Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have caught a lot of heat lately regarding their “selectively aggressive” approach to the 2025 offseason. The heat was turned up after Myles Garrett reset the edge rusher market with a massive contract before Dallas extended Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys made a “selectively aggressive” move in free agency by recently agreeing to terms with Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams.
Cowboys Add Javonte Williams in Hopes of Kickstarting Rushing Attack
Dallas’ offense struggled in 2024 finishing No. 22 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric. Dak Prescott was lost for the season after a partial avulsion of his hamstring in Week 9, and the offense never rebounded.
The Cowboys’ running game was awful most of 2024, with Rico Dowdle managing 1,079 yards and two rushing scores behind a struggling offensive line. He was the most consistent skill player, adding 249 receiving yards and three more scores through the air. Veteran Ezekiel Elliott was the next leading rusher out of the backfield with just 226 yards.
Dowdle played on a one-year contract in 2024, and his time in Dallas is likely over after the team agreed to terms with Williams to boost the rushing attack. Tom Pelissero was the first to report the deal, tweeting, “Former Broncos RB Javonte Williams is signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the Cowboys, per sources. Max $3.5M with incentives.”
It’s a super-cheap, short-term fix for Dallas, a team expected to go after a running back early in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to ESPN Nation Cowboys reporter Todd Archer. He tweeted, “Javonte Williams’ deal is one year worth $3 million and a max of $3.5 million. Might spell the end of Rico Dowdle with the Cowboys, but would expect the Cowboys to look at a RB early in the draft if they don’t add another back.”
READ MORE: Top 121 NFL Free Agent Rankings
Williams was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft and looked like a sure-fire stud after gaining 903 yards and four touchdowns his rookie year. He added 43 receptions, 316 yards, and three receiving scores that year, but he never recaptured that production the rest of his time in Denver after a major knee injury in 2022 (torn ACL/LCL).
He was PFSN’s No. 76 available free agent before agreeing to terms with Dallas, and he found a small pay day after a flashy 2024 campaign. PFSN’s Sterling Xie wrote about the deal, saying, “Williams isn’t the rising star he appeared to be after his rookie season, but did flash more receiving value in 2024. Although this is a solid value, Dallas needs to add more to its running back room.”
Williams is not a bad gamble on close to a minimum contract, as he did show more receiving value in 2024 with career-highs in receptions (52) and receiving yards (346). He just can’t be the only addition to the Cowboys’ running back room.