The Cowboys signed Kendre Miller to their practice squad yesterday at the trade deadline and kept all four of their remaining 2027 draft picks.
At 4-5, I’m good with Jerry Jones keeping the picks, but what bothers me is hearing Jerry say the Cowboys went two or three weeks without a “meaningful dialogue” about a player they wanted.
I’d like to know if anybody in Dallas called about a pass rusher and what the asking price was for them.
Jerry Jones Already Made His Bet on this Defense
If Jerry gave up on this team, I would have a hard time trying to explain the Joey Porter Jr. trade. Dallas sent Pittsburgh a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth for a corner in the last year of his deal.
That’s an expensive way to start playing for next year. A month later, and Dallas is still trying to get back to .500.
I wouldn’t have spent another draft pick trying to get back there, either.
On 105.3 The Fan, Jerry was asked whether the way Dallas had played figured into his decision at the deadline. He said, “I don’t know, I can’t answer that.”
He had more to say about his defense, and he liked the interior line. He thought the pressure up front was helping his secondary.
I think Jerry still thinks this team has a chance to make a run. That’s a tough pill for me to swallow after watching Dallas commit 14 penalties for 153 yards Sunday.
What Kind of Work Should Kendre Miller Get?
At TCU, Kendre Miller had quick enough feet to slip by defenders in the hole and the balance to keep going when somebody got a piece of him.
In his final college season, Miller ran for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns behind an offensive line that had All-American guard Steve Avila, but in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints this year, he averaged 2.8 yards per carry.
His busiest game this season was against the Giants, where he ran 20 times for 70 yards. Across his other five games, he had 89 yards on 37 carries.
I wouldn’t mind seeing if Miller can settle in with a few more carries. He got a chance against the Giants, but once in six games is a tough way to judge a running back.
If Dallas elevates him, which they should, let’s give him a full series when Javonte Williams needs a breather. We can’t see a handoff in the first quarter and another halfway through the third. That wouldn’t tell us much of anything.
The Third-and-3 I’d Like Dallas to Play Again
I’m not sold on the idea the blocking Kendre Miller will get in Dallas will be great. Dallas ranked 31st in run block win rate against the Indianapolis Colts. Against Arizona a week earlier, the Cowboys led 17-10 with a first-and-goal at the two.
I liked the call by Schottenheimer, but Williams ran twice into waiting defenders. He lost two yards off the left tackle and another up the middle. By the time Dak Prescott scrambled into the end zone, he had five yards to cover.
The play calling against the Colts is where I question if Dallas trusts the run game enough to give Kendre Miller a fighting chance.
Tied at 20 in the fourth quarter, Williams ran right for seven yards to the Colts’ 32. He went left on second-and-3 and got stuffed. On third down, Dak threw deep for CeeDee Lamb and the pass fell incomplete. Brandon Aubrey came out and missed the 50-yarder.
In that same game, Williams and Tyler Goodson combined for 178 yards on 32 carries. I would have given Williams another chance at those three yards and gone for it on fourth down if he got us close.
A few minutes later, we watched as 1:19 was left, a run play was called on second-and-10 at the Colts’ 19. Williams went up the middle for eight yards. He scored the winning touchdown from the one-yard line.
I want Javonte Williams on the field, but Goodson had 12 carries for 77 yards of his own, and now Schottenheimer has to give those carries to someone. If Miller dresses out against San Francisco, I would put in the first time Javonte comes out and let him finish the play.
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