Baltimore Ravens Star Sounds Off on Derrick Henry’s Impact: ‘Going to Be Scary’

There might not have been a better marriage between skill-set, scheme, and need in free agency this offseason than Derrick Henry joining the Baltimore Ravens.

Alongside reigning MVP and dual-threat quarterback extraordinaire Lamar Jackson, Henry becomes an explosive battering ram in an offense that also features dynamic speed on the perimeter thanks to emerging receiver Zay Flowers and a tight end who’s reliable as they come in Mark Andrews.

Good luck to opposing defenses figuring out how to slow an offense that averaged 28.4 points per game and 5.8 yards per play last season, before Henry’s arrival.

Derrick Henry Already Turning Heads Among Baltimore Ravens Teammates

Last season, Henry surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the fifth time in his career, while forcing 57 missed tackles and rattling off 23 explosive runs of 10 yards or more.

Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith got an early glimpse of what Henry has the chance to add to Batlimore’s offense during OTA and minicamp practices, and couldn’t have been more impressed by what he saw from the veteran back.

“It’s going to be scary,” Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith said, via ESPN. “I told a couple of my friends in the offseason, maybe I’ll have to get some popcorn on the sideline while I’m watching those guys go to work.

“I think it’s a great piece added to us, and it’s going to help us get to where we want to be.”

With Henry in the backfield, the Ravens boast one of the league’s most multi-faceted offensive attacks and his presence should create opportunities for the perimeter weapons in Jackson’s arsenal because of the attention defensive coordinators and safeties will need to pay to the veteran back.

The Ravens made it to the doorstep of the Super Bowl last season, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

While the running back position has been devalued in recent seasons, Henry could just be the type of player in an offense that needs it most, to potentially lift the Ravens over the top in a hypercompetitive AFC.

“I have mad respect for him and all the things he’s accomplished, and I still see he has a lot of tread left on the tire,” Smith said. “So I’m just excited for him to show the world exactly what he can do.”

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