The battle for roster spots is always a joy to witness as training camp progresses each offseason, and there is no shortage of competition in Dallas Cowboys camp so far. There have been scuffles, good plays, bad plays, and everything else in between. It has been an action-packed training camp and the team has only been in full pads for a handful of practices.
Yesterday, we analyzed the safety position to highlight the high level of talent and competition in that room.
DC Mike Zimmer will have some tough decisions to make when roster cuts come around. The same can be said for Running Backs Coach Jeff Blasko and the horses he has in his stable. Blasko coordinates a room of running backs with mixed traits, age being one of them.
Obviously, not every running back at camp is going to make the team. What I want to do today is analyze each one and predict which will make the team.
Tony Pollard’s contract expired, and the Cowboys chose to let him test free agency. He is now back in his home state of Tennessee as a member of the Titans running back rotation.
With Pollard’s departure, the Cowboys rushing attack loses explosiveness and speed, and those traits need to be made up somehow. There is nothing certain about the Cowboys’ running back room, but we can try and speculate how things will end up.
Ezekiel Elliott Has a Leg Up
Ezekiel Elliott returned to the Cowboys after a one-year hiatus. He was released by the Cowboys as a salary cap casualty after the 2022 season concluded, and ended up with a role on the New England Patriots.
Cowboys Nation was split on what it meant to have Zeke back with a star on his helmet. Some say he is washed out and not worth his contract. Others say he can be a valuable veteran presence who still has traits to help the team.
I fall with the latter group. People must remember that Elliott suffered a PCL injury in a game against, ironically, the New England Patriots, whom he would play for in the following season.
He was a noticeably different player after his knee was essentially hyperextended while being tackled, and didn’t look half bad in the Patriots’ backfield last season.
Ezekiel Elliott, in 17 games played for the Patriots, carried the football 184 times for 642 yards, a 3.5 yard per carry clip. He often struggled to break loose, but the 2023 Patriots also were one of the worst run blocking teams in the entire NFL.
You can’t convince me that Elliott wouldn’t help the current Cowboys running back room with his veteran savvy on short runs, as well as a renewed vigor to be back to the place he spent the first seven years of his career.
Elliott will make the team, and play a key role in the offense.
Rico Dowdle Brings a Change of Pace
Right now, let’s consider Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle to be the 1A and 1B at the running back position for the Cowboys. It really has nothing to do with talent. It’s just that they each bring different traits to the offense that, when combined, have the makings of a true RB1.
While Elliott is the veteran presence that you know will get you a minimum of three yards per carry with the occasional burst, Dowdle is the speed back who hits the hole like lightning in a thunderstorm.
Dowdle has shown us his speed on the field after finally getting the opportunity for a major role in the offense last season.
He has struggled with injuries since joining the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2020, but was able to stay healthy enough to help replace the production lost by the release of Elliott.
Now he will share the backfield with Elliott as a change-of-pace back. The one-two punch might not scare defensive coordinators, but with a better blocking scheme, the running game as a whole should improve.
Royce Freeman Brings Fresh Legs for a Vet
The newest veteran to be added to the team is Royce Freeman. He has played for several teams during his six-year career, most recently as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
Reports out of training camp say that Freeman has played well, earning the attention of the coaching staff. Many wrote off his signing as just a camp body or the Cowboys’ desperation to add bodies to the room. However, Freeman is showing that he might bring some pop to the running game.
He might have six seasons under his belt, but he has never had more than 132 carries in a season. Freeman’s 77 carries last year with Los Angeles were the most since the 2019 season.
In a way, he has fresh legs. If any running back is going to challenge Elliott for his role, it will be Freeman.
Others to Consider
I didn’t give him his own section because he’s not a true running back, but Hunter Luepke will have a role with this team. He might not be active for every game, but that is dependent on the opponent and how many tight ends the Cowboys want suited up each week.
There is also second-year RB Deuce Vaughn, a fan favorite. Vaughn was active for just seven games last year, rushing 23 times for 40 yards. His size, coupled with a bad running scheme, didn’t equate to good results for him.
Now Vaughn is dealing with an injury that has kept him from working with the team. It’s not looking good for him to make the roster in 2024.
Nathaniel Peat is another player to watch solely based on the speed he brings to the field. Peat ran a 4.37 40-yard dash during his pro day at Missouri, and it caught the Cowboys’ attention.
Here is a short list of the rest of the running backs at camp who would need something close to a miracle to make the final roster:
- Snoop Conner
- Malik Davis