Kenyan Drake signs transition tender with Arizona Cardinals

The running back’s signing of the transition tag tender offer guarantees that he’ll be with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020

This past Monday was a busy day for the Arizona Cardinals front office. In one glorious trade, the club managed to bring DeAndre Hopkins to the desert, and rid themselves of David Johnson and his inflated contract as well. Prior to pulling off that deal, the Cards also placed the transition tag on the running back who took Johnson’s starting job in 2019.

On Saturday it was announced that Kenyan Drake had signed the one-year tender offer he had received from the Cardinals earlier in the week. The contract will pay the former Miami Dolphin $8.4 million for the upcoming season, a huge raise over the $952,941 salary he earned this past fall. Drake is now the fifth-highest paid ball-carrier in the NFL, trailing only Ezekiel Elliott, Le’Veon Bell, Johnson and Derrick Henry.

Injuries to Johnson and Chase Edmonds forced Arizona general manager Steve Keim to make a move last October, just before the league’s trade deadline had passed. Drake was acquired from the Dolphins for the bargain-basement price of a fifth-round draft pick. The Cards got their money’s worth when the 6’1, 211 pounder rambled for 643 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in just eight games with the squad.

The Cardinals have until July 15th to negotiate a long-term deal with the explosive Drake. Doing so would lower his salary-cap hit, and keep a runner who appears to be a perfect fit for the “Air Raid” offense in town for a longer period of time. Drake will combine with Hopkins and second-year quarterback Kyler Murray to form a formidable trio of weapons for the Arizona scoring attack.

Keim and his crew are having an excellent offseason for the organization. So far, all of the right buttons have been pushed. Electing to keep a talented performer like Drake in the fold is a decision that should pay off handsomely for the Cards in 2020.