Door creeps open for Cowboys to sign Derrick Henry thanks to Dallas radio host

Seemingly the entire NFL has kept busy shuffling its roster before the new league year. The Dallas Cowboys, meanwhile, have kept a low-profile as the dawn of free agency approaches. Could the lack of activity be setting the stage for the Cowboys to take a big swing in the free agent frenzy? We wouldn't get our hopes up, but Derrick Henry to the Cowboys suddenly has wheels out of nowhere.

The speculation kicked off on Thursday after Henry purchased a home in Dallas. Henry trains in Dallas during the offseason and already had a home in the area, so this hardly meant anything in terms of Henry's free agency.

For obvious reasons, though, news of Henry's investment has crazed an already-fidgety fan base. Call it ironic timing, but Jeff Cavanaugh of 97.1 The Freak in Dallas believes Henry to the Cowboys has legitimate legs.

Cowboys Rumors: Derrick Henry to Dallas is a real possibility

Cavanaugh did some digging after a picture of Henry with a Dallas realtor after his purchase circulated on social media. Cavanaugh didn't make much of the photo, but heard from a source to "not write that off" in terms of the Cowboys signing Henry.

"This is just stuff that I'm hearing. Again, I'm not a beat writer. I don't go chasing it. But sometimes you stumble upon things. Once upon a time I told everyone that Zack Martin was a top-30 visit for the Cowboys because I found that out . . . With the way the running back market is now and with Henry checking every box of why most NFL teams will be afraid of him, you know there is something to telling a Jones, 'right, but it's Derrick Henry.'"

This is a very flimsy rumor, but Cavanaugh has had trustworthy scoops in the past. One would think that the Cowboys learned their lesson after they extended Ezekiel Elliott only to cut him before his contract expired and absorb dead money in 2023 and 2024, and after Tony Pollard underperformed on the franchise tag last year.

Maybe they have.

Or maybe, the Jones family is ready to dive back into the running back well for a third go-around. While Henry is a transcendent talent, giving a 30-year-old back that has over 2,000 carries (!) on his tires his third contract after the Cowboys finally reset the money at the position unfortunately reeks of a move Jerry and Stephen Jones would endorse.

That isn't to say Henry wouldn't have a transformative impact on Dallas' offense. But running backs can be found anywhere and for a lot cheaper. The idea of re-signing Pollard on the cheap and pairing him with a 2024 draft pick is more appealing than spending close to $10 million on Henry, especially when the Cowboys could lose two starting offensive linemen, including left tackle Tyron Smith.

With all of that said, Cavanaugh is highly thought of by Cowboys fans and has a lofty following both on YouTube and local radio. He wouldn't spread stuff for clicks.

There just might be smoke behind Henry to Dallas.

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