Should Cowboys Sign Derrick Henry to Replace Pollard?

Should Cowboys Sign Derrick Henry to Replace Pollard?

The Dallas Cowboys’ “Texas Coast Offense“‘s running game did not perform as expected this season.

Would Derrick Henry be a last-ditch solution for the problems in 2024?

After Ezekiel Elliott was traded and Tony Pollard took over,

the Cowboys’ rushing assault was expected to be a focal element of Mike McCarthy’s offense.

In fact, McCarthy said as much.

However, it failed to gain traction, and a shift in offensive philosophy following Week 5’s crushing defeat to the San Francisco 49ers led to the Cowboys adopting a more pass-oriented strategy.

Dallas finished 15th in rushing yards per game (113.5), a lower result than 2022 (131.7).

With Pollard as the main back, the Cowboys lost slightly more than 20 yards per game than they did previous season.

In four of the Cowboys’ five regular-season losses, they were held to less than 100 yards rushing,

proving that McCarthy’s “complementary football” was difficult to maintain weekly.

Pollard’s first season as the starting running back was “relatively” down.

He ended the season with 1,005 running yards and six touchdowns, averaging 59.1 yards per game on 252 carries.

On the surface, that does not appear “bad,” but as we go deeper, the truth becomes clear.

Pollard had more yards (1,007), rushing touchdowns (nine), yards per game (62.9),

and yards per carry (5.2) last season than he does now.

Pollard had 59 more carries than he did in 2022, which raises serious concerns.

He also had only one 100-yard rushing game entire season (in Week 3 against the Cardinals) and never had more than 79 yards in any other game.

Pollard also had just two rushing touchdowns  in the first nine games

As a result, he produced less but became more involved.

Now, it’s possible that he wasn’t as “fresh” because Elliott was no longer the change-up on offense.

It might also be because the Dallas offensive line failed in the run game throughout the season,

as the enormous openings Pollard was accustomed to seeing were just not present.

Tyron Smith and Zack Martin both lost time this season due to injuries,

so the “best five” did not remain consistent.

Now comes Rico Dowdle.

The third-year running back showed hints of his promise as his “angry” running style proved difficult to stop,

earning McCarthy’s praise.

Unfortunately, Rico didn’t get the chance to display his ability when he was just six times he had five or more carries in a game.

But when he did, Dallas’ running game appeared significantly more potent.

Dowdle had nine or more carries three times and gained 79, 46, and 46 yards, respectively, with two touchdowns.

Dallas, coincidentally, surpassed 130 yards rushing and won all three games.

Others, including KaVontae Turpin (11 carries, 110 yards, 1 touchdown),

CeeDee Lamb (14 carries, 113 yards, 2 touchdowns),

and Dak Prescott (55 carries, 242 yards, 2 touchdowns), also contributed.

The running back room will be seriously reevaluated,

since Pollard’s franchise tag is unlikely to be placed on him again,

as Dallas is reluctant to spend more than $10 million every year.

And we wonder: After a year of seeing Dallas struggle in the red zone with shouts of “power back”…

what about one big swing at a (presumably) fading star in Derrick Henry,

who is approaching free agency and has already said goodbye to Tennessee?

There have long been rumors connecting Henry to Dallas, but there has never been any weight to them.

What about now? Henry, 30, can still play.

He just ran for 1,167 yards behind a poor offensive line, played in every game,

led the league in carries, and closed strong – his best performance came in the final Titans game,

when he rushed for 153 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries –

an 8.1-yard rushing average that won him that week’s NFL “ground

Spotrac estimates his 2024 salary at $4.3 million. A one-year, last-ditch effort –

in what may be McCarthy’s final year if things do not work out? That’s tempting.

Dowdle is a restricted free agent, but he might return if the Cowboys find value in him,

as he is a less expensive alternative than Pollard.

Dallas has signed running backs Malik Davis and Snoop Conner to future contracts.

In the end, the Cowboys could have a lot of new faces in the backfield next season…

and one of them could be an old familiar face.

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