New Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry called the potential of joining the Dallas Cowboys in free agency a "perfect situation" earlier this offseason largely because Dallas is where he maintains his offseason home base.
However, he took time on CBS Sports Radio's "The Jim Rome Show" to clarify that for football reasons, the Ravens were his preferred football destination going forward. That became even more clear after Dallas, who has opted to "get it done with less" in the 2024 offseason, never connected with him about the potential of him becoming a Cowboy.
"For the record, Baltimore was always my No. 1 option," Henry said on Rome's show on April 5. "That's always where I wanted to go. And like I said, I know the trade talks [during the season], it was almost going to happen, but I didn't know once free agency started if they still felt the same way until I talked to my agent to see what was really going on. And I know the Cowboys lost [Tony] Pollard, so I didn't know if they're going to be looking for a running back. I live here in the offseason, I've been training here, living here for a while, so I just thought it made sense, and you know, I thought there'd be talks. But they never really reached out."
The Ravens' smashmouth culture of building their team on punishing opponents on the ground offensively and through their front seven defensively seems like a perfect fit for one of the most bruising running backs of the last decade.
"Everything happens for a reason. I just pray to God to put me in the place where I'm meant to be, and Baltimore is that spot," Henry said. "I'm happy and I'm excited for the opportunity, but the Cowboys never reached out, and it's all good. At the end of the day, no hard feelings. I just felt like it fit, their culture, what they're all about."
Henry now possesses the opportunity to be the Ravens' clear-cut RB1 in the backfield next to two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson while Dallas' running back room is currently headlined by two players who were reserves in 2023 (Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn).
