In their first season without running back Ezekiel Elliott on their roster since 2015, the rushing attack for the Dallas Cowboys has been a bit underwhelming through their first six games.
Heading into Week 8, the Cowboys rank 21st in the NFL in yards per rushing attempt, 22nd in rushing yards before contact per carry, and they have the league’s fourth-worst run grade from PFF.
So if there was a position for Dallas to target before this season’s trade deadline next Tuesday, a running back certainly seems like a possibility.
FS1’s Willie Colon recently said on “The Carton Show” that he believes Tennessee Titans All-Pro running back Derrick Henry is a guy the Cowboys should be looking to acquire before this year’s trade deadline.
“The big guy [the Cowboys] have to go get is probably, for me, Derrick Henry. If there’s an opportunity to go get a big-time back that can really take the load off of Dak Prescott’s shoulders, it’s [Henry].”
“The big guy the Cowboys have to get is Derrick Henry. Get a big-time back that can take the load off of Dak Prescott’s shoulders.”
— @willcolon66 pic.twitter.com/utzr9kLbQv
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) October 27, 2023
Dallas acquiring Henry before next Tuesday would certainly qualify as a blockbuster trade, but would the current Titans running back really make the Cowboys rushing attack better?
The easy answer would be to say yes, but Henry isn’t the same player that he was in 2020 when he rushed for over 2,000 yards.
So far this season, he’s only averaging 70.8 yards on the ground per matchup, his lowest per-game average since 2018.
Henry’s 4.3 yards per carry this year is also tied for his lowest average per rushing attempt since the 2017 season.
Now, if Tennessee is willing to part with their top running back for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick or later, then that might be a deal that Dallas is interested in making.
But if the Titans are looking to acquire a Day 1 or Day 2 pick from the 2024 draft in exchange for Henry, then that’s probably a trade the Cowboys should avoid.
