Significant Derrick Henry flaw could keep him from signing with Cowboys in NFL free agency
The Dallas Cowboys and star running back Derrick Henry have been linked a lot heading into the NFL's 2024 free agency period as the latter is gearing up to leave the Tennessee Titans and the former needs to rebuild its running back room. Although the storylines make sense from that point of view, there are […]
The Dallas Cowboys and star running back Derrick Henry have been linked a lot heading into the NFL's 2024 free agency period as the latter is gearing up to leave the Tennessee Titans and the former needs to rebuild its running back room.
Although the storylines make sense from that point of view, there are several reasons to believe such a pairing won't really take place. Firstly, he Cowboys have significant cap constraints and have several other priorities throughout the roster and Henry is projected by A to Z Sports to sign for an average value of $10 million.
Additionally, the Cowboys didn't even meet with Todd France at the NFL Scouting Combine, who represents Henry in contract negotiations. At the very least, this hints at a lack of strong interest in the future free agent.
Derrick Henry lacks something Mike McCarthy wants from his running backs
On top of all the financial details that will likely keep a Cowboys-Henry relationship to be born, there's an on-field hurdle that head coach Mike McCarthy is unlikely to be a fan of: Henry struggles in pass pro.
Henry finished the season Top 5 in PFF pass blocking grade and Top 10 in efficiency rate when blocking. But don't be fooled. The reality is in passing situations, the Titans took Henry off the field (and have for years, by the way), leading to very few pass blocking snaps in the first place.
So much so that there were 38 running backs in the NFL with more pass pro opportunities even than Henry even though he was fourth in rushing attempts with 280.
Since McCarthy took over playcalling last offseason, one of the biggest changes to the offensive scheme has been a much heavier emphasis on pass blocking responsibilities for the running back. The head coach himself spoke about it since last year's offseason and the mindset showed on tape.
Sixth-round rookie Deuce Vaughn struggled in pass pro significantly in limited playing time early on and that led to him being inactive for most of the year. Obviously, Vaughn is no Henry. However, the latter would require a significant investment.
Bottom line, there are more reasons to believe Henry isn't landing in Dallas than otherwise.
