The Philadelphia Eagles have been as relevant as they can be this off-season. After signing Jalen Hurts to a historical deal, it has been rumored that they are not done yet. According to Akbar Gbajabiamila, host of Ninja Warrior and former NFL defensive end, the Eagles and Titans are working their way to completing a deal with Derrick Henry.
While Akbar isn’t very well known for his NFL news, there seems to be a trail of breadcrumbs that can confirm the legitimacy of this rumor. Akbar is a former NFL reporter and he is also represented by the same agency as Derrick Henry, Creative Artists Agency. Which would explain how he retained this bit of information.
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.
Henry is due to make $10.5 million this season and will be a free agent afterward. Trading for Henry could cost less than you think, especially if the Eagles restructure his contract to their benefit.
The Eagles could extend him for another year or two and place his salary in the range of $8 million while loading the contract up with incentives and bonuses. In the last two seasons, Henry has only played in 24 games but has racked up 2,475 yards combined.
He is receiving a massive amount of attempts in the Titans’ run-first offense as his yards per carry were 4.3 which is just below his career average of 4.8.
Bringing Henry to Philly will lower his usage and allow him to be somewhat rested. The Eagles are a pass-first offense that will use the run game to wear down defenses in the second half. While the offense is heavily filled with RPO plays, having a player like Henry that can break tackles and be a huge threat would be a plus.
Back to back years for the Eagles?
If this rumor is true then this would be the second year in a row that the Titans and the Eagles have agreed on a trade for a superstar. Last season, the Eagles shocked the NFL when they and the Titans agreed on a trade A.J. Brown in exchange for a first round pick and a third round pick. They followed that move with a 4-year, $100 million extension for the star wide receiver.
I will never say that this is a move that Philly must make because it isn’t. But it is a move that will allow this offense to overpower opposing defenses. Now that this rumor is out there, this could lead to things getting chaotic before the draft.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
