D.Henry to Free Agency & BUF News Makes Case to Sign Him

[Warriorspikes51]

 

Running back Derrick Henry has led the NFL in rushing attempts four times and in yards and touchdown carries twice apiece since entering the league in 2016.

Put this in the department of, “It Probably Won’t Happen But It Would Sure Be Beneficial.” The Bills should pursue free agent running back Derrick Henry.

The Bills should prioritize finding a power running back to take some of the short-yardage/goal-line burden off quarterback Josh Allen, but can also be an everyday option to sub in for James Cook.

Henry, 30, will be a free agent next week for the first time since entering the NFL as a second-round pick with Tennessee in 2016. During that span, he leads the league in rushing attempts (2,065), yards (9,502) and touchdowns (90) and is third in yards per game (79.8) and sixth in yards per carry (4.7).

It is time for Henry to equal parts shift into another chapter and go for a championship. That desire plus the Bills’ need equals a good match for the Yulee Bulldozer, the nickname I helped give him as a high school senior in Yulee, Fla., in 2012.

People are also reading…

Henry led the NFL with 280 carries last year, but his 4.2-yard average was tied for the lowest of his eight-year career. But at a listed 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, he remains difficult to bring down.

“You can’t let him get rolling because once he gets rolling, he’s a load,” then-Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said before the Titans-Dolphins game last December. “That’s why he’s probably headed to the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame as a running back.”

Now for the tough part: The money. Henry has made nearly $57 million in his career and a team with cap space may splurge and offer him too much cash to turn down. But the market favors the Bills.

Thirteen free agent running backs played at least 41.7% of their teams’ offensive snaps last year, and only Henry is at least 30 years old. Dallas’ Tony Pollard, the New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley, Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs, Houston’s Devin Singletary, Philadelphia’s D’Andre Swift and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Austin Ekeler lead the list with Henry.

A lot of backs is good for teams and bad for the backs. Could the Bills secure Henry for something in the range of $4 million that could turn into more based on incentives?

Henry would be an upgrade as the No. 2 to Cook – the Bills used Damien Harris, Latavius Murray and Ty Johnson last year in that role. Harris sustained a season-ending concussion in Week 4, and Murray and Johnson are free agents.

The Bills should consider Henry because it would take physical stress off Allen.

Goal-line: Allen had 18 rushing touchdowns in 19 games last year; nine measured 3 or fewer yards and 12 measured 1-9 yards. Among Henry’s 12 touchdowns last year, five were from 1-2 yards out and apiece from 3 and 5 yards.

Short-yardage: Allen was 18 of 20 last year on third-and-1 and Henry was 4 of 4. In his new role, Henry would become a new option on third-and-short instead of Allen risking injury with the tush push.

In the Titans’ season-ending win over Jacksonville, Henry not only waved to the crowd before leaving the field, he took the microphone to deliver a closing address. That is a player who knows he is moving on. His move should be to Buffalo.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

***** NO 

[Warcodered]

He has far too much child support to take any kind of deal we'd be able to offer.

Edited March 9 by Warcodered
I may have been thinking of a different former Titans running back with the last name Henry.

[BillsFanForever19]

16 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

 

It makes sense - if you completely ignore a large number of other factors.

 

The very first line of the article states "Put this in the department of 'It probably won't happen, but it sure would be beneficial'"

 

"It probably won't happen" is being extremely generous IMO. And I find it hilarious that you feel like this purely hypothetical article, that even the author starts by saying it's unlikely, is such a big deal it necessitated it's own thread rather than just putting it in the Derrick Henry thread you're the most frequent poster in.

 

If you want a Henry type Runner, Braelon Allen in the mid Rounds is what we should be looking at.

Edited March 9 by BillsFanForever19

[MJS]

I don't see the point, personally. He's the kind of back that needs volume to be at his best. He isn't going to get that in Buffalo.

[Taro Nimbus]

Since when is RB a need for the Bills?  
 

[ToGoGo]

In general, when you have A talent available in spades at a lower price, you should take it. 
 

A world class RB and world class Safety would put us over the top. 
 

We max out at the divisional because we have B players like Cook. 

[strive_for_five_guy]

If the Bills can get Henry for $4M plus incentives, I do that all day.  Guy would be a huge step up from the backup RBs we had last season, probably could be a 50/50 split with Cook when both are healthy.  Then draft someone in the late rounds too, to add more youth to the room.

[BillsSbSoon]

He just bought a house in Dallas I think

[ToGoGo]

Out of curiosity what do we think Henry or guys like Barkley or Jacob’s will demand this year? Let’s say on a 2 or 3 year deal. 

[EmotionallyUnstable]

Stay far away

[BillsFanForever19]

23 minutes ago, BillsSbSoon said:

He just bought a house in Dallas I think

 

Hadn't heard that. Clubhouse leader's been Baltimore. But Dallas makes a lot of sense as a landing spot as well.

 

26 minutes ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

If the Bills can get Henry for $4M plus incentives, I do that all day.  Guy would be a huge step up from the backup RBs we had last season, probably could be a 50/50 split with Cook when both are healthy.  Then draft someone in the late rounds too, to add more youth to the room.

 

Derrick Henry is not going to have to settle for 4m plus incentives and a change of pace role.

 

There's a large number of teams that need a Starting RB and have money. He was still the #2 Rusher in the NFL in Yardage last season. And a Superstar that sells tickets and jerseys.

 

The idea that he's not going to have a market and wants to be a Change of Pace RB, willing to accept an incentive laden deal is foolish. He'll get better money and a better role elsewhere. And from other Playoff teams too.

[BuffaloBillyG]

Allen and Henry in the same backfield would be really fun to watch from a fan perspective. 

 

Not saying it should happen or anything about RB value or money or nothing like that. Just that it would be a lot of fun to see.

[ChronicAndKnuckles]

I can’t believe more people aren’t excited about James Cook. He doubled his rushing AND receiving output from the year before. He’s not much of a touchdown hawk, but with Josh Allen in the red zone has he really even had the chance? I am hoping he can continue to improve as a receiver and become a more complete back. Personally, I am excited to see what he does in his 3rd year. Henry is a HOFer, no question and I wouldn’t be unhappy to have him. I just think too many cooks spoils the kitchen and we already have our Cook. So let him cook…okay I’m done 

[Chaos]

20 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Allen and Henry in the same backfield would be really fun to watch from a fan perspective. 

 

Not saying it should happen or anything about RB value or money or nothing like that. Just that it would be a lot of fun to see.

Bills had the best regular season offense outside the red zone under both Dorsey and Brady..   If Derek Henry had more close to peak season left, the Bills could have the best red zone offene  during the regular season.  In all honesty, I would expect a bigger impact from Henry, that I expected from the injured Tre White, or Micah Hyde or Von Miller or Jordan Poyer going into 2023.  Any would supported relying on those players for 2023, and think Henry is washed heading into 2024 has it backwards in my opinion. 

Not only are you 100% correct it would be fun, it would also potentially greatly improve the team. 

[Trev]

Sign him. He’d put our O over the top. 

[JohnNord]

I’m not so sure that Henry will settle for $4M contract or downgrading himself to a reserve role.  In his mind, he’s still going to want carries.  Not only won’t he get that in the Bills offense, he’s also going to need to share carries with James Cook.  I just don’t see it happening, though I wouldn’t hate it if he came on board 

[Búfalo Blanco]

No disrespect to Henry.. he’s a future Hall of Famer.

 

But there are sooo many areas with more need and limited cap space for the team.. and Henry may get 7-8 million or more per year (just a guess). Regardless, cap space that can go to a top #2 WR, one or two good defensive linemen, or multiple options in the secondary should be highly preferable here. 
 

Get a bigger goal line RB with one of those extra late round picks.. So many options for much cheaper RBs, who can still help significantly.. 

[Richard Noggin]

3 hours ago, Warcodered said:

He has far too much child support to take any kind of deal we'd be able to offer.

 

Are you thinking of TRAVIS Henry perhaps? 

[Warcodered]

5 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Are you thinking of TRAVIS Henry perhaps? 

This seems likely.

[Richard Noggin]

6 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

 

Are you thinking of TRAVIS Henry perhaps? 

 

1 minute ago, Warcodered said:

This seems likely.

 

I love civil discourse. Carry on.

[White Linen]

I would be shocked if Beane would dedicate limited resources to Henry.  

[Mikie2times]

I don't see any chance this happens, but Henry really is a different animal. While you have to figure the hits will slow him down that time isn't here yet. We haven't seen a combination of his size, speed, and power since maybe Adrian Peterson. Cook is a good back, but I think our passing game is setting up our running game. To be the team I think we really want to be I our running game needs to set up our passing game. 

[Herc11]

I'd rather have Ekeler. He's the dual threat that Buffalo has been trying to get.

[hjnick]

If Henry will take 4 MIl and a 1 Mil bonus if we make it to the superbowl (with a min number of games available), then I'm for it... if he wants big $$$ pass.

[BillsFanForever19]

4 hours ago, JohnNord said:

I’m not so sure that Henry will settle for $4M contract or downgrading himself to a reserve role.  In his mind, he’s still going to want carries.  Not only won’t he get that in the Bills offense, he’s also going to need to share carries with James Cook.  I just don’t see it happening, though I wouldn’t hate it if he came on board 

 

This is essentially it.

 

You can say in a vacuum that Derrick Henry would be awesome as part of a 1-2 punch with Cook. And of course he would.

 

But when it comes to us landing him, the logic falls apart. 

 

Baltimore has already pursued him, made it further in the Playoffs than we did, they have nothing at RB and he can continue to be who he was in Tennessee, and they have more money than us.

 

Houston, another team that made it as far into the Playoffs as we did, has an opening at Starter, and more money. He bought a home in Dallas. Dallas also is in need of a Starting RB, was also the #2 Seed in the Playoffs on the NFC side, and has more money than us. 

 

The idea that he has to accept less and a reduced role to play with a competitor like us is incorrect. He can have his cake and eat it too with other teams. And he will.

 

And that doesn't even take into account our side. We only were willing to pay 1.7m for RB2 last season when we were in (slightly) better shape financially and RB1 was a much bigger question mark.

 

There's a reason why when they list the Vegas odds for Henry - we aren't on it.

[NastyNateSoldiers]

9 hours ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

 

Running back Derrick Henry has led the NFL in rushing attempts four times and in yards and touchdown carries twice apiece since entering the league in 2016.

Put this in the department of, “It Probably Won’t Happen But It Would Sure Be Beneficial.” The Bills should pursue free agent running back Derrick Henry.

The Bills should prioritize finding a power running back to take some of the short-yardage/goal-line burden off quarterback Josh Allen, but can also be an everyday option to sub in for James Cook.

Henry, 30, will be a free agent next week for the first time since entering the NFL as a second-round pick with Tennessee in 2016. During that span, he leads the league in rushing attempts (2,065), yards (9,502) and touchdowns (90) and is third in yards per game (79.8) and sixth in yards per carry (4.7).

It is time for Henry to equal parts shift into another chapter and go for a championship. That desire plus the Bills’ need equals a good match for the Yulee Bulldozer, the nickname I helped give him as a high school senior in Yulee, Fla., in 2012.

People are also reading…

Henry led the NFL with 280 carries last year, but his 4.2-yard average was tied for the lowest of his eight-year career. But at a listed 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds, he remains difficult to bring down.

“You can’t let him get rolling because once he gets rolling, he’s a load,” then-Miami defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said before the Titans-Dolphins game last December. “That’s why he’s probably headed to the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame as a running back.”

Now for the tough part: The money. Henry has made nearly $57 million in his career and a team with cap space may splurge and offer him too much cash to turn down. But the market favors the Bills.

Thirteen free agent running backs played at least 41.7% of their teams’ offensive snaps last year, and only Henry is at least 30 years old. Dallas’ Tony Pollard, the New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley, Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs, Houston’s Devin Singletary, Philadelphia’s D’Andre Swift and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Austin Ekeler lead the list with Henry.

A lot of backs is good for teams and bad for the backs. Could the Bills secure Henry for something in the range of $4 million that could turn into more based on incentives?

Henry would be an upgrade as the No. 2 to Cook – the Bills used Damien Harris, Latavius Murray and Ty Johnson last year in that role. Harris sustained a season-ending concussion in Week 4, and Murray and Johnson are free agents.

The Bills should consider Henry because it would take physical stress off Allen.

Goal-line: Allen had 18 rushing touchdowns in 19 games last year; nine measured 3 or fewer yards and 12 measured 1-9 yards. Among Henry’s 12 touchdowns last year, five were from 1-2 yards out and apiece from 3 and 5 yards.

Short-yardage: Allen was 18 of 20 last year on third-and-1 and Henry was 4 of 4. In his new role, Henry would become a new option on third-and-short instead of Allen risking injury with the tush push.

In the Titans’ season-ending win over Jacksonville, Henry not only waved to the crowd before leaving the field, he took the microphone to deliver a closing address. That is a player who knows he is moving on. His move should be to Buffalo.

I'll take him for 4mil but he's definitely starting over Cook no doubt about that. Henry is not taking less money and a backup job.

 

Cook is a solid bk I believe his success was more about the offense then him considering he can't break tackles and I believe the Bills had one of the best yds before contact for running backs in the league. Henry would no doubt even at this stage of his career be a massive upgrade over Cook MASSIVE! 😂

[Pete]

9 hours ago, Taro Nimbus said:

Since when is RB a need for the Bills?  
 

Our signed RBs are James Cook and who?  Ty is not signed, no Hines, No Latavious-

We do need a RB that can pass block and get tough yards.  And we do need more than one RB.  RB 2 is a sneaky need that we must address

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Wait a minute.  No more than 2 years ago we decided RBs were a 'dime a dozen' in today's NFL.

*
🤔

[ChanticleerBillsFan]

I’d be more excited for Barkley or Jacobs but RB1 is not a need. We have to prioritize those dollars elsewhere. 

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

Do you think he'll take the vet minimum? Because if not, hard pass. 

 

Seriously, James Cook just had a year where he was sixth in the league in yards from scrimmage. Not, "for a RB", for the entire league. SIXTH.

 

I am not denying a need for a power running back, but you can get a fresh set of legs to pound the ball easily in the later rounds of the draft or dirt cheap in free agency.

[HOUSE]

I hate the red shoes,

-pass

[Doc Brown]

42 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Wait a minute.  No more than 2 years ago we decided RBs were a 'dime a dozen' in today's NFL.

*
🤔

Still are.  I don't want a RB that doesn't sign for the veteran minimum.  Either that or draft one in the later rounds.

[machine gun kelly]

He’s slowed down these last two years.  He’s getting older and that is a position where age is not your friend.

[biggerdaddynj]

Derrick Henry will surely take $4 million or 40 cents on the dollar (using Spotrac’s pretty accurate mkt value indicator: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/tennessee-titans/derrick-henry-18994/market-value/)

 

on one of his last chances for a nice pay day … unless there’s a sealed indictment coming down on him.  

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

I really think the Bills need to see what Le'Veon 'Levon' Bell is up to.  He likes his money. 🤔

[T master]

The thing of it is Allen even though having a bigger RB will not stop running for some short yardage plays it's just in his football DNA . Last year they used Murray in the same way as you are saying to use Henry but it was at a much better price .

 

I would love to have Henry but unless you would use him more so other teams wouldn't key on him every time he would enter a game it would signal they are going to give it to him . He would be a weapon & would bust quite a few runs i'm sure but at what price ? 

 

Then what if your plan back fires & Josh because of giving the apparent clue by brining Henry in Josh would run it only to use Henry as a decoy .

 

I'm all for a bigger back & for years wanted Beane to bring in one & did last year but i think Henry's price tag will be too high but i could be wrong and Beane will once again make some magic or just the fact that the Bills now being winners could bring King Henry here to play .

 

I do hope they do bring back Ty Johnson he did really good in this offense but the puzzle won't come together for a few more weeks .

[SoonerBillsFan]

I bet he goes to someone like NE oe Washington who has a ton of cap room.  I would rather invest a draft pick in a RB at this point, maybe a 5th rounder.

[transient]

This seems about as likely as the Bills drafting a RB with their 3rd RD comp pick. 

[Dablitzkrieg]

Zeke Elliott looks like a better and cheaper fit, unless a draft pick that excels in pass pro