No, the run-first Seahawks absolutely should not sign Derrick Henry
Free agency is looming, and the Seahawks could certainly use some more star power. One star they absolutely don’t need is running back Derrick Henry.
The Seahawks have made their bones as a run-first team. Or if you prefer, a run-heavy team. As long as Pete Carroll is the coach, they’re not going to go away from that. Nor should they. The four teams with the most rushing yards in 2019 all made the playoffs. The four teams with the most passing yards missed the postseason. The Chiefs were fifth in passing by one yard, but they were fifth. Despite this, you don’t exactly need a top-dollar running back to lead your attack. That’s exactly why the Hawks don’t need to sign free agent Derrick Henry.
It may seem counter-intuitive to say a run-oriented team like the Seahawks don’t need the NFL’s reigning rushing champion. We have a pretty solid back of our own in Chris Carson, after all. However, he has missed games in each of his three seasons in Seattle, and is coming off a season-ending hip fracture. Henry has only missed two games in four seasons. The former Alabama back has a nose for the endzone, too, with 28 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Henry led the league in yardage, scores at will, and is practically bullet-proof. So why do I say the Seahawks would be making a huge mistake by signing him? It isn’t because he’s old. He isn’t even a year older than Carson. It isn’t because I’m afraid it would damage Carson’s ego, or derail his career. The Seahawks motto is Always Compete, and Carson certainly buys into that, as he’s shown with Rashaad Penny.
No, it’s simply a matter of economics and need. The Seahawks have a lot of cap space, $52.8 million according to spotrac.com. Yes, that does include Greg Olsen’s contract, thanks of asking. Seattle has a few guys they’d like to keep around before they worry about signing other teams’ free agents. Most notably, the team wants to see Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed playing their home games at CenturyLink for at least the next few seasons. It’s going to take some serious cash to keep Reed, let alone make Clowney happy.
Add the fact that the Seahawks have about a dozen free agents on the offensive line, and they have more critical areas to address than a rushing attack that ranked fourth in the league. And that leads me to the other reason the Hawks shouldn’t look at Henry: his projected value. Once again according to spotrac.com, Henry is expected to command a deal just under $13.8 million per year.
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That would pay for a couple of decent linemen to help move the ball. Or maybe a top player like Brandon Scherff or Jack Conklin. Those are discussions for another time, or in Conklin’s case, we’ve already had. Regardless, the Hawks need to address multiple positions. While a reinforcement at running back would be smart, Seattle doesn’t need to spend a quarter of their cap space on that spot.