NFL Week 4 was a painful one for a number of significant players, including Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle. What are Jerry Jones’ options if Dowdle needs to miss time? We explore the Dallas Cowboys news and rumors.
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Dallas Cowboys News and Rumors: Exploring the RB Market
Back in August, we discussed the Cowboys’ need for a veteran running back to provide experience at the position behind starter Tony Pollard.
Pollard, a fourth-round pick of the Cowboys out of the 2019 NFL Draft, was a multipurpose player during his three years at Memphis (RB, WR, KR, PR), but despite the excellent versatility, there were questions in the college scouting world in terms of what his role would be at the next level.
When scouting sources would call the coaches or their football operations department back prior to that draft, word was they weren’t asking much about Pollard — they wanted more information on RB Darrell Henderson, who would also be selected in the 2019 draft (Round 3 — Los Angeles Rams), as well as information about other players.
Pollard, a game-breaking kickoff returner during his three years of play at Memphis, put up an eye-popping 2,616 yards on 87 returns (30.1 return average) to go along with seven touchdowns.
But as a running back, he only totaled 139 carries to go along with 104 receptions over those three years, and scouting sources we talked to recently said that teams still had questions as to what his role would be at the NFL level, which is why he dropped to the third day of the draft.
Some thought, at best, he would be a third-down back and kick returner.
However, Pollard, over time, put on some badly needed weight with the Cowboys (10-15 pounds) over his first 3-4 years with the team and finally got a chance at extended playing time in 2022 over veteran RB Ezekiel Elliott.
Pollard saw 53% of the offensive snaps at running back last season, and it was obvious to anyone who followed the team closely that he had to take over as the starter.
Pollard finished with his first 1,000-yard season and displayed that versatility again that he showed at Memphis with 39 receptions.
With Elliott’s release this past June, Pollard took over as the full-time back, but Dallas could not reach an extension with him, and he’s playing on a one-year franchise salary of $10.1 million.
Behind him are two rookies (Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke) and fourth-year pro Rico Dowdle, who won the No. 2 job heading into the regular season.
Unfortunately, Dowdle suffered a hip injury during Sunday’s 31-3 blowout win and couldn’t return after suffering the injury during the third quarter.
Rico Dowdle injury update:
X-Rays were negative on his hip, and he’ll undergo an MRI on Monday. #Cowboys
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) October 1, 2023
Dowdle did not play in 2021 due to a hip injury suffered during a preseason game and also finished last season on injured reserve due to a broken ankle.
With his status uncertain, here’s an inside look at the recent veteran RB workout list from NFL sources:
- Kareem Hunt (worked out and signed by Cleveland Browns)
- Kenyan Drake (worked out and signed by Baltimore Ravens)
- Ronald Jones (recently released by Cowboys/worked out by Ravens and Indianapolis Colts)
- James Robinson (worked out by Ravens)
- Darrell Henderson (worked out recently by the Indianapolis Colts)
- J.J. Taylor (worked out by Seattle Seahawks)
- Darrel Williams (worked out by Houston Texans)
- Tarik Cohen (worked out and signed by Carolina Panthers)
Jones, who signed a one-year, $1.2 deal with the Cowboys back in March, was the favorite to win the No. 2 job, but he never panned out and was released after serving a two-game suspension to start the season.
Henderson, the speedy veteran runner, was once the Los Angeles Rams’ starter at the position, but he suffered through various injury issues during his time with the team and was cut late last November.
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Williams is known in pro scouting circles for power running, and he was once the No. 2 RB with the Kansas City Chiefs.
What the Cowboys need are two things in back of Pollard: experience and the ability to handle volume carries if called upon.
Pollard only had four games (all last season) with 15 carries or more over his first four seasons of play. And while he has two games already of 20+ carries, there are still questions on how many carries per game he realistically can handle over the course of a regular season and playoffs.