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Kenyan Drake

Colts Release RB Kenyan Drake

August 27th, 2023 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Parks

Although Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been given permission to seek a trade and is unsurprisingly garnering plenty of interest, and although fellow RB Zack Moss sustained a broken arm at the end of July that threatens his Week 1 availability, Kenyan Drake was unable to crack Indianapolis’ roster. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the club has released the veteran back.

Now 29, Drake just signed with the Colts earlier this month. He saw action in each of the team’s three preseason games, though he failed to impress as a runner, accumulating just 36 rushing yards on 13 carries, which amounts to a poor 2.8 YPC average. In Indy’s preseason finale against the Eagles on Thursday, he did exhibit the receiving acumen that has made him a valuable commodity during his NFL career, catching two balls for 22 yards and a touchdown.

Obviously, that was not enough for the Colts to keep him around, and the fact that the club cut ties with Drake while Taylor’s future in Indianpolis is so uncertain perhaps suggests that Moss will be cleared before the start of the regular season. It could also mean that the team is content with its other RB options, a largely unproven group that includes third-year pro Deon Jackson — who has just a 3.3 YPC average in 81 career carries — fifth-round rookie Evan Hull, Jake Funk, and Jason Huntley.

Prior to his short-lived tenure with the Colts, Drake had been with four teams over the last four seasons. Despite that nomadic stretch, he has had productive spurts with each of those outfits. The Alabama product averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his 2019 Cardinals games following a midseason trade with the Dolphins, and Arizona put the transition tag on him in 2020. The then-Kliff Kingsbury-led team used Drake as its top back that year, and he finished with a career-high 10 touchdowns. Drake totaled more than 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2019 and ’20, and the Raiders — despite having drafted Josh Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 draft — gave him a two-year, $11MM deal in March 2021.

Jon Gruden‘s vision of Drake serving as a dynamic pass-catching back complement to Jacobs did not entirely come to fruition, with Drake totaling just 291 receiving yards in the 2021 campaign. The Josh McDaniels-headed Raiders released Drake last summer following failed trade talks, which led Drake to the Ravens. In Baltimore, Drake had several notable performances, including a 119-yard game against the Giants and a 93-yard showing against the Saints. Though he was deactivated for the final few games of the season and the Ravens’ lone playoff contest, Drake finished with 482 rushing yards on a 4.4-YPC rate and made some key contributions to the cause while J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards battled injuries.

Given his history, it seems likely that Drake will get another opportunity at some point.

Jonathan Taylor Leaves Colts Camp To Rehab Ankle Injury

August 8th, 2023 at 2:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The latest development in this enduring Colts-Jonathan Taylor drama involves the running back’s attendance. Taylor was not with the Colts at their Tuesday practice, and ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder notes it was by design.

Residing on the Colts’ active/PUP list, Taylor has left the team facility to rehab his ankle at an unspecified offsite location. The team has been informed of Taylor’s plans to rehab offsite, and Holder adds the absence is expected to last several days. Taylor has not practiced with the Colts since last season and has expressed frustration about his contract to the point a trade request emerged.

Taylor’s trade request still stands, and while rumors about this PUP stay doubling as a hold-in effort have swirled during this turbulent period, it is interesting the fourth-year running back is still in need of rehab after undergoing surgery in January. The procedure on Taylor’s injured ankle was believed to be minimally invasive in nature. The Colts have cited Taylor’s 2022 injury, which caused him to miss six games, as a reason for tabling extension talks. Jim Irsay pronounced Taylor ready to go just before camp, but that has proven to be far from the case.

Rumblings about Taylor complaining of back and hamstring pain at camp led to a rumor the team was considering shifting him to the active/NFI list. Taylor has denied making such a complaint. A move from PUP to NFI would affect Taylor’s $4.3MM 2023 base salary (and potentially destroy this fractured relationship). As of last week, the Colts were not likely to make that designation switch. And Taylor needing ankle treatment would not allow for such a move, since this rehab effort pertains to an injury he suffered while playing in 2022.

Although rumors have circulated regarding trade interest in Taylor, this ankle issue would stand to diminish any market that may or may not be forming. The running back position has sustained steady blows this year, and even while residing as one of the position’s young aces, Taylor not being ready six-plus months after a minor surgery likely will keep him in Indianapolis. Irsay has already indicated no trade is coming, and the ankle problem will make it unlikely a worthwhile offer comes Indy’s way.

Already down backup Zack Moss due to a broken arm and Deon Jackson due to an unspecified injury, the Colts signed Kenyan Drake late last week. Drake, who worked out for the team, is going into his age-29 season. Drake signed a one-year deal worth $1.17MM, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who adds the pact comes with $153K guaranteed.

Colts To Sign RB Kenyan Drake

August 4th, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kenyan Drake‘s Colts workout will lead to a signing. The veteran running back agreed to terms with the team Friday, according to his agency (Twitter link).

Indianapolis auditioned Drake, Devine Ozigbo and Benny Snell on Wednesday. Of that trio, Drake brought by far the most experience and production. The former Dolphins, Cardinals, Raiders and Ravens running back will have another opportunity — for a team dealing with some big-picture issues at the position.

Jonathan Taylor‘s stay on the active/PUP list continues, and Zack Moss suffered a broken arm earlier this week. Taylor’s top backup, Moss is expected to be out approximately six weeks. Drake, 29, will step in and play a key role for the retooling team. The former third-round pick spent last season in Baltimore, serving as insurance for a team that had seen injuries derail its backfield plan. Injuries are technically limiting the Colts right now, but Taylor’s situation is obviously far more complex.

Although Drake has been with four teams over the past four seasons, he has enjoyed quality spurts. The Alabama product averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his 2019 Cardinals games, following a midseason trade with the Dolphins, and the team transition-tagged him in 2020. The then-Kliff Kingsbury-led team used Drake as its top back that year, and he finished with a career-high 10 touchdowns. Drake totaled more than 1,000 scrimmage yards in 2019 and ’20, and the Raiders — despite having drafted Josh Jacobs in the 2019 first round — gave him a two-year, $11MM deal in 2021.

Jon Gruden‘s vision of Drake serving as a dynamic pass-catching back alongside Jacobs did not entirely come to fruition, with Drake totaling just 291 receiving yards. The Josh McDaniels-led Raiders released Drake last summer, after trade talks did not progress, leading to the Ravens commitment. With J.K. Dobbins returning to IR and Gus Edwards not coming off the reserve/PUP list until midseason, Drake provided some notable fill-in work. Headlined by a 119-yard game against the Giants and a 93-yard rushing performance against the Saints, Drake finished with 482 rushing yards (4.4 per carry) and made some key contributions to the playoff-bound team’s cause while its top backfield cogs battled injuries. But the Ravens have a more stable situation now, with Melvin Gordon also involved.

The Colts’ situation: far from stable. Taylor has gone from being labeled as ready to go for camp by Jim Irsay to requesting a trade. The former All-Pro, who is coming off a minimally invasive January ankle surgery, is dissatisfied with his contract — during a bleak offseason for the running back position — and is likely staging a hold-in. Irsay has indicated the Colts will not trade Taylor, but as his time on the sidelines continues, this topic may not be entirely out of bounds.

For now, Drake will step in as a veteran presence atop — Taylor excluded — an inexperienced depth chart. Deon Jackson, ex-Rams UDFA Jake Funk and fifth-round rookie Evan Hull entered Friday as the Colts’ top available backs.

Colts Work Out RB Kenyan Drake

August 2nd, 2023 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Operating without their top two running backs presently, the Colts brought in a few veteran options Wednesday. Kenyan Drake, Benny Snell and Devine Ozigbo auditioned for the team, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Colts running back matters are obviously magnified, with Jonathan Taylor still not practicing. In addition to the former rushing champion’s escalating drama, the Colts lost backup Zack Moss for approximately six weeks. Moss sustained a broken arm early during training camp.

[RELATED: Teams Showing Interest In Colts’ Taylor]

Teams have called on Drake to work as a backup over the past two seasons, with the former third-round pick moving from Las Vegas to Baltimore in that span. But Drake did see steady run as the Ravens’ starter in 2022, doing so despite arriving just before the regular season began. J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards‘ injuries opened the door for the ex-Dolphins draftee, who amassed 482 rushing yards (4.4 per carry) and four touchdowns with the Ravens last season. Drake, 28, finished with at least 60 rushing yards in three of his five starts. He totaled 119 in a Ravens loss to the Giants.

The Ravens have since added Melvin Gordon, lessening the need for Drake to come back. Although Dobbins has been connected to contract dissatisfaction (a topic the Colts are becoming well versed in), he should be healthier compared to his 2022 version. Edwards also remains under contract. Drake is also three years removed from being transition-tagged by the Cardinals. The Alabama product totaled back-to-back seasons with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards from 2019-20, topping out at 1,162 in ’19, when the rebuilding Dolphins dealt him to Arizona.

Snell played out his Steelers rookie contract last season, while Ozigbo saw scant work as a Broncos backup in 2022. Without Taylor and Moss, the Colts are down to Deon Jackson, ex-Rams UDFA Jake Funk and fifth-round rookie Evan Hull in the backfield.

Taylor, who underwent ankle surgery earlier this year, was believed to be healthy — per Jim Irsay, at least — before camp. Rumblings of a back injury — which Taylor has directly denied — sprang up, leading to controversy about the Colts shifting the 2021 rushing champion from the PUP list to the NFI list. That move would put Taylor’s salary at risk and make this uglier than it has already gotten. Irsay has said the Colts are not trading the contract-year back, despite his request. But the team has run into a major issue with a player who had said earlier this offseason he still wished to retire with Indianapolis. With no contract offer having emerged and a trade request issued, we are a long way from that sentiment.

Ravens To Sign RB Kenyan Drake

August 31st, 2022 at 3:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

AUGUST 31: The deal is going through. Drake will join his fourth team, with Rapoport adding the Ravens have agreed to terms with the seventh-year back (Twitter link).

AUGUST 30: With plenty of questions still surrounding their RB room, the Ravens are set to make an addition at the position. Baltimore is hosting veteran Kenyan Drake and “likely will sign him” pending a physical, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

The 28-year-old was on the roster bubble in Vegas, leading to the recent announcement that he would either be traded or cut. Nothing materialized on the trade front, as expected, leaving Drake on the open market. His Raiders tenure lasted one season, and produced 254 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns; he added 30 catches for 291 yards and another score across his 12 games played.

Despite his release causing $8MM in total dead cap charges, the Raiders were willing to proceed with the move. That leaves the team with Josh Jacobs in the No. 1 spot for at least one more season, as they declined his fifth-year option, and a mix of veterans and rookies behind him. Drake will enter a similarly-crowded Ravens backfield, but he should be in line for a more significant workload.

Baltimore could have lead back J.K. Dobbins on the field for the first time since 2020 as early as Week 1, but he will not handle a full starter’s workload right away. That, coupled with the absence of backup Gus Edwards for at least the first four games of the season, leaves plenty of snaps available for other options. That list includes veteran Mike Davis and sixth-round rookie Tyler Badie.

Drake will compete with those two for a role in the build-up to the regular season. At least until Dobbins and Edwards are back to full health, he should give the team a more proven pass-catching back.

Raiders To Release RB Kenyan Drake

August 23rd, 2022 at 2:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 23: As Drake expected, no trade materialized. The Raiders have followed through on their pledge to release the six-year veteran running back, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

AUGUST 22: Given a two-year deal in 2021, Kenyan Drake is not expected to be part of the 2022 Raiders. Las Vegas plans to release the veteran running back, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The team is still holding out hope for a trade and will hold off on an official release for a bit, per Josina Anderson of CBS Sports (on Twitter). But Drake’s contract makes a deal difficult.

The former Dolphins and Cardinals back signed an $11MM deal during Jon Gruden‘s final offseason in charge. Teams must cut their rosters from 85 to 80 players by Tuesday afternoon. Drake does not expect a trade to happen.

“I’m just waiting on the next 24 hours,” Drake said, via Anderson (all Twitter links). “I don’t think anyone would trade for me just because of the contract situation, either way Raiders have to pay me.

“Honestly, I felt like the writing has been on the wall recently — like within the last two to three weeks. I never felt like I had a fair shot to really compete for the job coming off the injury. I feel like, as time progressed through camp, there really wasn’t a role for me to have anymore because they had guys that they brought in, they traded for and I was kind of odd man out, especially coming off my injury.”

Because the Raiders fully guaranteed Drake $8.5MM, a release will come with some dead money. The Raiders also restructured Drake’s deal in March, creating some cap space but pushing more money into the future. The Raiders will eat $8MM in dead money from this cut, though only $3.6MM of it will go on this year’s cap. The move will provide less than $500K in cap savings. A trade would lessen the blow, moving Drake’s $2.5MM base salary off the books.

Drake, 28, did not finish out his first season as a Raider; a broken leg sidelined him in December. Drake had recovered, however, and suited up for Las Vegas’ preseason games thus far. The Raiders’ new Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler regime added Brandon Bolden and Ameer Abdullah and drafted two backs — fourth-rounder Zamir White and seventh-rounder Brittain Brown — this offseason. The roster crunch behind Josh Jacobs left Drake without a place, with Vic Tafur of The Athletic noting (via Twitter) Abdullah — a former second-round pick but a player whose primary role in recent years has been as a kick returner — had beaten him out.

The Cardinals transition-tagged Drake in 2020, giving the former Dolphins third-rounder a nice payday to stick around following an in-season 2019 trade. Drake worked as Arizona’s primary back in 2020, and Gruden — who was interested in the Alabama product in 2020 as well, prior to the Cards tagging him — viewed him as a player who would help on passing downs. After totaling 1,092 scrimmage yards in 2020, Drake amassed just 545 (with three touchdowns) last season.

Latest On Raiders RB Kenyan Drake

July 19th, 2022 at 8:18pm CST by Ben Levine

Kenyan Drake‘s season ended a bit early when he suffered a broken leg in December. While the Raiders running back wasn’t cleared for minicamp last month, he’s optimistic he’ll be on the field for the start of training camp.

“I’m definitely going to be ready for camp,” Drake said during a recent appearance on the Silver and Black Pride podcast (via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra). “It’s not going to be full speed ahead once I get into camp, but for the regular season, I’m going to be definitely ready to go.

“A couple of preseason games or however I feel need to kind of get back into football shape. But really I’m excited about the opportunity to kind of get back on the field. I’ve been hurt for the [majority] of seven months now. … So I feel great just working through the things that you usually go through when you’re coming off a major injury and just ready to kind of get back on the field. It’s not my first rodeo.”

Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic recently echoed this sentiment, writing that Drake was “progressing nicely.” However, the duo didn’t necessarily say the RB would be ready for the start of training camp, instead writing that Drake was expected back “before the end of camp.”

Drake joined the Raiders last offseason on a two-year deal. He saw time in 12 games during his first season with Vegas, collecting 545 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 93 touches. While he didn’t get a whole lot of carries thanks to Josh Jacobs, he still contributed in the passing game, hauling in 30 catches. If Drake is forced to miss some time during training camp, rookies Zamir White (fourth round) and Brittain Brown (seventh round) could see increased reps. The Raiders are also rostering veterans Brandon Bolden and Ameer Abdullah behind Jacobs and Drake.

Raiders Rumors: Offensive Line, WRs, Jacobs

July 18th, 2022 at 6:09pm CST by Ely Allen

We recently wrote about the unlikelihood that any rookies will be starting for the Raiders to start the 2022 NFL season. The player we gave the best odds of earning a starting role is maybe even better set up for taking the job than we thought, according to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed at The Athletic. The two reported that, besides left tackle Kolton Miller and right guard Denzelle Good, the other three offensive line jobs are up for grabs.

We had given Andre James the assumption of starting at center after a successful season at the position last year. We also didn’t grant Good an automatic spot as he is recovering from a torn ACL that held him out for all but 18 snaps of last season. But Tafur and Reed assert that rookie third-round pick Dylan Parham “could push John Simpson at left guard and (James) at center.”

They also believe that Alex Leatherwood doesn’t quite have the right tackle job in the bag. He’s being pushed by Brandon Parker, who started 13 games at the position last year, while Leatherwood occupied a guard spot.

Here are a few more rumors from Sin City:

  • The addition of star wide receiver Davante Adams provides an obvious No. 1 weapon for quarterback Derek Carr. Carr will have Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller to target in the slot and at tight end, respectively, but who will be out wide opposite Adams? That role will be a battle between free agent additions Mack Hollins, Keelan Cole, and Demarcus Robinson. According to Tafur and Reed, the former Dolphins wide receiver, Hollins, should be considered the favorite. Though he hasn’t quite shown the necessary production (his best season came last year with 14 catches for 223 yards and 4 touchdowns), Hollins has a large, 6’4″ frame and speed that can make him an effective weapon while defenses focus on Adams, Waller, and Renfrow. Cole has shown more consistent production during tenures in Jacksonville and New York, as has Robinson in Kansas City, but neither quite has the physical tools that Hollins displays. If Hollins can take the next step and make the most of his abilities, Cole and Robinson can be strong assets off the bench behind a starting three of Adams, Renfrow, and Hollins.
  • Las Vegas didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on running back Josh Jacobs rookie contract this offseason as a result of some of the injury trouble he’s experienced in the NFL. In total, Jacobs has only missed six games throughout his three years of play, but his struggle to stay healthy has limited him in many other games. Due to health, Tafur and Reed see this as Jacobs’ last year on the team. Their opinion is also backed by the draft addition of Georgia running back Zamir White, once considered the top recruit at his position in high school. While the team won’t put too much on White as a rookie, The Athletic guesses that the Raiders will utilize a running back by committee approach. Vegas will lean on Jacobs to lead, as the most talented, while attempting to bring White along and up to NFL-speed. Career third-down back Brandon Bolden and backup Kenyan Drake will continue their usual roles as the Raiders allegedly groom White to start.

Raiders’ Kolton Miller, Kenyan Drake Rework Deals

March 10th, 2022 at 8:29am CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have restructured the contracts of left tackle Kolton Miller and running back Kenyan Drake (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Between the two moves, the Raiders have carved out an additional $14.525MM in cap space for this offseason. 

[RELATED: Raiders, Crosby In Talks]

Drake joined the Raiders last year on a two-year, $11MM deal. Serving as the Raiders’ second-leading rusher behind starter Josh Jacobs, Drake tallied 254 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and a solid 4.3 yards per carry average last year. He also added 29 grabs for 283 receiving yards and one TD through the air. Unfortunately, his season ended in December with an ankle fracture suffered against Washington.

Around that same time, Miller agreed to a three-year extension worth upwards of $18MM per year. At that time, the advanced metrics were only so-so on his play. But, last year, Miller graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 ranked tackle (86.3 overall score) in the NFL. By all accounts and measures, the UCLA product has steadily improved with every season. Miller has played on every snap for the last three seasons and, in 2021, he allowed just 35 total pressures.

The Raiders will direct some of this cash to free agency, though they’re also looking to lock up standout defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/21

December 8th, 2021 at 7:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Designated for return: G D’Ante Smith, CB Trae Waynes

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Football Team

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