The Baltimore Ravens signed running back Derrick Henry in free agency, which did not come as much of a surprise. What was surprising, however, was the Dallas Cowboys‘ lack of an effort to acquire him.
The Ravens and Cowboys were generally considered the top two potential landing spots for Henry going into the offseason, as both teams were clearly in need of a backfield upgrade.
Baltimore got busy very early and ultimately inked the four-time Pro Bowler to a two-year deal.
As for Dallas? Well, apparently, the Cowboys didn’t even try to sign Henry.
“The Cowboys never called at all,” Henry said during an appearance on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio. “I don’t really know what’s going on over there.”
To be fair to Dallas, its hands were kind of tied heading into free agency.
The Cowboys were over the salary cap when the offseason began, and even now, they have just $2.8 million in cap space. So, signing Henry may have never been a realistic scenario for them.
Now, could Dallas have worked harder to open up some more cap room? Perhaps, but the Cowboys also have to worry about paying quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, both of whom are currently slated to hit free agency next March.
Yes, Dallas’ complete dearth of activity throughout this free-agent period has been understandably disheartening to its fan base, especially considering that owner Jerry Jones said earlier in the offseason that the team was going to be “all in.”
But, if the Cowboys didn’t really have any money to work with, what were they supposed to do?
Dallas’ backfield situation is a mess right now. It lost halfback Tony Pollard to the Tennessee Titans, and right now, Deuce Vaughn is listed as the club’s starter.
The Cowboys will probably sort things out in the NFL Draft next month.
Meanwhile, the Ravens will reap the benefits of adding Derrick Henry.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
