The Arizona Cardinals should avoid Derrick Henry at all costs

The Arizona Cardinals are no strangers to blockbuster trades, but general manager Monti Ossenfort needs to resist the temptation regarding Derrick Henry.

Right now, I’m breathing a sigh of relief. With the Tennessee Titans reportedly putting star running back Derrick Henry on the trading block, we can thank fate that Monti Ossenfort is sitting in former general manager Steve Keim’s seat. 

But why? Why should Ossenfort, who’s pretty familiar with the Titans back, avoid trading for Henry at all costs, even if Arizona could use a running back?

Easy. He’s going to be 29 this season. And entering Year 8 of what’s been a storied career, the 247lb power back is going to start declining sooner than later. Trading for a player like Henry is  a mistake Keim would have made in about two seconds, and odds are, he’d have probably shipped the third overall pick to Nashville in exchange for the back. 

Okay, maybe not the third pick, but you could’ve expected him to have sent a ransom over to acquire the 29-year-old. Wouldn’t that have been “nice?”

Trading for Henry would be a mistake for the Arizona Cardinals

In his three seasons with the Cardinals, Hopkins had just one elite year, one subpar campaign, and one solid but unspectacular outing. Keim also traded for an aging Rodney Hudson, whose time in the desert was nothing short of atrocious, and his retirement will force the Cards to likely focus on center during the NFL Draft. 

So despite Ossenfort’s familiarity with Henry, and the fact that the star back will probably rush for 1,500-plus yards yet again in 2023, there is no way any logical general manager should even remotely consider trading for him. Unless that general manager’s team was a surefire contender that needed a running back as a final puzzle piece. 

So Mr. Ossenfort, hold onto those draft picks and let this team get younger. The last thing we need is another aging player in the desert to enjoy a good season-and-a-half (if that) before things go downhill at the expense of cap space, draft picks, and perhaps even current players.