The Texas Longhorns rusher Jonathan Brooks could be the Dallas Cowboys‘ lead running back even though they re-signed Rico Dowdle. Brooks had a breakthrough years before he got injured. As per Clarence Hill Jr, Longhorns RB who tore his ACL against TCU is said to have been operated by the Cowboys team doctor and remains on the track to recover on time.
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Brooks has been invited to Dallas’ 30-man visit and given they are keeping tabs on his rehab and recovery, he is expected to be their 2nd-round pick. Jonathan has been likened to an early version of Pollard and ran for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games.
Brooks has been touted as someone waiting to burst on the scene and has faced criticism for his unstable execution and inability to maintain his balance on contact. Despite his deficiencies, he is still projected as the best back in the draft class that isn’t heavy on the RBs anyway. Despite not participating in the Combine, he met with several teams in Indianapolis and during his East-West Shrine Bowl, which means the Cowboys aren’t the only team that have shown interest in him.
Dallas’ RB room has been short since they let go of their RB1 Tony Pollard and could find themselves without an experienced back given that most free-agent rushers are already off the table.
Dallas Cowboys Running Back Situation 2024
The Cowboys traded their star rusher Tony Pollard to the Titans. Pollard replaced Derrick Henry, with a three-year, $24 million contract with the franchise as per the NFL website. However, his departure left America’s Team short in the Running-Back department.
They re-signed Rico Dowdle on a 1 year $1.255 million contract. He rushed for 361 yards on 89 carries and found the end zone 4 times last season. He joins Malik Davis, Deuce Vaughn, and Snoop Conner. While Jerry Jones’s team look like the favorite to sign Brooks, they still need an experienced back to share the workload. Ezekiel Elliot, the former Cowboy was expected to return to the club after spending a season in New England
With most backs already signed, the Cowboys could still pursue J.K. Dobbins or Clyde Edwards-Helaire in free agency. Both seem more competent and explosiveness than Zeke as per BVM sports. If they don’t manage to sign an experienced back, they will find themselves in a difficult position at the start of next season. Their unwillingness to invest and pay big money to rushers in this free agency highlights the trend that has been going on for the past few seasons. The position of the RB has been devalued and teams are no longer willing to part with money for them.
