With Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Malik Davis as their top three running backs on the depth chart, it’s safe to assume the 2024 rushing leader for the Dallas Cowboys has yet to join the team. They’re likely targeting several prospects in the NFL Draft to take the lead role but there are still a few players in free agency they could turn to — especially if the best prospects are gone before they’re on the clock in Round 2.
Dallas has too many holes to reach for a running back in the draft, so they should consider one of these three remaining free agents. None are superstars at this point in their careers but they could be the top dog for Big D.
3. Ezekiel Elliott
The “break glass in case of emergency” option at running back is Ezekiel Elliott. A reunion with Elliott would be embarrassing since they’re already paying him $6 million in 2024 for not being on the team. That’s due to the incredibly oversized extension Jerry Jones signed Elliott to back in 2019. Jones says he doesn’t regret the contract but they got out of it as soon as it was financially feasible.
Despite the parting ahead of the 2023 season, Elliott and the Cowboys have remained on good terms. There was even a tribute video played for him when he returned to AT&T Stadium as a member of the New England Patriots.
That’s why a return isn’t out of the question.
In New England, Elliott had 642 yards with three touchdowns on the ground and another 313 and two scores as a receiver. His yards per carry were a career-low 3.5 but he still rarely lost yardage and managed to suit up for all 17 games. Elliott isn’t an ideal option but they could do worse — which is what they have right now.
2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire
The Cowboys front office likes to bring in former first-round picks who didn’t pan out at their previous stop. Oftentimes, the player is more than capable of producing at the NFL level but hasn’t lived up to their draft status. That leads to their original franchise moving on but for Dallas, they’re not as heavily invested, so they’re fine with them being a role player.
This could be the case for Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who was selected at No. 32 overall in 2020 by the Kansas City Chiefs. As a rookie, the LSU product started 13 games and had 1,100 yards from scrimmage with five total touchdowns. That was his best season as a pro as he struggled with durability from that point on and was eventually replaced by Isiah Pacheco.
Edwards-Helaire finished his Kansas City career with 1,845 yards and 12 touchdowns while averaging 4.2 yards per attempt over four seasons. He was also a decent receiving option with 89 catches for 765 yards and seven more touchdowns. However, he had just 223 yards in 2023 while managing 3.2 per attempt.
A change of scenery could be exactly what he needs and perhaps he would be able to keep the Dallas running game from being completely abysmal. If nothing else, he could be a third-down option since he was still solid in that department in 2023 with an average of 11.1 yards per catch.
1. J.K. Dobbins
Dez Bryant might be onto something.
The former Pro Bowl wideout has been on social media begging the Cowboys to make a move at running back and he has a great option in mind — J.K. Dobbins.
You know who would be a great fit at the RB position for Dallas?
JK Dobbins!
I know he hungry and destined for a big season with the right opportunity
A lot of those young guys will see first hand what hard work look like
Just a thought
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) March 12, 2024
Bryant and Dobbins were teammates in Baltimore, so Dez knows what he’s talking about when he says Dobbins works hard. And when healthy, the former Ohio State star can be dynamic. The problem is that he’s rarely healthy.
Since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Dobbins has played in just 24 games — with 15 of those coming in his rookie campaign. He managed just eight games in 2022 after missing the entire 2021 campaign due to a torn ACL. He felt fully healthy in 2023 but tore his Achilles in Week 1.
Now a free agent, Dobbins has recently been given clearance to resume activities and will be visiting with teams soon.
Free-agent RB J.K. Dobbins has been cleared for football activities, Dr. Neal ElAttrache wrote in a letter to select teams today, noting Dobbins looks “outstanding” coming off a torn Achilles.
Dobbins, who averages 5.8 ypc in his career, is expected to take visits soon. pic.twitter.com/PS4mrB1LjU
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 26, 2024
With Derrick Henry now in Baltimore, Dobbins will be looking for a new home and Dallas should be one of the teams interested. There’s a risk that he could suffer another injury, which is why they would need to also draft a running back, but there’s also a chance he could return to form and vastly improve their running game.
The reward outweighs the risk on this one.
