NFL Trade Deadline: Assessing Idea of Bucs Trading For RB Derrick Henry

The Tennessee Titans parted ways with their longest-tenured defensive player by trading All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. And another franchise favorite may soon be on the move.

Titans running back Derrick Henry, the two-time NFL rushing champion and one of only eight players in league history to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a single season, is a popular trade candidate ahead of the October 31 deadline. And Henry is often tied to one particular team — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. CBS Sports, The Sporting News, and even the NFL's own website have proposed the Bucs as a landing spot for the 29-year-old running back.

But would the trade make sense for Tampa Bay? Here's a look.

Henry's Contract Could Make Things Difficult

The Titans are 2-4 to start the 2023 season and have lost 11 of their last 13 games overall.

Tennessee had a winning record in four of its first five seasons under head coach Mike Vrabel and made three playoff appearances. But with starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill dealing with another injury, and a second consecutive losing season likely on its way, Titans general manager Ran Carthon seems to have realized it's time to start looking to the future.

"Ran and I are trying to continue to grow the team and continue to do what we think is going to be best now and in the long run to add to our roster, to strengthen our roster," Vrabel said earlier this week after the Byard trade. "And this was an opportunity to do that... We're trying to look at what draft capital we have and try to come up with a solution for it."

Vrabel added that he's unsure if any other trades are imminent for Tennessee at the moment, though there is always a lot of talk between teams this time of year.

Philadelphia only had to send two late-round picks and safety Terrell Edmunds back to the Titans in exchange for Byard. It's unclear what type of draft compensation a team, the Bucs for example, would need to send to the Titans in exchange for Henry. But in Byard's case, it didn't take much.

The real obstacle seems to be Henry's contract.

Henry is in the final year of a four-year, $50 million deal. The 2016 second-round pick has a cap hit of roughly $16.4 million this season, according to Spotrac, and a salary of $10.5 million.

The Bucs are currently toward the bottom of the league in salary cap space, per Over The Cap, with a little over $3.2 million available. So some sort of salary-cap maneuvering would be necessary in order for the Buccaneers to pay Henry the rest of what he is owed. That could include having some of that salary be converted into a signing bonus, asking a highly paid player like Mike Evans to restructure their contract, or having the Titans eat some of the money in exchange for better draft picks, as former sports agent Joel Corry laid out for CBS Sports.

Is all that hassle worth it for the Bucs? And especially for an aging player at a non-premium position who will be a free agent in a few months?

Within a few days' time, fans will have the answer.

Henry Would Help Dreadful Bucs Running Game

Henry is in his eighth season with the Titans after his Heisman Trophy-winning college career at Alabama. The Titans' longest-tenured player told reporters that he is aware the NFL is a business amid all the trade talk, but emphasized he is focused on winning.

"My goal is still to win, do my job the best way I can to help us win, and that's what I'm going to do," Henry said this week, via the Associated Press.

If the Titans do decide to move on from Henry, he could definitely help the Bucs win. The Buccaneers sit a 3-3, just behind the 4-3 Atlanta Falcons in a very winnable NFC South, heading into a Week 8 Thursday Night Football matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

Just about any move may help improve the struggling Bucs running game. Tampa Bay is among the NFL's worst offenses in rushing yards (29th), rushing yards per attempt (31st), and rushing touchdowns (28th) this season. The Bucs are 26th in the league in points per game, and the lack of a reliable running game sure isn't helping quarterback Baker Mayfield and company move the ball down the field.

Rachaad White is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry during his first season as Tampa Bay's full-time starter in the backfield. In last week's loss to the Falcons, White managed only 34 yards on 13 rushing attempts. The Bucs seem comfortable with their starting offensive line combination. Running back Chase Edmonds was just activated off of injured reserve, and maybe general manager Jason Licht will opt to address the running-game issues internally.

But going all out for "King Henry" could be the extra piece Tampa needs to make a playoff push.

Henry, who is from Florida, is the consensus top RB who is seemingly available at the trade deadline, especially since the New York Giants have said Saquon Barkley won't be dealt.

The three-time Pro Bowler has rushed for 425 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and three touchdowns in six games this season. The former Offensive Player of the Year has 8,760 career rushing yards and 81 total touchdowns on the ground. And his presence in the backfield could be the difference in the Bucs participating in the playoffs this season or watching them from home.