Kenyan Drake is no longer with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders figured that the former Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins running back would be a strong enough weapon for quarterback Derek Carr. As a result, the former Dolphins 2016 third-round pick is looking for a new team.
According to Bryan DeArdo from CBS Sports, one of the five teams that would make sense for Drake is the Houston Texans.
Similar to Atlanta, Houston would be a place where Drake’s role would be similar to the one he had in Miami and Arizona earlier in his career. Rookie Dameon Pierce is currently slated to start for Houston, with veterans Marlon Mack and Rex Burkhead serving as his backups. Given Pierce’s lack of NFL experience, Mack’s recent injury issues and Burkhead’s age and skill set, a future pairing of the Texans and Drake makes a lot of sense.
Why adding Drake would not make sense is because he would be a progress-stopper for Pierce, who has shown tremendous ability with his limited carries in preseason. While Pierce may not be ready to take over at starting running back, it is inevitable that he will in 2022. Adding Drake would take those chances away from Pierce.
If something were to happen to any of the three backs mentioned — Burkhead, Mack, or Pierce — the Texans should take a look at Drake given that the Texans’ new scheme is run-heavy under offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. As long as the Texans’ top three backs are healthy, they need to stick with what they have.
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