Dallas City News

The Dallas Cowboys‘ running back room has been a constant point of contention all offseason long. With the front office opting to go the penny-pinching route, using old friends and unknowns to fill out the group, fans are a bit weary about how it could play out this season.

However, despite being unable to find a running back in the draft and their unwillingness to bring a top-level rusher in via free agency, Dallas is now throwing a dart and hoping it will stick as Week 1 draws close.

That dart was the signing of Dalvin Cook to the practice squad. On name value alone, it intrigues the room. However, with a subpar 2023 season in the rearview, fans are once again unsure of what the move can bring them this year.

We examine the new addition, discuss his body of work to this point, and consider what he may be able to provide for Dallas in 2024.

Measurables and career stats

• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 210 lb
• Years in NFL: 7 seasons
• Rushing attempts: 1,349
• Rushing yards: 6.207
• Rushing average: 4.6
• Rushing TDs: 47
• Receptions: 236
• Receiving yards: 1,872
• Receiving TDs: 5

The connection between Cook and the Cowboys is obvious. The team is still very much unsettled at the running back spot, looking to add juice to the room anywhere they can. That coupled with Cook playing for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer while they were both in Minnesota, felt like a connection that has made sense all offseason.

As Cook heads into his eighth season in the NFL, he is coming off an injury-filled year that saw him gain no traction in a bad situation. With Aaron Rodgers going down within minutes of the season’s start, coupled with the poor offensive line and quarterback play from there on out, Cook was doomed from the start.

Dallas provides him with a fresh opportunity and a chance to make a true impact once again. The veteran running back is only one full season removed from a year in which he rushed for 1,173 yards at 4.4 yards a clip and eight touchdowns.

Cook’s strengths

• Productive veteran who knows how to use his blocks and hit the hole with patience.
• Powerful, low center-of-gravity runner who can be a plus player in short-yardage situations.
• Still has burst to hit the hole and separate, even if it isn’t consistent like in years past.
• Good hands out of the backfield.
• You can get the most out of him in a committee approach, keeping his legs fresh.
• When healthy, only one year removed from high-level production.

Cook’s weaknesses

• Older, coming off his worst season.
• Days of being an every-down back are behind him.
• Wear and tear is natural.
• He still has juice, but he doesn’t hit full throttle like he used to.

Summary

Is it possible that his best years are behind him? Absolutely. However, this a guy who, before 2023, had four consecutive seasons of over 1,000 yards, and the Cowboys are betting on Cook looking much more like the 2022 version of himself rather than the one from last year.

Even if he isn’t that guy, it’s a low-risk move with Dallas only merely using a practice squad spot on him here. If you’re mad at the Cowboys for the way they handled the running back room as a whole, that’s fine. However, it’s tough to sit here and have legitimate reasons for being upset with this move specifically.