Kenyan Drake hit with transition tag by Cardinals

Kenyan Drake gave the Arizona Cardinals an instant boost on offense when they acquired him in a trade last season, and they are making a clear effort to keep the running back on their roster in 2020.

The Cardinals have informed Drake that they are placing the transition tag on him, according to multiple reports.

Wow. The #AZCardinals have given RB Kenyan Drake the transition tag, source said.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 16, 2020

The transition tag is different with the franchise tag in that it still allows a player to negotiate with other teams in free agency. However, the Cardinals reserve the right to match any offer sheet Drake might receive from another team. If he does not sign an offer sheet and the Cardinals are unable to work out a long-term extension with him, Drake’s salary for 2020 would be the average of the top 10 highest-paid running backs in the NFL.

Drake exploded for the Cardinals down the stretch after they acquired him in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, rushing for 363 yards and scoring seven touchdowns over Arizona’s final three games. Drake averaged 6.0 yards per carry through that span and looked to be a great fit in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.