Former Alabama running back Kenyan Drake had a hard time finding his groove in Miami as the lead back. That wasn’t the case after he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals mid-season in 2019.
While with the Cardinals, he posted 643 rushing yards off of 123 carries for eight touchdowns. He also received 28 passes for 171 yards.
Now that the 2019 season is coming to a close, Drake will not be under any contract and will be an unrestricted free agent.
The Cardinals’ front office has made it obvious they have no signs of looking elsewhere for a fix at running back, they want Drake.
Jess Root, of Cardinals Wire, wrote that Drake could most likely seek a two to four-year deal worth up to $7 million in free agency. That is a price Arizona would be willing to pay.
The only thing hindering them would be David Johnson, the five-year NFL veteran who had a breakout season in 2016, but has failed to repeat his success.
Arizona has Johnson under contract until 2021, but Root believes that the best way to go about the 2020 NFL offseason would be to trade Johnson and pay Drake what he wants in order to keep him with the franchise.
The Johnson trade may be a hard sell because of Johnson’s injury history, but they will likely eat some of his contract in order to ensure the re-signing of Drake.
Whether Drake signs with the Cardinals or not, he will certainly be a hot commodity on the market heading into the 2020 regular season.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]