The Miami Dolphins are apparently open to trading running back Kenyan Drake, so should the Tennessee Titans try to strike a deal?
Should the Tennessee Titans try to make a trade for Miami Dolphins running back, Kenyan Drake?
According to Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins are willing to part ways with Drake for the right price.
Sources: The #Dolphins have had trade conversations with teams centered around RB Kenyan Drake, and the team has indicated they would trade him if the right offer presented itself. Drake, who has had no extension talks with Miami since camp, would welcome a new opportunity.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 17, 2019
In a season that saw the Dolphins trade the likes of Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, and Minkah Fitzpatrick, another trade right before the October 29th trade deadline wouldn’t be too shocking.
Drake is currently the leading rusher on the Dolphins with 153 yards on 41 carries, and also has the most receptions on the team, putting up 137 receiving yards on 19 catches. However, he has yet to score a touchdown this season as the Dolphins currently are dead last in scoring offense.
Drake, in the last year of his contract, could benefit from a change of scenery.
The Titans could be in the market for Drake, as they currently lack a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield.
While the Titans have a lot to worry about with other parts of the offense, namely the offensive line and the quarterback situation, they also have a shaky situation at running back as well.
Derrick Henry, Drake’s teammate in college, is in the final year of his contract, and though he had an amazing end to the season last year, he’s been pretty underwhelming through six games in 2019. Henry has rushed for 416 yards and four touchdowns on 113 carries, giving him a 3.7 yards per carry average, which if it holds up, would be the lowest of his career.
Henry has never really been much of a pass-catcher out of the backfield — though he does have a 75-yard touchdown reception via a screen pass to his credit this year — so even if the Titans do re-sign him, they’d be wise to pick up a second running back to be a more consistent threat in the passing game.
Dion Lewis was expected to continue to be a key part of the Titans’ passing game out of the backfield this season. Instead, Lewis has essentially become a complete non-factor.
Through six games, he currently has 55 yards on 16 carries on the ground, and has caught 14 passes for an abysmal 68 yards. While he still has two years left on his contract, the Titans can save $4.6M if they trade or cut him after June 1st of next year.
With how many issues this Titans offense has, I don’t know that Drake would actually be a better receiving option than Lewis, but he is younger, and since Drake came into the league in 2016, he has had more touchdowns, and higher averages in rushing and receiving yards per touch than Lewis.
Depending on the asking price, the Titans owe it to themselves to at least inquire about Drake, though they also will have to account for the possibility of him leaving in free agency if they can’t sign him to an extension.
The trade deadline is October 29th at 3PM CDT, so assuming nobody else makes a move first, the Titans still have some time to decide whether or not they want to go after him.