3 Observations on Jaguars Claiming Darrell Henderson

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a much-needed addition earlier this week, claiming former Los Angeles Rams running back Darrell Henderson after he was surprisingly waived. 

Henderson has appeared in 50 career games (28 starts) from 2019-22, all with the Rams. The fourth-year running back has rushed 396 times for 1,742 yards and 13 TDs, including a career-high 688 yards in 2021. He scored eight TDs in 2021 – five rushing and three receiving.

So, what does the addition of Henderson mean for the Jaguars and their offense moving forward? We offer a few thoughts below. 

Henderson's skill-set is a good stylistic mix with Travis Etienne's

Picking up Henderson is a smart move for the current state of the Jaguars' offense considering what they have played with at running back over the last several weeks. There is no questioning the Jaguars' backfield belongs to Travis Etienne and Etienne only, but the Jaguars' offense has stalled each time Etienne has come off the field. In order to preserve Etienne and not run him into the ground before he even hits 10 starts, the Jaguars needed to bring in a running back who could at least offer consistent play as opposed to one who will create negative plays. That is what Henderson is; the big plays may not be there, but he can get tough yards and be looked at as a power back in times where Etienne may need a breather.

While Henderson's highs have never reached the high points former Jaguars running back James Robinson offered, he does bring a lot of what the Jaguars have been missing without Robinson on the roster over the last month. Henderson is a bulky, downhill runner who can get tough yards, rarely fumbles (0 lost fumbles inc career) and can run both zone and gap plays. In short, the Jaguars traded Robinson for a sixth-round pick and six games of Henderson, which isn't a bad deal to make. 

Jaguars don't have much time to see what they have in Henderson

The one thing the Jaguars have to be cognizant of when it comes to Henderson is the fact that time is fleeting. A 2019 draft pick, Henderson is set to be an unrestricted free-agent in March, meaning his time with the Jaguars is only seven games. And if the Jaguars don't play Henderson on Sunday, which is expected, then they only have six games to evaluate him and whether he should be a part of their future. 

When juxtaposing Henderson's six games of play time with the fact that Etienne will still dominate carries and snaps at running back, it is hard to imagine the Jaguars will have much of a sample size with Henderson at the season's end. As a result, they need to utilize him as much as they possibly can while he is still on the roster, because his audition for the role as the 2023 No. 2 running back will be a short one.

Odds of Snoop Conner making an impact as a rookie have plummeted 

The Jaguars made a bold move last April when they traded up for Ole Miss running back Snoop Conner, packaging a pair of sixth-round picks (No. 188 and No. 198) to move up to No. 154 to take the powerful runner, who many saw as a potential long-term replacement for James Robinson due to the similarity in their builds and running styles. 

But through the first 11 weeks of Conner's NFL career, it doesn't appear the odds of him making an impact in 2022 are still alive, which also calls into question his role moving forward. Conner started the year as the No. 4 running back and as a healthy scratch on game-days. Since Robinson was traded, Conner has played just two snaps and hasn't gotten a single carry. With Henderson added, Conner's time as the No. 3 running back is over, putting him back in the No. 4 role. Conner was already making no impact, but the addition of Henderson means his chances to even take snaps have completely plummeted. 

The bright side for Conner is that both Henderson and JaMycal Hasty are set to be free agents in March, creating a scenario where the Jaguars enter the offseason with Conner as the No. 2 back. But with no carries for him as a rookie, it is hard to be convinced the Jaguars would leave the offseason with the same arrangement.