Trading Derrick Henry would make a lot of sense for Titans

If new Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon wants to make a bold move to start putting his stamp on the roster, trading the team's most prominent player would be an intriguing -- and sensible -- place to start. 

There were conflicting reports this week about whether the Titans were going to shop superstar running back Derrick Henry. Michael Silver of Bally Sports reported the team was considering it. Jonathan Jones of CBS followed up on Tuesday by writing his sources indicate that is not happening.

It should happen.

It would make sense for it to happen.

It would make even more sense for the Titans to actually follow through it. 

On the surface it would not make a ton of sense because not only is Henry one of the best players in the league at his position (and one of the best players in the league regardless of position), but he is also the focal point of what the Titans do offensively. They are a running team, and Henry has been their identity for the past five years. And he has been outstanding at putting the team on his back and carrying it. 

But you have to dig a little deeper than just surface level analysis to see why it should be on the table.

First, the Titans are coming off a highly disappointing 7-10 season despite having Henry put together another great year. The team is in transition and not only has a lot of holes, but has seen a lot of other key players depart the roster over the past two years. Wide receiver A.J. Brown was traded a year ago, while Taylor Lewan and Robert Woods were released on offense this offseason and outside linebacker Bud Dupree is also on the way out.

An already mediocre team has plenty of holes. 

The Titans also only have six draft picks in the 2023 draft to start filling some of those holes, and dealing Henry could bring back more draft capital.

Another reason to make a move with Henry is the matter of positional practicality. Running backs have a short shelf life in the NFL, and they do not tend to age gracefully. There comes a point where they fall off the cliff instead of declining, and at age 29 and after more than 1,750 carries, Henry might be rapidly approaching that point. 

It is also one of the most easily replaceable positions in the NFL. As great as Henry has been, the Titans have still had some success without him in the lineup. Take the 2021 season as an example. He missed nine games that season due to injury and the Titans not only went 6-3 in his absence, they still ran the ball exceptionally well with a stable of backs that included D'Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard, with Foreman matching and Hilliard exceeding Henry's 4.3 yards per carry that year. 

The Titans are an average team that needs picks and cap space. Dealing Henry could help solve both of those problems and they still might be able to find somebody that can run the ball enough to help them compete.