At the start of the week, the Cowboys’ No. 1 running back was 2023 sixth-round draft pick Deuce Vaughn, the 5-foot-6 sparkplug who had just 40 yards on 23 attempts last year. By the end of business on Monday, though, the Cowboys finally made a move to keep the team’s top remaining running back in place, re-signing 26-year old fifth-year veteran Rico Dowdle to a new contract.
Dowdle, according to a report from the Dallas Morning News, signed a one-year deal worth$1.255 million for the upcoming year. He had 89 attempts for 361 yards and two touchdowns last season. According to Spotrac, Dowdle’s market value was estimated at $2 million per year, and the site had him in line for a three-year, $6.2 million contract.
Dowdle took considerably less, which has been the Cowboys’ standard all throughout free agency. They have entered this offseason not to acquire talent that can push them over the hump in the postseason next winter, but to find the most rock-bottom deals they can find as they contemplate new contracts for Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb.
Cowboys Refusing to Spend in 2024
As beat writer Michael Gehlken reported on Twitter/X on Monday: “RB Rico Dowdle has agreed to re-sign with the Cowboys. One-year contract is worth $1.255M, including $200K signing bonus, a person close to situation said.”
RB Rico Dowdle has agreed to re-sign with the Cowboys. One-year contract is worth $1.255M, including $200K signing bonus, a person close to situation said. https://t.co/nw3t74CwAP
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 18, 2024
While bringing back Dowdle is a welcome move among Cowboys fans, the context in which the move is happening is not so welcome. Entering free agency, it seemed that if the Cowboys were to find a way to upgrade the offense, running back would be the spot.
Tony Pollard struggled last year and the team could have pursued some of the biggest-name half backs on the market: Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Aaron Jones. Instead, owner Jerry Jones and his front office twiddled their thumbs as the top RBs came off the board. Pollard bolted for the Titans at the opening of free agency.
The Cowboys responded with a shrug. It quickly became clear that the strategy at running back was not to re-sign Pollard or land a top name. The strategy always was to sit back and land a starter as a rookie in the NFL draft. There will be plenty of options available in Rounds 2-4, but the Cowboys run the risk of whomever they draft simply not being up to snuff in the NFL.
Rico Dowdle Undrafted in 2020
But now, there’s always Dowdle. Though he is No. 1 on the chart now, he is expected to work as a backup once the season gets rolling.
In four seasons to date, we have seen Dowdle for the Cowboys only in short stints. He was an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina in 2020, and stuck on the roster as a rookie, playing special teams and tallying seven rushing attempts as the third-stringer behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
A hip injury torpedoed his 2021 season, though, and an ankle injury limited him to five games in 2022. But last season, with Elliott gone, Dowdle made some relief appearances for Pollard and rushed for a career-high 79 yards and a touchdown in the Week 10 win over the Giants.
Perhaps that showing should give some hope that Dowdle could be the starter if needed. But it remains the only time in his career that Dowdle has topped 50 yards running.
