Darrell Henderson is not an every down back (Revisited)

[XXXIVwin]

I was hoping for some reports on his health rather than just another I told you so thread.

I'd prefer Sony get the bulk of the carries anyway. Hope Hendo is okay. My armchair speculation looked like ribs.

I told ya Hendo had trouble staying healthy and I have no idea what his injury update is

Agreed, we all know Hendo's injury history so pointing it out (again) is hardly new info.

As to his rib injury, only thing I can add is that it's a good thing the initial designation was he was "questionable" to return. That usually indicates they didn't see a major, glaring, obvious game-ending injury. Wondering if it's separated rib cartilage, like what AD had before GB last year. Akers also dealt with separated rib cartilage last year after landing on the ball. At first glance I think Hendo may have landed on the ball, I'll have to look at it again.

 

[blackbart]

I agree he landed in the ball but luckily no one land on him when it happened. I think they were just cautious and didn’t need to put him in a position to get hurt worse.

I didn’t like some of the play calling leaning on him too much and not getting Michel in there to share some time. He’s been there for a month, he should have enough of the game plan to contribute and by what he showed, he does.

 

[Ram65]

Looks like Hendu hurt his ribs. He may be back next week if not broken and is it's safe to play. He still is valuable to the Rams.

He may not be a true every-down back. He seems bigger and may have lost a little quickness. He has been able to break some ankle tackles that got him in the past. He still gets yards after contact. Michel looks like he can wear down defenses as he is a good inside pounder. I like them as a good one-two punch. I hope Funk is ready if needed. He is shifty, fast with some surprising power.

 

[snackdaddy]

This might be a blessing in disguise. Michel just needs to touches to get the feel for the game. He typically fights for every yard and doesn't have many negative runs. He might not have Henderson's explosiveness. But he'll be good enough to make play action work. Henderson is just not that bell cow kind of back.

 

[Classic Rams]

Back in training camp I called what a lot us us already knew that him and Acres are injury prone unless they prove otherwise. And I'm always willing to give them the benfit of the doubt. But sometimes you just can't deny what's consistently happening. I hope Sony is solid. He looked like Sony today. Would also love to see what Funk can do benind this line. But we may have to get ready to pick up another back if Hendo will miss more than a week.

 

[dang]

You can be a talented RB without being a workhorse RB. Henderson is not a workhorse RB able to last a season touching the ball 20-25 times a game. I think he can be 1B RB touching the ball 10-12 times a game. I think the Rams would be smart to have another vet on speed dial and maybe go ahead and get them on the PS.

 

[LA_Rams_#29]

A shared backfield has been what's best for us back to last season... our RB coach prefers 1 featured back and it looks like he's convinced McVay to go that route.... Hopefully Henderson can get back soon, but Sony showed he's a tough downhill runner today and he needs some regular touches.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

why didn't sony see a touch until henderson left the field? stupid.

.

 

[…..]

As some have pointed out, I believe Michel is our #1 so we wont suffer.

Henderson though, he’s a great guy to have in there too so lets hope he gets back with his brothers. Glad it happened early so he can rest a few days and not miss much. Forcing Sony into action can onlya enhance our team.

 

[majrleaged]

We getting another RB

 

[BonifayRam]

Have the Rams earned a fair return on investment with Darell Henderson?​

Comparing Hendo to other third round running backs
By Venie Randy Soares Aug 6, 2022

Have the Rams earned a fair return on investment with Darrell Henderson?

Comparing Hendo to other third round running backs

www.turfshowtimes.com

Going back to 2012, NFL teams have selected 250 running backs in the draft, with 27 of those taken in the third round. The Los Angeles Rams have twice chosen backs in round three, in 2014 it was Tre Mason at #75 and in 2019 they took Darrell Henderson at #70.

Mason showed some promise as rookie, but struggled with personal problems and spent only two seasons (2014-15) with the Rams. In 2018, he made a comeback with the Canadian football League and had a solid season. Mason had nearly 1000 rushing and receiving yards, but suffered a knee ACL injury late in the season and it would prove to end his career.

Henderson was drafted out of Memphis. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.49 forty with a stellar 10 yard split of 1.42, a 33.5” vertical, a 10’ 1” broad and pushed 22 reps on the bench. Slightly undersized for lead back role at 5’ 9” and 208 lbs., he has good arm length (31”). Henderson put up big production numbers in college while playing in a running back rotation. In three years, he tallied 4303 yards from scrimmage on 494 touches, a clip of 8.7 yards per touch and scored 44 touchdowns.

As a pro, Henderson’s stat totals are modest. Although his NFL production per touch is solid, injuries have been his bane since joining the Rams. He has been plagued with knee, rib, hand, and soft tissue ailments. Currently, Henderson is a full participant in training camp, after be being limited in OTAs.

Over three years, Henderson has ran for 1459 yards on 326 carries, a 4.5 yard average, and 10 touchdowns. As a receiver he’s added 49 receptions for 372 yards, a 7.6 yard average, and four scores. Overall, he’s had 1831 yards from scrimmage on 375 touches, 5.0 yards per touch.

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1493440828882272261

2022 is the last year on Henderson’s rookie contact and he will become an unrestricted free agent at seasons end. Will he stay healthy enough to able to capitalize on his skills and get a new contract with the Rams, or will he be allowed to move on after the season? But this article is not about his future with LA, it’s about his past. More to the point, have the Rams gotten a proper return on their investment?

Obviously, he has panned out better than Tre Mason at the Rams team level, but what about those other 25 round three running backs? How does Henderson’s return on investment compare across 10 years of NFL third rounders?

The roster, numbers, and their rankings​

First, a little bookkeeping to thin out the field. Of the 27 running backs drafted in the third round since 2012, three where drafted in in 2022, so they won’t be included. Another six are out of the NFL and left out, quite honestly, because their numbers don’t measure up.

Hendo’s numbers: 375 touches / 1831 yards / 5.0 yards per touch / 14 TD’s / 0 fumbles

1. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans #67 2017 1285 / 7501 / 5.8 / 67 / 7
2. Kenyan Drake, Miami #73 2016 957 / 4919 / 5.1 / 36 / 11
3. David Montgomery, Chicago #73 2019 835 / 3732 / 4,5 / 24 / 4
4. Devin Singletary, Buffalo #74 2019 602 / 3023 / 5.0 / 14 / 10
5. David Johnson, Arizona #86 2015 1268 / 6805 / 5.4 / 57 / 18
6. James Conner, Pittsburgh #105 2017 895 / 4392 / 4.9 / 44 / 9
7. Damien Harris, New England #87 2019 366 / 1816 / 5.0 / 17 / 3
8. Alex Mattison, Minnesota #102 2019 385 / 1822 / 4.7 / 8 / 2
9. Royce Freeman, Denver #71 2018 432 / 1842 / 4.3 / 9 / 1
10. Duke Johnson, Cleveland #77 2015 841 / 5131 / 6.1 / 23 / 12
11. Tevin Coleman, Atlanta #73 2015 905 / 4566 / 5.0 / 36 / 7
12. Zack Moss, Buffalo #86 2020 245 / 1118 / 4.6 / 10 / 2
13. D’onta Foreman, Houston #89 2017 258 / 1226 / 4.8 / 7 / 5
14. Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Tampa Bay #76 2020 71 / 349 / 4.9 / 3 / 1
15. CJ Prosise, Seattle #90 2016 116 / 694 / 6.0 / 3 / 2
16. Darrynton Evans, Tennessee #93 2020 20 / 99 / 5.0 / 1 / 0
17. Trey Sermon, San Francisco #88 2021 44 / 93 / 4.4 / 1 / 0

Where does Henderson fit in?​

Even with all his injuries, Henderson should be slotted in at #7. Kamara and Drake have proven to be a stellar value for their respective teams. Montgomery has been a solid player in a bad offense. Singletary is the #1 option on good team. Johnson and Conner have both had injury problems but overall, they are solid pro’s. Production numbers for Hendo and Harris are quite similar and for all-intents-and-purposes they both had rookie redshirt year in 2019. Harris is the Patriots first running option, while Henderson is best suited in a change-of-pace rotational role. Henderson has the edge as a receiver and in ball security.

An investment worth keeping?​

There are two arguments against giving Henderson a solid investment rating. One, he’s not the Rams #1 running option, a lot of players drafted in the third round are their team’s go-to guy. And two, the injuries. It’s an over used phrase, but “the best ability is availability” fits Hendo.

Tough to rebut the injury argument, some guys just cannot withstand the physical beating that is the NFL. But Henderson’s ailments are not chronic, so I’m not 100% sure that some of his being nicked up is just a run of bad luck.

Consider though, that he doesn’t have to be the lead back to be a value to LA. Even though Henderson missed five regular season games last season, he gained 864 yards from scrimmage. He can run, catch, and is a willing blocker. He is a seamless fit as a rotational back, it’s a role he’s been accustomed to since his college years.

In 2022, Henderson is due a little over $1.3 mil, closing out his original contract. As for projecting next year’s contract, there’s a wide variance between the high and low ends. The four-year veterans minimum is just over $1 mil and on the high side, James Conner ( #6 on the above list) new deal pays him an average of $7 mil. If both sides can agree on a deal from $2 to 2.5 mil, bringing him back would be a wise move.

Injuries are the only thing holding Darrell Henderson back from being a very good return on investment. His potential is still untapped. Hopefully for the Rams and their fans, Hendo has an injury free contract year and realizes that potential.

 

[Merlin]

I would not be surprised to see Hendy show resilience to injury this year and put together a strong season. Hair extensions are expensive and I'm sure some sorry ass team out there will sign him in FA thinking they might get a poor man's Kamara on the cheap.

In all seriousness though and as frustrated as I have been by our run game, I do hope to see Hendy used as a third down back. That is who he is. He looks smooth and capable in space and in the pattern so use his strengths.

Last but not least the run game is one facet of the game McVay has struggled a bit with. Great as he is he is human and I suspect it bothers him that he hasn't gotten the most from that part of his team. Some of it has simply been guys getting injured, but beyond that his run game tends to get shut down a lot in big games. So some of that probably relates to prep and scheme edge and coaching.

I realize some heads will explode at the suggestion. But here's hoping they get Williams back and find a high efficiency RB rotation this season.

 

[BonifayRam]

I would not be surprised to see Hendy show resilience to injury this year and put together a strong season. Hair extensions are expensive and I'm sure some sorry ass team out there will sign him in FA thinking they might get a poor man's Kamara on the cheap.

In all seriousness though and as frustrated as I have been by our run game, I do hope to see Hendy used as a third down back. That is who he is. He looks smooth and capable in space and in the pattern so use his strengths.

Last but not least the run game is one facet of the game McVay has struggled a bit with. Great as he is he is human and I suspect it bothers him that he hasn't gotten the most from that part of his team. Some of it has simply been guys getting injured, but beyond that his run game tends to get shut down a lot in big games. So some of that probably relates to prep and scheme edge and coaching.

I realize some heads will explode at the suggestion. But here's hoping they get Williams back and find a high efficiency RB rotation this season.

Injuries to RB's & blocking capable TE .....yes.

I have also thought the ongoing practice of the selection of starting college OT's & morphing them into NFL OG's might also be having an effect on Ram's offense yearly trending "less than effective run game".

Examples of the recent past & current trending:

Austin Corbett LT to Starting RG
David Edwards RT to Starting LG
Bobby Evans LT to RG (2020/2021)
Tremayne Anchrum RT to LG
Logan Bruss RT to RG
Joseph Noteboom LT to starting LG (2019/2020)
Jamil Demby LT to Reserve OG
Jack Snyder LT to Reserve OG

Can you name a starting OG that Snead has drafted since 2016 (6 drafts ago) ?

 

[Merlin]

Injuries to RB's & blocking capable TE .....yes.

I have also thought the ongoing practice of the selection of starting college OT's & morphing them into NFL OG's might also be having an effect on Ram's offense yearly trending "less than effective run game".

Examples of the recent past & current trending:

Austin Corbett LT to Starting RG
David Edwards RT to Starting LG
Bobby Evans LT to RG (2020/2021)
Tremayne Anchrum RT to LG
Logan Bruss RT to RG
Joseph Noteboom LT to starting LG (2019/2020)
Jamil Demby LT to Reserve OG
Jack Snyder LT to Reserve OG

Can you name a starting OG that Snead has drafted since 2016 (6 drafts ago) ?

You may be on to something there Vernon. We have definitely had our struggles on the interior. Hopefully Bruss can help change that.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

I don't see us giving him a 2nd contract, no matter how good he does this season. If he stays healthy, he prices himself out of our offer. And if he gets hurt, he again proves he's not durable. No way he's a Ram next year. That being said, let's hope he stays healthy as our change of pace guy this year and does well.

 

[LouisvilleRam]

Zero,Zilch,Nada fumbles ? Impressive

 

[BonifayRam]

I don't see us giving him a 2nd contract, no matter how good he does this season. If he stays healthy, he prices himself out of our offer. And if he gets hurt, he again proves he's not durable. No way he's a Ram next year. That being said, let's hope he stays healthy as our change of pace guy this year and does well.

I would suggest that Henderson have a meeting with Eric Dickerson on the subject of safety/protection gear/pads.

I always thought he wore every type of body armor/protection that was available back in the early 80's that he could find. In his first 4 seasons ED only missed 2 gms.

 

[Merlin]

Dickerson was the type of guy who never failed to deliver on the field. One of the advantages of being an egomaniac you know. Failure is not an option.

 

[So Ram]

Yesterday there was a kid who was in one of those vip tents. He talked about Williams going to take over for Cam Akers.
Questioned him about it,but practice was basically over.Asked him about Jake Funk and he held his judgment because he said he knew Funk(met?) as I asked if he was going to make the team?
My call is Funk is a practice squad guy.There is going to be Carrie’s for all 3 RB’s.Cam Akers is the every down back though.
Henderson of all players is the best pass protecting back on The Rams.

 

[BonifayRam]

Yesterday there was a kid who was in one of those vip tents. He talked about Williams going to take over for Cam Akers.
Questioned him about it,but practice was basically over.Asked him about Jake Funk and he held his judgment because he said he knew Funk(met?) as I asked if he was going to make the team?
My call is Funk is a practice squad guy.There is going to be Carrie’s for all 3 RB’s.Cam Akers is the every down back though.
Henderson of all players is the best pass protecting back on The Rams.

I don't know So Ram...Ram Org. sure has had very big issues keeping their RB's healthy the last few seasons.

They had to pay dearly for Sony before the trade deadline last season when all 5 signed RB's they came into OTA's went down to injuries @ one time or another.

Already this new season they lost their newly high-drafted RB Kyren Williams that replaced Sony before he could get the pads on not a good start. Williams was a small WR in HS.

They signed two new RB's but both of them were out all last season with injuries. Snead/McVay might need to plan to keep 3 healthy RB's on the PS to see if they can develop & keep a healthy stable of runners to attempt at having a running game this season. His luck needs to change!

IMO Funk's skills fit McVay's running scheme very well so I would not pencil him out.