The Cowboys, quite famously at this point, will enter the 2024 season without a true No. 1 running back, instead relying on what they’re openly calling a committee at the position. For better or worse, it’s hard to say how the pecking order stands because the members of the Cowboys committee are just not all that good. We can assume that returning back Ezekiel Elliott will be near the top of the pecking order, but after that, it’s anybody’s guess.
Rico Dowdle, who played well in spurts last year, figures to be part of the group. After that, Malik Davis and Deuce Vaughn could be factors.
There’s also veteran free-agent signee Royce Freeman, who is 28 and has six years of experience behind him. It’s easy to imagine Freeman working his way into the No. 2 role in the Cowboys backfield. But it’s also easy to imagine him not making the final 53-man roster at all. And at the USA Today site Cowboys Wire, that’s how they see things playing out for Freeman and the committee.
Royce Freeman ‘Impressed’ Stephen Jones
In putting together a training camp prediction of the Cowboys’ final 53-man roster, Cowboys wire foresees four backs being kept. Elliott and Dowdle are the obvious ones, with fullback Hunter Luepke in the group, too. The fourth back, though, is Vaughn, the popular 2023 preseason star who could get added consideration because of his talent as a kick returner.
Still, though it is clear that the Cowboys are not valuing running backs highly this season, it would be a surprise for the Cowboys to axe Freeman, who was signed in April.
Just last week, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones sung Freeman’s praises, speaking with 105.3 “The Fan” in Dallas.
“That Freeman guy has really impressed,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. “We were just talking about it [Sunday] at the scout dinner. ‘What in the hell was he doing sitting around out there?’ An interesting guy to just have been sitting there.”
“He’s a great two-three combination in terms of what he can do as a backup,” Jones said. “He’s a big, thick guy. And he’s a hell of a special teams player as well. He’ll be a good addition and great complement to [Ezekiel Elliott]. And then we’ll let these young guys between [Rico Dowdle and Malik Davis] and those guys [will] battle it out.”
Cowboys Expected to Have Worst RBs in NFL
Vaughn was notable for his absence in Jones’ discussion. Also in question is the status of Luepke—the Cowboys, presumably, want to continue using a fullback but if there is a roster crunch, perhaps that will change.
Any way it goes, the fact is, the Cowboys will enter 2024 with what is likely the weakest crop of running backs in the NFL. In their preseason rankings of all running-back units, Pro Football Focus had the Cowboys last in the league.
“After letting Tony Pollard sign elsewhere in free agency, and missing out on the top backs in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cowboys re-signed Ezekiel Elliott to be their lead rusher,” PFF noted.
“Elliott’s glory days came with the Cowboys, but his yards per carry average has dipped below 4.0 over the past two seasons, resulting in a career-low 69.2 PFF rushing grade in 2023. Behind him are Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn.”
