The Dallas Cowboys have struggled with one of the weakest offenses in the entire league to begin this season. Yes, they have talent, but their running back staff is led by Ezekiel Elliott, who hasn’t had a good season in two or three years. The days when he could be a team’s workhorse running back are long gone.
They also ran the risk of not seeing CeeDee Lamb on the field because of a contract dispute, but they recently resolved that by giving Lamb a record-breaking contract extension.
Although the wide receiver situation is resolved and Lamb will return to the team shortly, they still have a large hole at the running back position. Their current running back roster consists of the overloaded Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner. Two or three of those running backs will be released by the start of the season and Dallas could also hit the open market to get more depth at the position.
Speaking of more depth, Dalvin Cook is still available.
Not only is Cook available, but there appears to be mutual interest from the Cowboys and Cook in potentially adding him as one of their running backs.
Cook was recently featured in a video posted to social media, and he seems more than ready to make a comeback this season. The former Vikings running back is coming off a 1,100-yard, eight-touchdown season just two years ago and is also very active in the passing game. He is one of the better running backs of the last decade and has been quoted as saying he feels better right now than he has in years.
The #Cowboys May Not Be Done: Sources say 4x Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook is flying to Dallas tonight for a visit.
Unlike a year ago, when he was recovering from shoulder surgery, Cook has been lifting weights all offseason and says he feels better than he has in years. pic.twitter.com/jT9Zsf91qB
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) 26 August 2024
Cook may not be the same running back who rushed for 1,600 yards and over 15 touchdowns in a single year, but he is certainly better than some of the players the Cowboys currently have on their roster.
Dallas can’t rely on Elliott to be their top back. At this stage of his career, he needs to spread the runs or the Cowboys will run him into the ground. Cook would be the perfect complementary back to play alongside Elliott.
While this would be one of the older running back duos in the league, this is exactly what the Cowboys need to do if they want to avoid becoming a one-dimensional offense. These RBs could help take the pressure off of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb’s offense.
