Cowboys' Jerry Jones addresses not pursuing Derrick Henry in offseason

Star running back Derrick Henry seemingly wanted to join the Dallas Cowboys this offseason before signing with the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens came away with a 28-25 win over the Cowboys on Sunday, with Henry rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opened up on the decision to not pursue him.

"I like our personnel," Jerry Jones said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. "... We couldn't afford Derrick Henry."

Derrick Henry signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Ravens this offseason. Many believe the Cowboys should have given him that type of contract, or at least something that he would have accepted, given that he seemingly was interested in joining the team. Maybe he would have taken less to go to the Cowboys.

Instead, the Cowboys have a running back depth chart headlined by Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott.

However, arguably the biggest concern for the Cowboys has been the interior defensive line. Dallas has not been able to stop the run at all so far this season. This loss to the Ravens is the latest example.

Cowboys need to combat clear flaws to contend in 2024

After starting the season 1-2, luckily the Cowboys will be going up against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football in Week 4, a team that they typically dominate and use as a "get right" game. However, the Giants' offensive line is better this time around, so it will be interesting to see if the run defense struggles on Thursday.

The Cowboys will have to make it work in the running game, and the offensive line is a key to that. Then, they will need to do everything they can to fix the run defense. If Dallas is still in contention in the middle of the season, a trade for a defensive lineman could be in play.