The Baltimore Ravens are sitting pretty atop the AFC North, and have all the looks of a Super Bowl contender. Baltimore's defense has been one of the league's best through the first seven weeks, and Lamar Jackson and the offense are starting to click more and more as the season goes on. The Ravens don't necessarily need a trade in order to compete for a Super Bowl, but there's one trade out there that could push them over the top in the loaded AFC race.
With the NFL Trade Deadline coming on Tuesday the 31st, the Baltimore Ravens should trade for Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry to form an unstoppable rushing attack.
Why the Ravens should trade for Derrick Henry at the deadline
The Ravens have playmakers in place offensively all over the field. Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers has proven to be a dynamic threat with the ball at all levels. Mark Andrews is still this offense's top target and has an undeniable chemistry with Lamar Jackson. The running game has been very effective, despite rotating multiple different runners in and out of the lineup. The Ravens could have struggled in that area after losing JK Dobbins for the season, but Gus Edwards and Justice Hill have performed reasonably well, with Edwards taking most of the workload.
Edwards is averaging 4.0 yards per attempt this season, which is down from his lofty career average of 5 yards per carry. The 28-year-old has dealt with injuries of his own over the last few years, taking away some of his burst. Edwards has been solid, but he's mostly just picking up what's blocked for him. Edwards is averaging only 1.4 yards after contact per attempt and is ranked as PFF's 32nd (out of 50) best running back this season. Hill, meanwhile, has graded out as the 40th best running back.
Edwards and Hill aren't the long-term solutions at running back for the Ravens, and they aren't providing any real value above a replacement-level player, either. If Baltimore likes the archetype of Edwards — a 240-pound bruiser who runs between the tackles — Derrick Henry can do exactly that at a significantly higher level, with better breakaway speed as well.
Henry is PFF's 4th best running back this season, continuing his dominant level of play despite facing 8-man fronts and playing with lackluster weapons around him. If Henry were dropped into a real offense with playmakers and an incredibly mobile quarterback, defenses would have to pick their poison instead of loading up in the box every play. Read option runs with Lamar Jackson could become the most dangerous play in football instantly given the homerun threat both players possess.
The Ravens haven't been afraid in the past to take moves mid-season to acquire star players. Roquan Smith was picked up last year in a trade with the Chicago Bears, and Henry's expiring contract would allow the Ravens not to spend any future cap room on a running back, if that's the route they prefer to go. While running backs rarely make-or-break a team's postseason, the Ravens operate differently from most contenders and prefer to run the ball whenever possible. Henry could immediately shoulder 20 carries a game and punish defenses in a way the current running back committee doesn't.
Henry both fits the profile and raises the ceiling for Baltimore's offense in a way few other acquisitions could. If Tennessee is ready to rebuild after trading Kevin Byard and willing to hand the running back room over to explosive rookie Tyjae Spears, trading Henry on his expiring deal for draft capital would be a very wise move. And if it's Baltimore willing to spend up for Henry, the rest of the AFC better watch out.
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