John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens haven't made a great deal of moves in the early stages of free agency, but they did manage to shake the foundations of the AFC North when they agreed to a two-year deal with former Tennessee Titans star running back Derrick Henry.
It doesn't take an advanced schematic mind to figure out ways to get Henry and two-time MVP Lamar Jackson cooking at the same time. Even as he crosses the 30-year-old plateau. Henry's consistency and big-play ability make him a fairly reasonable bet to take for Baltimore.
Speaking at the NFL's annual head coaches meeting, Harbaugh seems much happier that Henry is in Ravens purple and not running over his defenders. Harbaugh also implied that Henry's physical style of running is perfect for how the Ravens want to build their offense.
"Well, it's a big buzz, big guy and a big player," Harbaugh said. "He has a great personality and loves football. We played against him all those years. When you play against a guy, you earn respect for a guy, and we've had our hands full trying to stop him. So, it kind of speaks to us. How we want to play and approach the game, so I'm fired up to have him."
John Harbaugh: Derrick Henry speaks to how we want to play and approach the game. https://t.co/KL82OkMgYF
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 25, 2024
John Harbaugh sounds excited about Derrick Henry in the Baltimore Ravens' offense
Henry was still one of the most productive running backs in the league over the last two years despite poor quarterback play, a terrible offensive line, and a vanilla offense that was signaling to all opponents that he was going to get the ball as frequently as possible.
While Baltimore won't do as many under-center runs as Tennessee, playing alongside a two-time MVP in Lamar Jackson should help him face much lighter boxes with the Ravens. His speed and power are still present, which is surprising for a running back as old as he is.
The Ravens' offense over the last few seasons turned Chargers RB Gus Edwards into one of the more underrated fringe starting running backs in the league and helped less heralded names like Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell make big plays in big games. Henry's pedigree puts him in a class all his own.
The Ravens may not have had a very active offseason, but adding Henry to what was already one of the best teams in the league only affirms Baltimore's desire to compete for a championship.