What are the Chances of Ravens Getting Derrick Henry?

Mink: Well, Vegas says the Ravens have the best odds. I’m not going to put a number on it, but it does seem like a legitimate possibility that Baltimore adds a prominent free agent running back – whether that be Derrick Henry or someone else.

The fit makes sense. The Ravens want to boost their rushing attack this offseason. Keaton Mitchell showed great promise, but he’ll need time coming back from his major knee injury. This year’s draft class is stronger in the middle than the top. Meanwhile, the running back market is flooded with premier veteran options. ESPN’s Adam Schefter described it as “one of the finest and deepest RB classes in the history of free agency.“

A major storyline last summer was the tumbling “value” of running backs. With so many talented backs available, prices may tumble even further. In simple economic terms, the supply exceeds the demand. That’s good news for the Ravens, who want an upgrade but don’t have much salary-cap space to spend much on it.

It seems most of the league now subscribes to drafting running backs instead of paying them. There’s merit to that (Mitchell was an undrafted rookie, after all). But Baltimore seems uniquely positioned as a team that has the pieces in place and need for an instant injection of firepower at running back to take the offense to another level. Prices for Henry or others would have to fall within Baltimore’s budget, but if that happens (and I think there’s a real possibility some of these big names sit unsigned for a while, making prices drop further), I think the Ravens could ultimately determine there’s real value and pounce. I don’t expect running backs to fly off the market and Baltimore has always been a team that’s willing to be patient.