Cowboys prove Skip Bayless right with latest Derrick Henry report

As the frenetic pace of free agency slows to a crawl, some of the league's top stars are recounting the events that led them to their new teams.

Running back Derrick Henry, who signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens, discussed his free agency experience in an interview with Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

Although King Henry ultimately chose to continue his reign in Baltimore, he may have preferred playing for the Dallas Cowboys. Henry said he lives in Dallas during the offseason, and playing for the Cowboys at the back end of his career would have been a "great opportunity."

"That's where I stay in the offseason," Henry said. "I'm at the back end of my career. That's a great organization. It would have been a great opportunity."

Derrick Henry says Dallas Cowboys "never called at all"

The Cowboys lost running back Tony Pollard in free agency, and they have no succession plan in place. Henry has been one of the most productive running backs in recent history, victimizing his opponents with a downhill running style and a devastating stiff-arm.

So did the Cowboys try to convince Henry to come to Dallas?

"No," Henry said. "Not at all. I don't really know what's going on over there."

The four-time Pro Bowl running back spent the past eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, who drafted him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Henry has led the NFL in rushing yards (9,012), rushing touchdowns (85), rushing yards per game (86.7), rushing attempts (1,920) and rushes of 10-plus yards (220) since 2017.

"Baltimore was showing the most interest, and it was somewhere I wanted to be, so I’m glad we got it done," Henry said. "But the Cowboys never called at all."

Understandably, Cowboys fans are frustrated by Dallas' inactivity at the start of free agency. Team owner Jerry Jones claimed the Cowboys would be going "all in" after their 2023 campaign ended with another postseason debacle. Yet, as running backs such as Henry, Saquon Barkley, D'Andre Swift, Josh Jacobs, and Aaron Jones were scooped off the market, the Cowboys barely made a move.

Fox Sports' television personality Skip Bayless, perhaps the most animated Cowboys fan, took to social media to express his frustration with the team's front office.

"All in, my a**," Bayless posted on social media.

The Cowboys have historically never been big spenders in free agency, and Henry doesn't come without his risks. Henry turned 30 in January — a dreaded marker for decline at the running back position. Henry posted at least 1,100 yards and double-digit touchdowns in each of the past two seasons, but in the Super Bowl era, only 26 running backs have recorded 1,000-yard rushing seasons after turning 30, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Of those 26 backs, 13 of them gained over 1,000 yards rushing multiple times in their 30s.

Dallas also has expensive contract negotiations looming for All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Micah Parsons, a two-time All-Pro and the 2021 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Both of them will command lucrative contracts. Meanwhile, quarterback Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his contract with a massive salary cap hit.

In Baltimore, Henry will join a Ravens team that led the league in rushing yards per game during the 2023 season. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won the 2023 NFL MVP largely due to his passing efficiency, but he added 821 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. With a thunder-and-lightning duo, Baltimore could be more dangerous on the ground than ever before. In the ideal outcome, Jackson would be able to exhaust the defense with his evasiveness, and Henry would be able to finish them off with his physicality in the fourth quarter.

Something to watch for:

The Ravens have mostly played from shotgun formations due to their run-option plays with Jackson. Henry, on the other hand, has found more success with the quarterback under center, which allows the big running back to charge the line of scrimmage with a head of steam. The Ravens used less option plays last season, and that trend may contoniue with Henry on the roster. Will the under-center play-action offense work as well for the Ravens as the read-option? And how will it affect Jackson's development as a passer?