Kenyan Drake signed his transition tag on March 26, just 10 days after the Arizona Cardinals tagged him. The decision to sign his tag was an easy one for Drake, who will make $8.4 million if he plays under the tag in 2020. 

That being said, Drake, a veteran running back who enjoyed a career resurgence after being traded from Miami to Arizona midway through the 2019 season, is hoping to sign a long-term deal with the Cardinals before the start of next season. 

"With them tagging me, it wasn't really a slap in the face or anything," Drake said on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via the team's official website. "They wanted to get a gauge on my market and everything happened how it did. With me signing the tag, it put me in a pretty decent position from a financial standpoint, especially amongst my fellow running backs. I'm fortunate they saw in me what I see in myself, and hopefully we can continue to work on a long-term deal in the future."

If he plays under the tag in 2020, Drake will be the sixth highest-paid running back in the NFL based on annual salary, behind Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Le'Veon Bell, David Johnson, and Derrick Henry. Henry, who was also slated to enter free agency before he was franchise tagged by the Titans, will make nearly $10.3 million if he plays under the franchise tag in 2020. 

While Henry and Drake were tagged by their respective teams, McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension with the Carolina Panthers earlier this season. The deal, based on annual salary, makes McCaffrey the league's highest paid running back over Elliott, who inked a six-year, $90 million deal with the Cowboys last offseason. Elliott, however, received over $50 million guaranteed in his contract, while McCaffrey received about $38.12 million in guarantees. 

Outside of McCaffrey's contract, it appears that shorter contracts that include more guaranteed money is the new normal as it relates to running back contracts. Melvin Gordon, a two-time Pro Bowl running back, signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Broncos earlier this offseason that included $13.5 million in guarantees. Gordon's former teammate with the Chargers, Austin Ekeler, signed a four-year, $24.5 million contract with the Chargers this offseason that includes $15 million guaranteed. 

Drake's current market value, according to Spotrac, is a four-year, $22.28 million deal that would pay him about $5.57 million annually. His projected market value would make him the 10th-highest paid running back in the NFL, just ahead of former All-Pro Todd Gurley, who inked a one-year, $5.5 million deal with the Falcons earlier this offseason. 

While playing the 2020 season under the tag in hopes of increasing his market value is certainly an option, Drake, who turned 26 in January, is clearly hoping to sign a contract this offseason. He is coming off a 2019 season that saw him average a career high 5.2 yards per carry after he was traded to the Cardinals, a team that had an eventful offseason that included the acquisition of All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The team also enjoyed a successful draft that included the selections of Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons in the first round and Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones in the third round. Arizona also added to their depth at running back in the seventh round, selecting Eno Benjamin out of Arizona State. 

"A lot of great moves were made to put people in position and pieces to make sure everything was shored up," Drake said of the Cardinals' offseason. "Moving forward, I'm excited about the direction we are going. I'm ready to see everyone in Arizona and get back on the field and get back to work."