There have been conflicting reports over the last couple of days as to whether or not Tennessee Titans superstar Derrick Henry running back has been added to the trading block.
Mike Silver of Bally Sports reported that the Titans were shopping Henry during the NFL Combine. On the contrary, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that The King’s services were not for sale.
Truthfully, there’s no telling which of these reports leans closer to the truth. However, the damage of the initial rumor has already been done, as the mere thought of possibly losing both Henry and A.J. Brown in back-to-back offseasons is the stuff of nightmares for a large portion of the fanbase.
These reports haven’t created a shortage of opinions surrounding what type of package a Henry trade could potentially yield for the Titans.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports decided to weigh in and he believes the Titans should trade a superstar running back who just accounted for nearly 2,000 total yards for a third-round pick.
Here was his rationale:
No one should be in the business of paying big bucks to a nearly 30-year-old bruising running back with almost 2,000 career touches, which explains why the rebuilding Titans are reportedly shopping the former All-Pro. With Ryan Tannehill’s future also up in the air, it’s a no-brainer for Tennessee to thank Henry and bid him adieu. The Dolphins, meanwhile, have no real answers under contract in the backfield, and they’ve already signaled they’re in win-now mode by adding Tyreek Hill and Vic Fangio for very different but equally important roles the last two years. He’d also lessen the burden on QB Tua Tagovailoa.
Benjamin calls Tennessee “the rebuilding Titans,” but truth be told we don’t know if that’s the approach this team will take or if it’ll simply retool. If a rebuild is in the cards, trading Henry becomes possible.
That said, I am not even picking up the phone for anything less than a second-round pick.
There is no possible way that the Titans can let go of their entire identity for a draft pick that likely ranges somewhere between No. 80 overall and No. 100 overall (contender and compensatory pick range)
It’s a safe bet that any acquiring team is probably trying to win a Super Bowl in the immediate future, as no team is acquiring a 29-year-old running back with long-term plans in mind. The short-term leverage that Tennessee has matters just as much as the countering long-term argument.
So, if any team out there wants to acquire the services of a generational running back whose mere presence will undoubtedly make everyone’s life around him easier, that team better come correct with its offer.
And that offer is preferably one that can at least bring a top 50 or 60 prospect in return. Otherwise, Tennessee should probably just keep their star running back for one more year.
