FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys acted with little urgency to improve their backfield a year ago. Once Tony Pollard left in free agency the team installed an aged Ezekiel Elliott and an inexperienced Rico Dowdle.
The latter ended up producing solid numbers individually but the Cowboys rushing offense was far from a strength. That led to a complete overhaul in the offseason.
Dallas signed Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams during free agency before drafting Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue in April. One would think those moves gives them a wide enough selecting pool to construct their backfield and identify a solid No. 1.
Just in case they are still searching for options, Daniel Arwas at heavy.com has urged the Cowboys to explore a trade for another young running back. He identified Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum as the ideal target.
“Although Williams and Sanders are both recognizable names; both made their respective All-Rookie teams, and Sanders was a Pro Bowler in 2022; the two combined for less than 800 yards in 2024. And that – in the case of Williams – was as the team’s designated starter.
Running back is, unfortunately for the pair, a young man’s game, and Corum certainly still has his youth.”
Blue and Mafah were not widely acclaimed prospects coming out of college so there’s no guarantee they usurp the veterans at training camp. As Arwas notes, there are some questions for both Sanders and Williams to answer in showing they deserve top billing in the Cowboys’ backfield.
But does that all mean Dallas must add another player to the mix? Corum may be under utilized in Los Angeles, yet the Rams are one injury away from needing his services. At Kyren Williams’ usage rate, that grim possibility cannot be entirely ruled out.
It’s a hard ask for the Rams to sacrifice their own backfield depth and the Cowboys simultaneously stir the competition with another competitor. If they cannot find a solid starter and use their backs effectively within this scheme, that’s simply a failure on both the front office and coaching staff.
As of now, there’s a belief that at least two of these players will be capable and dependable each week. The Cowboys should not be in a rush to add anymore pieces at least until they the full scope of what they have at training camp.
