Kenyan Drake spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Miami Dolphins. While there, the running back struggled to carve out a big role, which meant he never really found an identity.
However, he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals midway through his fourth season. That's when things clicked.
In eight games with the Cardinals, Drake carried the ball 123 times for 643 yards (one yard off his career-best in a full 16-game season). That's 5.2 yards per carry. He also scored eight touchdowns, and had 28 receptions for 171 more yards.
Drake had finally arrived.
Now he's a free agent. And according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, he wants to cash in on that. Drake is reportedly looking for $8-$10-million annually in a new contract.
“Saying all of that, I have heard that Kenyan Drake is seeking a deal in the $8M-$10M a year range. That would be something given how things played out for him in Miami and the overall suppression in the running back market, though he did certainly flash well with the Cardinals …”
This makes a lot of sense for Drake. It's a lot of money but he proved towards the end of last season that he's a legitimate talent. And at just 26, he has a lot of football left in him.
He also showed that it may not have been him that had the problem. Maybe it was the Dolphins that were struggling to use him properly, not Drake that wasn't deserving of playing time.
This works in his favor though. Since the Dolphins never committed properly to him, Drake has less wear in his legs. That could make teams a little more comfortable with giving him a hefty chunk of money and a long-term deal.
It's unclear which teams exactly will be throwing their hats in the ring for Drake. What is known now though, is just how much money he's expecting.
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