The Dallas Cowboys feature one of the NFL’s best running back tandems. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard create an explosive and productive combo, accounting for nearly all touches from the position in 2020.
Last season, only one other running back received carries: rookie Rico Dowdle, who ran seven times for 24 yards. There weren’t many opportunities for anybody else, but the University of South Carolina graduate made his way up from undrafted free agency to roster spot, where he played 15 games, largely on special teams.
Dowdle entered training camp third on the depth chart and performed well enough to maintain his position. However, a damaged hip has forced the Cowboys to bring Dowdle in.He was placed on IR, which ended his season.
It’s a bad break for the Cowboys, who are expected to start the season with Elliott, Pollard, and Dowdle as their top three backs again. Dowdle had demonstrated enough in the preseason to win that position, leading Dallas with 99 yards rushing in their three exhibition games thus far.Although it isn’t a shattering blow to a club with probably the strongest one-two punch in the league at running back, the Cowboys will now have to go elsewhere to fill the RB position, and their depth chart has taken another knock.
Dowdle is the Cowboys’ second RB to miss the season due to injury, following Sewo Olonilua, who was placed on season-ending IR with a neck injury last week. A group that had already been reduced
Down to three good runners, the search for a successor for Dowdle begins.
The Cowboys’ main choices currently are two undrafted rookie free agents: JaQuan Hardy from Tiffin and Brenden Knox from Marshall. Both RBs have had numerous opportunities in the preseason and will have another game to prove their worth on the 53-man roster. Hardy has seen more carries in the first three games, but the preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars is crucial. The additional exhibition game for Dallas has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for these two runners.
Or the team might take a different approach, keeping Louisiana-Lafayette fullback Nick Ralston, another undrafted rookie free agency.
