First drive of NFL season shines a harsh spotlight on Jerry Jones' inaction

The first drive of the NFL season ended with a five-yard power run up the middle from Baltimore Ravens halfback Derrick Henry. The former Tennessee Titans All-Pro has been productive in his first half with a new team.

Henry is very much an outlier at the running back position — 30 years old with a ton of miles on his knees, and somehow worth every penny. In a league that is moving away from veteran running backs and bell-cow roles altogether, Henry continues to plow through defensive lines with his unmatched strength and straight-line speed.

It is common practice to compare the best running backs to bowling balls, but Henry earns the comp more than anyone else. He is a blunt-force weapon, charging down the gullet of opposing defenses in search of contact, not shying away from it. He has lost some of his lateral quickness, a bit of that classic halfback shiftiness, but Henry remains a chore to bring down. At 6-foot-2 and 247 pounds, even the NFL's best defensive lineman can struggle to wrap him up.

The Ravens were able to land Henry in free agency on a two-year, $16 million contract. That is a lot by modern running back standards, but it feels suspiciously like an underpay for Henry. The Ravens offense is centered on a productive run game and it feels like Henry can dominate early-down touches for another decade. He may never be truly over the hill.

Several teams will probably regret passing on Henry, especially if the Ravens mount another run to the AFC title game, but one team stands out above the rest. You already know who it is.

Cowboys probably should've tried harder to sign Derrick Henry

The Dallas Cowboys' offseason was defined by maddening inaction. Faced with monumental contract negotiations with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, Jerry Jones spent the majority of his summer pinching pennies. Dallas essentially punted on upgrading the running backs room after losing Tony Pollard to Tennessee, where he happened to replace the departed Henry. Instead of drafting a high-octane rookie or splurging on a top free agent, the Cowboys reunited with Ezekiel Elliott on a modest one-year contract.

It's the retread to end all retreads. Zeke was rather awful in his last stint with the Cowboys. That's why he ended up as a backup for the no good, very bad Patriots last season. There is obvious sentimental value in bringing Zeke back to Dallas, but propping him up at RB1 in the year 2024 is a laughable mistake. The Cowboys have built their offense around a prolific run game in years past, but it's hard to feel great about the 1-2 punch of Elliott and Rico Dowdle.

Henry getting $8 million per season is a lot, but it's not enough to break the bank. Rather than complaining all summer about the financial challenges of extending his franchise quarterback, maybe Jones should have made an earnest effort to address a position of weakness. Henry is such a classic Cowboys running back — basically Zeke on steroids at this point, a power back who can actually shed tackles and explode through the defensive line.

It's the first game of the season and we are already being reminded of how badly Jones fumbled this offseason in the Cowboys general manager chair. Let's see if he can get this Prescott contract over the finish line and stave off more bad vibes.