Raven Country

First Look at Derrick Henry With Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens' new running back took the field for OTAs.

Michael France

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) takes the field for possibly his last game with the
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) takes the field for possibly his last game with the / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA
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Derrick Henry was the biggest move the Baltimore Ravens made this offseason. Signing Henry in March will elevate the Ravens running game to new heights unseen in the Lamar Jackson era and likely the John Harbaugh tenure.

Henry made his Purple and Black debut on Monday when he showed up to voluntary optional team activities, or OTAs. A first glimpse was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Monday morning.

What are OTAs?

Per the NFL, OTAs can be described as the kickoff for "Phase Three of the offseason program, which lasts four weeks. Clubs may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team activities. Live contact is prohibited, but teams can run 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. The OTAs portion of the offseason calendar is when things start to look closer to actual practices than we've seen during offseason workouts."

"We're still in the portion of the offseason where clubs are installing programs and players are getting their feet wet," wrote Kevin Patra, "but starting Monday, most teams will at least be on the field together. Players like Aaron Rodgers can continue to work their way back. Rookies like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Bo Nix will participate in sessions with veteran teammates. And some players will skip the voluntary workouts as a statement in contract negotiations, like Steelers veteran Cameron Heyward."

Henry's Arrival

Henry's appearance at OTAs shows his commitment to getting acquainted with the Ravens' offense and his new teammates. He is sticking to the modus operandi he told reporters during his introductory press conference.

"I just want to be an added piece to the offense," he said. "To help them do better than last year and right now just trying to focus on coming in, earning the respect from my teammates."

Henry is arguably the best running back of his generation -- a 2,000-yard rusher and perhaps one of the best power backs of all time.

Despite Henry's physical running style he has shown no signs of slowing down -- he had over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns last season at 29 years old. He will be 30 when this season begins, but when asked about a potential decline at his introductory press conference, he put the notion to rest.

"Tell [the doubters] to keep watching."

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Michael France
MICHAEL FRANCE

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