‘Worst RB room in the league’: Colin Cowherd rips Dallas Cowboys for passing on Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry | NFL News
Saquon Barkley just finished a storybook season that ended with a Super Bowl ring in Philadelphia, but when free agency opened before the 2024 season, two NFC East rivals didn’t even bother to pick up the phone. Barkley revealed this week that neither the Dallas Cowboys nor the Washington Commanders even reached out. That omission ignited fresh criticism from Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd, a longtime sports talk host known for blunt commentary. On The Herd Monday, Cowherd delivered a scathing assessment of the Cowboys’ roster strategy, mocking their failure to call Barkley or Derrick Henry as proof the franchise is more interested in selling the brand than winning games.
NFL free agency exposes Dallas Cowboys’ roster-building flaws as they pass on Pro Bowl running backs Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry
Speaking candidly about his free-agency process, Barkley admitted he was open to conversations that never happened. Instead, he signed with the Eagles ahead of 2024—a move that turned out perfectly for Philadelphia as Barkley helped power their offense all the way to a Super Bowl championship.Meanwhile, the Cowboys, who had let Tony Pollard walk in free agency, entered 2024 with arguably the league’s weakest running back room, relying on unproven backs and patchwork committee options that failed to scare defenses. That decision drew the ire of Cowherd, who ripped Dallas for failing even to inquire about two Pro Bowl backs.“The Cowboys had the worst running back room in the league and they didn’t make a phone call on Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley,” Cowherd said on Fox Sports.He didn’t stop there, comparing the Cowboys to an overpriced luxury car that’s always in the shop. “I’ve never owned a Maserati but the Cowboys and Maseratis are that luxury brand that feel like they spend way too much in the shop,” he quipped.Cowherd argued that Dallas’s reputation as “America’s Team” has blinded fans and ownership to reality. “I think Dallas is a bottom quarter, bottom fifth NFL franchise but because they’ve been such a luxury brand it’s hard to wrap your brain around that. Like, you think about the Cowboys and you think winning.”
Is the Dallas Cowboys’ brand image getting in the way of NFL success?
For all the hype surrounding their iconic star logo, the Cowboys haven’t delivered consistent championship success in nearly three decades. Yet they remain TV ratings gold, an endless topic for sports debate shows—no matter what the standings say. Cowherd’s blistering Monday critique on The Herd shines a spotlight on that contradiction. Even as Dallas ignores potential difference-makers like Barkley and Henry, they dominate headlines. But the question lingers: will the Cowboys ever focus less on the brand and more on actually winning? Or will they keep selling the sizzle while the on-field results continue to disappoint?Also Read: Deion Sanders’ QB dilemma: Ex-NFL scout warns against benching Julian Lewis
