Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys are going to have to figure out a plan at running back this season.
The Dallas Cowboys’ moves at running back, or really the lack thereof, were one of the major talking points in last year’s offseason. That topic continued through the season as players Dallas could have targeted like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry ran over the NFL. In 2025, the Cowboys again have a big RB need, and there’s endless debate about how much they will and should be willing to spend to fill it.
It feels like we’ve done a lap around the RB conversation and are right back where we started before the 2024 offseason. Tony Pollard was headed into free agency and there wasn’t anyone of consequence under contract. Once again, we find last season’s starter with an expiring contract and not much to speak of behind him.
The cupboard wasn’t as bare as most people thought a year ago. They didn’t realize that Rico Dowdle had a 1,000-yard season in him. Once he was finally given full RB1 treatment around Thanksgiving, Dowdle’s productivity soared. Had the Cowboys not gotten nostalgic with Ezekiel Elliott early in 2024, Dowdle might have finished as the NFL’s third-leading rusher behind Barkley and Henry.
But even without those extra yards, Dowdle still enters the 2025 free agent market with momentum. Though he turns 27 in June, he has relatively low NFL mileage. An all-around player with skills that suit most systems, Dowdle should attract plenty of interest. And with this being his first chance at free agency with some actual juice, Dowdle may want to see how that feels before agreeing to anything the Cowboys might offer.
Granted, many would like to see a more explosive, game-breaking runner in Dallas. But that requires an outside move as none of the current in-house options fit the bill. At best, Hunter Leupke and Deuce Vaughn are utility players. And while Malik Davis has his fans from the last few preseasons, he couldn’t even beat Dowdle for a roster spot.
While Dowdle won’t be the biggest name in the 2025 RB market, there isn’t a Barkley-level option out there for teams needing a new starter. Aaron Jones and Nick Chubb are the more accomplished prospective free agents, saddled with their own age and injury concerns. Dowdle falls more into the next tier with guys like J.K. Dobbins and Najee Harris.
Without any splash signing to be had, Dallas’ strategy may be to re-sign Dowdle or replace him with someone comparable. If the team believes it can maintain the kind of production that Dowdle had in the back portion of last season, they might take more of a “moneyball” approach at RB and focus cap dollars and draft picks on bolstering other parts of the offense. If Dowdle could be that productive with last year’s issues, imagine what could happen in...
