NFL Trade Rumors: Mike Florio gives verdict on Eagles’ alleged pursuit of Derrick Henry
Reports surfaced that a Derrick Henry to the Philadelphia Eagles trade was in the works. A tweet surfaced stating that the trade was already done. AJ Brown, Eagles star wide receiver, responded to the tweet, noting that Henry's #22 was available and asked his GM to make the deal happen.
However, per a source with knowledge of the situation, Brown is going to be disappointed. The two were teammates on the Tennessee Titans before the Eagles traded for the star wide receiver.
It doesn't appear as if history will repeat itself with Henry. ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio detailed why he doesn't see the Eagles trying to pull this trade off.
Florio said:
"Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it won’t be happening. Earlier in the offseason, a report surfaced that the Titans were shopping Henry. Nothing happened, in part because Henry has a salary of $10.5 million this year, and in part because he’s likely looking for a new contract, since he’s in the final year of his current deal."
With a crop of talented running backs coming in the NFL Draft, Florio doesn't believe the Eagles will swing a trade for the expensive Henry:
"Last year, the Eagles sent a first-round pick to the Titans for Brown. This year, with a deep class of incoming rookie running backs, it’s harder to envision the Eagles making a big move at a position where supply far outweighs demand — and where age and wear and tear make it hard to justify going all in for a veteran tailback."
Henry is perhaps the best running back in the NFL, but he's expensive and will likely ask for more money on his next contract, which is coming soon.
Why a Derrick Henry trade is difficult to do
There are a lot of factors that make a Derrick Henry trade tough to pull off. First, he has a massive contract. He makes a lot of money for a running back, something most teams would hesitate toward.
Additionally, running back trades are difficult to compensate properly. How good is a running back? Is it just his offensive line? With Henry, it's probably not the Titans line, but these make finding accurate compensation difficult.
Throw in the contract and the length of the deal and it makes it even more challenging for a team to make a deal for the veteran running back.