Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys still have a lot of questions at running back. Ezekiel Elliott is back, but his yards per game has gotten lower every year he’s been in the league. Last season he had his lowest yards/carry (3.5) and lowest success rate (45.1%) of his eight-year NFL career. Rico Dowdle could get a heavier workload, but can he endure the extra work? Last year, Dowdle was healthy for the first time in four years but had less than six rushing attempts per game. The team also has free agent Royce Freeman and second-year back Deuce Vaughn, but no one expects too much from these guys.

That leaves the running back group a little on the weak side. The draft is long over so things are not likely to change much now. However, there is one final shot the Cowboys can take that can slightly improve this position group. They can see how training camp and preseason turn out and go after a running back who plays on a team deep at the position. Maybe this is their plan.

We mentioned this idea a couple of months ago and how a last-minute trade could be the answer to bolstering the running back group.

The Cowboys didn’t draft a running back, but several teams did, and suddenly those depth charts got a little more crowded. Over the course of training camp, some of these new rookies will earn favor and jump the current backup on the depth chart. The Cowboys didn’t want to spend a future third-rounder to get back into the fourth round of this year’s draft (and good for them!), but they might not mind spending a future fifth- or six-round pick to acquire one of these backups who have suddenly lost some of their worth with their new team. With all the compensatory draft capital they’ll have next year, a move like this would be no skin off their nose.

This seems like a sound approach, but which running backs might that entail? Here are five players who have slid down the depth chart and could be more valuable for the Cowboys.

Rashaad Penny, Carolina Panthers (age, 28)

Penny is currently RB4 on a deep Panthers running back group that features three players the team is committed to. They just spent a second-round pick on new rookie Jonathon Brooks so, the expectation is that he’ll be the workhorse. They also signed Miles Sanders in free agency and are financially stuck with him for another season. And then there’s Chuba Hubbard, the team’s leading rusher from a year ago. The Panthers signed Penny to a one-year, $1.3 million deal in May. Penny is coming off a down year where he only played in three games while buried on the Eagles depth chart. But in his previous two seasons, he was an impact runner for the Seahawks when healthy as he ran for over six yards per carry in 2021 and 2022.

Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears (age, 26)

Herbert was thought to be the workhorse back last year after the departure of David Montgomery, but he remained in a part-time role. His role could be smaller this year as he finds himself as the Bears RB3. Chicago signed signed free agent D’Andre Swift and has second-year back Roschon Johnson. They should handle the bulk of the work this upcoming season. Herbert is in the last year of his rookie deal, so any trade would likely just be a one-year rental, but considering he is a year removed from leading all running backs with 5.7 yards per carry, a late-round draft resource wouldn’t be a bad investment.

Jeff Wilson Jr., Miami Dolphins (age 28)

Wilson was one of many running back pieces in San Francisco. He never got much traction as he was always dealing with injuries. He was good enough for former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel to trade for him and use him in Miami. They even signed him to a two-year extension last year. Wilson is now an afterthought in Miami behind veteran Raheem Mostert, second-year speedster De’Von Achane, and new rookie Jaylen Wright. It’s hard to see where he’d get work on a deep Dolphins team and it may allow Miami to shop him near final roster cuts.

Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints (age 22)

When the Saints selected Miller in the third round of last year’s draft, it seemed like he would be a big part of their future, but a lot has changed in a year. The team signed veteran Jamaal Williams to a three-year deal last offseason and they still have Alvin Kamara under contract for two more years. The team also likes what they’ve seen from last year’s undrafted free agent Jordan Mims who was believed to be in a battle for the RB3 spot with Miller. Making matters worse is that Miller injured his hamstring on the first day of training camp, putting his roster spot in jeopardy. The Saints only kept three RBs on the roster last season. The Cowboys have already shown interest in him as he had a pre-draft visit last year. Health will be a factor, but a young player with lots of tread left on the tire and three more years of a cheap rookie deal could pique the Cowboys’ interest.

Israel Abanikanda, New York Jets (age 21)

The former Pitt running back was one of my favorite running backs from last year’s draft. He didn’t do much as a rookie as he was stuck behind Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook on the Jets. Cook is gone, but Hall remains and the team drafted two new rookies, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Depending on how the rookies perform, they could push Abanikanda down the depth chart. Similar to Miller, he’s only in the second year of his four-year rookie deal so the appeal of cheap player control might entice the Cowboys to make an offer for him.

Which down-the-depth-chart running back do you think the Cowboys should go after?