Dolphins Among Betting Favorites to Trade for Derrick Henry
Is another blockbuster offseason trade in the cards for the Miami Dolphins?
Oddsmakers certainly appear to think it's a possibility in the aftermath of a report by longtime NFL report Michael Silver that the Tennessee Titans have been shopping Derrick Henry, arguably the best running back in the NFL.
The Dolphins are among the betting favorites as Henry's next team if the Titans indeed move on from the two-time NFL rushing champion and three-time Pro Bowl selection who's coming off a 1,538-yard season.
The Dolphins come in as the second-favorite 2023 team for Henry if the Titans move him, according to both Sportsline Oddsmakers and BetOnline. Miami is third per Bookies.com, whose favorite for Henry's 2023 team remains Tennessee.
The Buffalo Bills are listed as the favorites to trade for Henry in the BetOnline and Sportsline odds; in the Bookies.com odds, the Dolphins are behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo.
THE PROS AND CONS OF ADDING HENRY
Bringing in Henry would provide another dimension to a Dolphins offense that was among the most prolific through the air last season when it was operating at peak efficiency and certainly presents enticing possibilities.
While he's known for his great combination of power and speed as a runner, Henry is coming off a 2022 season when he set a career high with 33 catches, so he could be a factor there as well.
Henry is scheduled to make $10.5 million in base salary in 2023 with none of it guaranteed and he's got two void years remaining after this season.
Of course, the Titans aren't just going to give Henry away even though they appear to be in somewhat of a rebuilding mode after already releasing longtime left tackle Taylor Lewan and pass rusher Bud Dupree this offseason.
The question is what kind of return Tennessee is going to be seeking to first determine whether making a push for him would make sense.
Then there's the issue of fit. The Dolphins' strength offensively is the speed at wide receiver with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and the question is whether it's sensible to devote a lot of assets (picks, money) at the running back position.
This is a different situation than Buffalo, which is looking to run the ball more offense so that quarterback Josh Allen doesn't have to do it as much. From this vantage point, it would make a lot more sense for the Bills to pull off this kind of big trade than it would be for Miami.
If that were to happen, though, then the Dolphins would have to deal with Henry twice a year for as long as he would remain with the Bills and he probably would have a much bigger impact on that offense than that of the Dolphins.
But what we've learned about the Dolphins in recent years is they're not afraid to swing big.
They did it with Hill last year when they made the mega trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, so it would be silly to dismiss the Henry possibility entirely — though there are reasons to push back against the idea.
