It’s time for the Cowboys to elevate RB Dalvin Cook to the active roster
The Dallas Cowboys didn’t have to be in the position they’re in at running back. It was one of the most glaring needs that the team had after not pursuing Derrick Henry and letting Tony Pollard go to the Tennessee Titans in free agency. When the NFL draft rolled around, the Cowboys decided to ignore the position again, much to the surprise of many. Yes, the Cowboys brought back Ezekiel Elliott, but that wasn’t a move that was going to drastically improve the room.
Dallas made the choice that the committee approach was the way to go. Well, through their first four games it is slow going. The Cowboys are averaging just 75.3 yards a game, which ranks 30th in the NFL. Elliott can still be effective in short yardage and in the red zone, and Dowdle runs with a purpose, but neither have any juice to their game. So, at this point, the Cowboys need to make one internal move since they’re not going to look outside of the building for answers, and that’s to elevate veteran Dalvin Cook to the active roster.
Being one of the most electrifying runners in the league isn’t where Cook is in his career. Also, what he put on film with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens in 2023 wasn’t great. However, with the Cowboys only averaging 3.5 per rush, they have to try and find someone who can provide a spark. Cook needs to get into football shape, which comes with playing actual games, but he does have fresh legs, and he just feels like the guy that has the best chance on the Cowboys to bring some sizzle to the running back room.
The lack of a running game puts too much on the plate of quarterback Dak Prescott and makes the Cowboys offense one-dimensional and predictable. If Cook were to be called up, the hope would be that he could show something similar to the guy that used to plant his foot, make one cut, and take off years ago. It won’t be as explosive as it once was, but it has a chance to be better than what any of the other runners have shown so far.
There’s no doubt that the running back situation for the Cowboys was self-inflicted with how they operate when it comes to acquiring talent. Regardless, something needs to be done to switch things up, and Cook should at least get a shot to show he has something left.