking at this point in the near future. That doesn’t mean — obviously, things happen, but we’re not planning for that. So, we understand how important it is to get this right, and how do you get it right is you make sure you get a unique player.”

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