Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake is taking the bird in the hand, before it flies away.
Drake’s agents have announced that he has signed his transition tender. The one-year deal will pay Drake $8.48 million for 2020.
Drake could have waited for someone to offer him a multi-year deal, which the Cardinals would have had a right to match. However, the Cardinals would have been able to rescind the offer at any time before acceptance.
After seeing what Todd Gurley got from the Falcons (one year, $6 million) and what Melvin Gordon got from the Broncos (two years, $16 million), Drake apparently decided that he should take the $8.48 million that’s on the table before the Cardinals realize that, given the current market, they’re probably offering him too much.
The two sides can negotiate a long-term deal through July 15. He’d be entitled to a 20-percent raise if tagged again next year, which would be $10.08 million. Which the Cardinals likely won’t being doing. So any offer on a multi-year deal would have to be enough to get Drake to trade in $8.48 million for 2020 and a clear shot at the open market in 2021.
The Cardinals traded for Drake during the 2019 season. He made an immediate impact and became the starter ahead of David Johnson, whose $10 million salary was dumped in the trade that brought receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona.