When Derrick Henry entered free agency this offseason, many eyes turned to the Dallas Cowboys as a potential landing spot for the future Hall of Famer.
After all, the Cowboys had a clear need at running back and Henry had expressed his desire to sign with Dallas.
However, as it turned out, the Cowboys showed absolutely zero interest in signing Henry. As a matter of fact, they didn’t even contact him.
In a recent interview on SiriusXM, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones shed light on the team’s decision-making process regarding Henry.
He made it clear that the Cowboys’ salary cap situation played a pivotal role in their approach to free agency.
“Our situation is just, you know, and no one ever wants to say it, but it’s salary cap, and we just didn’t have the money to allocate to that position in terms of where we were from a cap standpoint,” Jones explained.
With impending contract extensions for key players like Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, and CeeDee Lamb on the horizon, the Cowboys found themselves financially handcuffed, unable to pursue high-priced acquisitions like Henry.
Jones emphasized that the team simply didn’t have the resources available to commit to a significant contract for a running back.
“We just didn’t have those type of resources to allocate to that position or we probably would’ve already had it filled with Tony Pollard,” Jones added.
Pollard, a promising young talent, eventually found a new home with the Tennessee Titans, coincidentally replacing Henry, who had spent his entire career with the Titans before joining the Baltimore Ravens.
Despite Henry’s interest in potentially joining the Cowboys, the lack of communication from Dallas left the star running back with no choice but to explore other options.
“Yeah, of course,” Henry responded when asked if he would have been interested in joining the Cowboys.
“That’s where I stay in the offseason … That’s a great organization. Would have been a great opportunity, but I’m thankful that I ended up here in Baltimore, somewhere I wanted to be.”
Henry didn’t exactly break the bank with Baltimore. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal with $9 million guaranteed.
Don’t get me wrong, that’s very good money for a running back. However, if the Cowboys really wanted to, they could have certainly found a way to afford that.
His best years may be behind him, but Henry’s leadership and bruising style of running would have been a huge help for a Dallas team that is desperately trying to conquer their playoff demons.
The return of popular running back Ezekiel Elliott is nostalgic for Cowboy fans. But it’s not realistic to expect him to resemble the player he once was in his early years.
Jones is right about one thing, however. The Cowboys will soon have a whole lot of important (and expensive) decisions to make.
It’s safe to assume the front office will end up working out extensions for Lamb and Parsons.
The more important question surrounds Prescott who is set to enter the final year on his contract.
Needless to say, quarterbacks don’t come cheap these days and if you get it wrong at that position it will set your franchise back several years.
What are your thoughts on the Cowboys showing absolutely no interest in Henry?
Should they have at least picked up the phone?
As far as Prescott, do you think he’s truly a franchise quarterback capable of winning a Super Bowl?
Should Dallas sign him to an extension? … Or should they let the 2024 season play-out and make a decision afterwards?
At the end of the day, will the Cowboys ever get over the hump in the playoffs?
Where exactly does your confidence stand with ownership???