Ravens' Roquan Smith: Derrick Henry still 'has a lot of tread left on that tire'
The Baltimore Ravens aren’t as concerned with Derrick Henry‘s workload as others might be heading into his age-30 season.
Henry has led the NFL in carries in four of the past five seasons. In the only one he came up short, the running back played just eight games due to injury. In three of the past five years, Henry has taken 300-plus carries, including 378 in 2020.
All that wear and tear could cause concern, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh focuses on the results.
“I watched the wear and tear that he put on defenses, ours included,” Harbaugh said Tuesday, via the Baltimore Sun. “He’s in great shape, he’s a stickler for detail, and he’s moving really well.”
Last year, Henry took 280 totes, averaging a career-low 4.17 yards per attempt. He also posted career lows in broken tackles and yards after contact (minimum 15 games).
Henry signed a two-year, $16 million contract in Baltimore this offseason. His age and workload likely kept his market capped.
While offseason workouts and padless mandatory minicamp aren’t where we’ll see if the RB will be rejuvenated with the Ravens, his new teammates believe they’ll get a vintage effort from King Henry.
“He doesn’t have on his pads, so this isn’t his strong suit,” linebacker Roquan Smith said of Henry. “It’s more so when he puts those pads on that he becomes that demon. He has a lot of tread left on that tire.”
If Henry gets some burst back in Baltimore and stays healthy, the bruiser will form a terrifying backfield with Lamar Jackson.
