The Tennessee Titans would be smart to bring in a complement for Derrick Henry. Here are five potential running backs the team could bring in.
After leading the NFL in rushing yards in 2019, Derrick Henry found himself getting franchise tagged in order to prevent him from hitting the open market. Since that move, Henry showed good faith in the Tennessee Titans‘ front office signing his franchise tender with the idea of getting a long-term deal done. That’s also something general manager Jon Robinson has been open about getting done as well.
While Henry has shown he is nothing short of an athletic freak, one has to wonder how long any back could last while getting about 400 touches a season, like he had in 2019. If the Titans are serious about keeping Henry around long-term, it would be ideal if Henry had someone who could take at least 25-30 percent of those touches — and actually be efficient in that workload.
Dion Lewis was signed away from the New England Patriots in 2018 and hadn’t done much before getting released this free agency. Other than catching 59 balls for 400 yards in 2018, Lewis’ presence was almost invisible in whatever capacity the Tennessee offense decided to use him.
Whenever Lewis was on the field in 2019, the opposing defense knew that nine times out of ten it was either a pass play or a screen to Lewis.
Whoever the team decides to bring in to complement Derrick Henry needs to keep the defense on their toes for the entire playbook, not just a fraction of it. That’s not just vital to Henry’s longevity as a dominant running back, but to the efficiency of the offense as a whole as well.
All of that being taken into account, let’s take a look at five possible additions the Titans could make via free agency or the draft to supplement the running back position.