The New York Giants are expected to be active at the trade deadline, which is now less than a week away. For some time, the team has been linked to running back and interior defensive line help as it looks to strengthen the roster for the stretch run.
There has been significant chatter connecting the Giants to Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. At the moment, however, the asking price for Taylor appears too high.
Baltimore’s loss on Thursday Night Football dropped the Ravens to 4-5, prompting speculation that future Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry could become available. Bleacher Report compiled a list of potential suitors for Henry, and with John Harbaugh coaching in New York, the Giants were naturally included.
If King Henry
really is traded, the New York Giants have to be considered the favorite for his services.
It almost makes too much sense to happen. There's the obvious connection between Henry and Giants head coach John Harbaugh. At 4-2-, the Giants are unexpectedly in first place (by multiple games) in the NFC East. The G-Men are averaging 116.7 rushing yards per game, but there are questions galore at running back—Cam Skattebo is banged up, Tyrone Tracy is on injured reserve and Devin Singletary has all of 18 carries this season.
As Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said on PFT Live, it's a move that makes sense for all sides involved.
"If you're Derrick Henry, are you showing up today and are you saying 'Please trade me to the Giants', or another contender," Florio said. "If I'm Henry and I'm looking at the calendar and I'm looking at the schedule and I'm looking at the situation and I'm thinking I'm not getting any younger and I'd kinda like to have a playoff run. If I'm the Giants and I'm looking at Jonathan Taylor if I'm John Harbaugh I'm calling my former GM Eric DeCosta today and I'm saying, 'is there any way that Derrick Henry could be available'."
Henry admittedly isn't a long-term solution in the same way that Jonathan Taylor or Breece Hall is. Or even Tony Pollard. But Henry also won't be as expensive in a trade as those other backs, and frankly the Giants should be focused on the present.
When you have one playoff appearance over the past decade and you're in first place, you have to live in the now.
At age 32, Henry may not provide the long-term answer at running back that Taylor would. Given his age and where he is in his career, however, he may cost considerably less. Any draft capital the Giants could save by pivoting from Taylor to Henry could be used to select another running back in upcoming drafts.
Henry played under Harbaugh, and a trade to New York would reunite him with his former head coach as well as tight end Isaiah Likely and fullback Patrick Ricard.
A backfield built around a rotation of primarily Derrick Henry and Cam Skattebo, with Patrick Ricard leading the way, is the type of group defenses would grow tired of tackling.
The Giants’ current first-place standing makes them a desirable destination, especially for a player who already knows what it is like to play for Harbaugh. Henry was clearly frustrated after Thursday’s loss but gave no indication he wanted to be traded.
As Tuesday’s deadline approaches, the Giants will monitor whether Taylor’s price comes down. If it does not, they could easily pivot to someone like Henry, who might even be the better option.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants named potential suitor for Derrick Henry
