Derrick Henry trade news should draw interest from Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions could make themselves immediate contenders with an obvious fit.
The Lions were able to field one of the best offenses in the NFL last season, and if this fact already wasn't impressive enough on its own, the team was able to do this with limited efficiency in the run game at various points.
Detroit was far from bad in the run game when compared to other teams, but it is clear that this was still the weaker link when looking at the attack as a whole.
When you add in the fact that the Lions could move on from their top two running backs over the coming weeks, you start to see an obvious hole that needs to be addressed before this team starts competing for the division.
Enter Titans running back Derrick Henry.
Henry has made a name for himself as one of the best offensive players in the NFL when healthy. That 'when healthy' conditional is sometimes a big if, but it is fair to say that the vast volume of work tells us that Henry is going to be a force of nature more often than not.
A player like Derrick Henry would improve 29 other rushing attacks immediately, and the Lions should be salivating at the news that the Titans are looking for a partner in a trade for the All-Pro and Pro Bowler.
It would be a surprising move to see a team like the Titans move on from such a pivotal offensive player, but the Lions should still jump either way if they get a chance.
If you look at it from a few different angles, Henry may not be as expensive for the Lions as some fans would think. This would be a one-year deal for whoever makes the move, and the money involved (for both teams) could bring the overall pick value down to an attainable level for a team like the Lions.
Derrick Henry would certainly take a decent chunk out of the Lions' current cap space figure, but is this worth it in the end when it likely gives Detroit one of the top-five rushing attacks in the league?
Who is really going to stop Henry behind that line, especially when Jared Goff and the passing attack were already one of the best in the league in 2022 and able to open up rushing lanes with ease?
The move makes a mountain of sense if the end goal for the Lions is to find a guaranteed leader in the backfield without have to spend draft picks on players that may or may not pan out. Something like this also makes sense if the playoffs are a must for the Lions in 2023.
A trade like this would be a lot to invest in a position that has been losing value for a few years, but the idea of bringing Derrick Henry for a team that is almost over the hump to becoming one of the better teams in the league may be too good to pass up.
If the trade compensation is anything in the realm of attainable, the Lions should jump in head-first and then figure everything else out later.
Featured image via Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
