6 Free Agents Jerry Jones Will Regret Passing On in 2024

1. Derrick Henry, RB

Jerry Jones raised eyebrows (as he often does) when he said he had no regrets over the comically large extension he signed Ezekiel Elliott to back in 2019. He can say all he wishes that he was proud of the move but the team cut bait as soon as it was financially possible. They also clearly learned their lesson since they refused to pay Tony Pollard.

After topping the 1,000-yard mark for the second year in a row, Pollard signed a three-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. That opened the door for quite the pairing since it meant there would be no reunion between Derrick Henry and Tennessee.

As was the case with most free agents, the Cowboys never even made an offer to Henry. The two-time NFL rushing leader instead signed with the Baltimore Ravens on a two-year deal worth $16 million. That's about the average per season Elliott received on the deal Jones says he doesn't regret.

It's also a steal for Henry, who may be 30 years of age, but is still going strong.

Henry ran for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. It was the sixth season in a row he had double-digit touchdowns and the fifth time in six years he had at least 1,000 yards. He only missed that mark during that span in 2021 when he had 937 yards and 10 touchdowns — in just eight games.

Dallas passed on Henry, Aaron Jones, D'Onta Foreman, and every other running back outside Rico Dowdle in free agency. They'll try and sell to fans they made the right call but when Henry is bowling over defenders late in the playoffs this year, and Jones is watching at home, he will start to realize what a whiff this was.

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