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A veteran running back who may be of interest to the Dallas Cowboys heading into the stretch run is on the market.
It’s no secret the running game has been a problem for the Cowboys all season.
They are currently 14th in the NFL, averaging 111.8 rushing yards per game.
The club took a leap of faith at the end of last season, letting Ezekiel Elliott go in favour of Tony Pollard.
After rushing for over 1,000 yards with Elliott as his sidekick in 2022, Pollard has yet to live up to expectations this season.
Dallas franchise tagged him in March 2023, but Pollard has been below average most of the season, with just one game of over 100 yards rushing this season (122 yards on 23 carries versus Arizona).
As they prepare for the final game of the regular season, there’s a new running back available who should generate interest from teams across the league.
Cook Makes Sense
The New York Jets parted ways with Dalvin Cook on Tuesday.
Like many of the Jets’ free-agent signings during the previous offseason, things haven’t worked out for Cook in New Jersey.
Cook’s had just 67 carries this season for 214 yards in a secondary role behind Breece Hall.
He’s been dissatisfied with a lack of playing time in 2023, with Cook being mentioned as a possible trade option ahead of the deadline.
When the news of his release went public, Dez Bryant, a former Cowboys All-Pro receiver, urged Dallas to bring Cook on board.
Whether or not that’ll happen is anybody’s guess, though.
This week, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said he isn’t worried about the running game, though he did acknowledge there are things to fix.
Even though he’s only averaged 3.2 yards-per-carry in 2023, Cook could be a great addition to a team looking to make a Super Bowl run.
The Benefits of Cook
Cook is not the flashiest running back, but is dependable when called upon.
In his seventh NFL season, he’s got a career average of 4.6 yards-per-carry, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of his last four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
The biggest plus of having Cook is that he’d be a valuable commodity in the red zone and is more than comfortable in one or two-back settings.
He’s also got playoff experience, rushing for 172 yards in three postseason games with Minnesota.
Since the departure of Kellen Moore, the Cowboys’ offense has struggled in the run game and the red zone.
They’re finding the end zone at a rate of 54.69% in 2023, good for 16th in the league.
Adding a dependable runner in that area of the field would take some pressure off Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, who’ve carried the offense with big plays down the field.
Many players have stepped up in the passing game, but the running game has been relatively stagnant.
The Cowboys wrap up the regular season on Sunday, knowing that a win would clinch the NFC East.
If they can beat the Commanders, they’d get a bye straight into the Divisional Round, giving a newcomer like Cook a couple of extra weeks to learn the Dallas playbook.