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Ralph Vacchiano
NFC East Reporter
The news that Derrick Henry had signed with the Baltimore Ravens hit the AFC with the same power the All-Pro running back uses to hit linebackers. It looked like a jolt to the power structure of the conference. He seemed like the perfect piece to close the gap with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Except that Henry is 30 years old — an age that has never been kind to NFL running backs. And he’s already had 2,030 carries in his eight seasons, which is a lot of pounding to take even for his imposing, 6-foot-3, 247-pound frame. The Ravens think Henry is the key to helping them power past the Chiefs and reach their first Super Bowl in 12 years.
But as the Ravens open training camp in Owings Mills, Maryland this week, they know it’ll only work if Henry can find a way to defy age and time.
“We’re talking about a guy who has missed very little time in his career,” said Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta. “He’s kind of a unicorn, to be honest, (with) his combination of speed, power, durability. Those kinds of guys are rare. They are just different from everybody else.”
His new teammate concurs.
“When he puts his pads on, that’s when he becomes that demon — one of the best backs of our generation,” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith said during minicamp in June. “And I still see he has a lot of tread left on the tire.”
Just how much tread is actually left will likely tell the tale of the Ravens’ season. They were the NFL’s best-rushing team last year — a position they’ve held three times in the last five seasons. But they’ve done it mostly on the strength of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has had to lead the way for a group of running backs (J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Kenton Mitchell) that has been continually decimated by injuries.
And while they performed well, none of them compared to Henry — a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time rushing champion who has 9,502 yards and 90 rushing…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/derrick-henry-key-putting-ravens-super-bowl-throne
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Publish date : 2024-07-24 16:11:15
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