The Dallas Cowboys apparently have not heard complaints from fans after a lifeless first two days of free agency. Despite losing Tony Pollard, Dorance Armstrong, Tyler Biadasz and Dante Fowler, the Cowboys haven’t shown any urgency to bolster their roster after the most embarrassing playoff loss in franchise history.
As currently constituted, Dallas has flagrant needs at running back. Pollard signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Titans. It’s unclear what Pollard’s market looked like or what Dallas offered him, but this a great opportunity for him to become the featured back for a Titans offense that suddenly has a ton of firepower after they signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a huge contract.
Already thin in the backfield, the Cowboys updated depth chart at running back is absolutely demoralizing two weeks into free agency. They did re-sign Rico Dowdle on a one-year contract, but Dallas’ backfield still leaves a lot to be desired.
The #Titans are giving former #Cowboys RB Tony Pollard a 3-year deal worth $24M, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2024
Cowboys updated 2024 RB depth chart without Tony Pollard
Rico Dowdle
Deuce Vaughn
Malik Davis
Snoop Conner
Hunter Luepke (FB)
Make no mistake: the RB room will look a lot different by training camp. Who knows? There could be as many as two new faces by the time the NFL Draft is over. Right now, though, this is the worst assortment of backs in the league and it’s not even close.
Deuce Vaughn averaged 1.7 yards per carry as a rookie and faces long odds to make the 53-man roster next season. A former undrafted free agent, Malik Davis has stuck around for multiple seasons, but he only has 38 carries to show for it. He didn’t see a single offensive touch in 2023.
Meanwhile, Snoop Conner signed a futures contract with Dallas in January after his practice squad contract with the Jaguars expired. A fifth-round pick by Jacksonville in 2022, all of Conner’s 12 career carries came as a rookie two years ago. He spent the entirety of last season on the Jaguars practice squad.
The Dallas Cowboys are now the only NFL team that has yet to sign a single player from another team in free agency. pic.twitter.com/ROz5UOuotp
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 13, 2024
Luckily, the Cowboys are purportedly still looking to add to their backfield after signing Dowdle. While $4 million per year was too rich for Zack Moss, they reportedly kicking the tires on power back A.J. Dillon and rumor has it that dialogue has “remained open” with one Ezekiel Elliott.
Dillon and even Elliott don’t really move the needle, but this is the position Dallas put itself in by bypassing top- and middle-of-the-market free agents. The fact Dowdle is the projected starter and Deuce Vaughn is the current RB2 says everything you need to know about the state of the running back room.
