Derrick Henry's departure clears way for new look Titans backfield
NASHVILLE — Legendary running back Derrick Henry's career with the Tennessee Titans ended on Tuesday after eight years. The former second-round pick agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news. Henry has been trending towards Baltimore since last October. As reported by AtoZ Sports around […]
NASHVILLE — Legendary running back Derrick Henry's career with the Tennessee Titans ended on Tuesday after eight years. The former second-round pick agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news.
Henry has been trending towards Baltimore since last October. As reported by AtoZ Sports around the 2023 NFL trade deadline, the Ravens were the team most interested in acquiring Henry. Ultimately, no deal was agreed to and the franchise's second all-time leading rusher finished the campaign in Tennessee.
Titans fans have been prepared for Henry's departure for quite some time, but signing with a bitter AFC rival like Baltimore only worsens the pain.
It does clear the way for the new-look backfield under first-year coach Brian Callahan to try and modernize the team's approach. Henry was still incredibly productive to the tune of 1,167 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns despite the dismal offense that surrounded him last season. Still, Tennessee hopes that the addition of free-agent rusher Tony Pollard to a running back room that plans to feature a heavy dose of 2023 third-round draft choice Tyjae Spears will allow them to maintain a greater element of surprise.
Henry tends to be an offensive tell when he is out on the field.
"You want guys that can carry the ball, you want guys that can protect, and you want guys that can be dynamic out of the backfield," Callahan told media at February's NFL Scouting Combine. "Sometimes that's one player, sometimes that's three. I think what's happening is that division of labor has been divided up amongst that room. So you're getting two and three guys that are contributing more than maybe just one guy all the time. And so I don't think there's a devaluation of the running back position."
Division of labor is exactly what the Titans need.
Approaching the running back situation should be match-up based on a week-by-week basis. Spears and Pollard allow Callahan to operate with two players that could be considered three-down backs and run a multitude of plays out of similar formations to keep the defense guessing. Henry as a workhorse back works perfectly with a quarterback that poses the kind of rushing threat that Baltimore's Lamar Jackson does.
Spears' rookie season was spent trying to figure out how to operate behind Henry.
He contributed 453 rushing yards on 100 attempts and two touchdowns, adding 385 yards receiving on 52 catches and an addition score. Pollard appeared in all 17 regular season contests for the Dallas Cowboys in 2023 as their primary back. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark and found the end zone six times.
Tennessee quarterback Will Levis needs Callahan to provide as many answers to the test for him pre-snap as humanly possibly in Year 2. Deployment of Pollard and Spears together should be a big help in that effort.
Titans prioritize C Lloyd Cushenberry in free agency
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