Cowboys make important decision surrounding four-time Pro Bowler ahead of Week 1

The Dallas Cowboys will play the Cleveland Browns in their season opener this Sunday as they go on the road to start their 2024 campaign. Ahead of the big game, where winds could be a factor, running the ball efficiently could turn out to be very important, which is why the team's latest decision is noteworthy.

Every Saturday, NFL teams need to determine which players, if any, they're elevating from practice squad. Usually, these are little-known players called up for depth purposes but the Cowboys happen to have four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook on their practice squad.

The Cowboys decided not to elevate Cook for the first game of the season, however . The only elevated player was LB Nick Vigil, while the team also activated CeeDee Lamb to the active roster.

As for Cook, who was signed in late August, it's been unclear what kind of role the team expects from the veteran.

"We added Dalvin Cook into the mix to see how it all works out, because he’s a high-level player," Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay recently told The Athletic . "(He) didn’t have great success last year, but you look at the scheme he was in and kind of the situation and see if that fits into what we do."

Is it Rico Dowdle or Ezekiel Elliott's show?

The Cowboys' decision to keep Cook in the squad confirms it'll be Dowdle and Zeke running the show although the question remains as to who emerges as the team's true RB1. Mike McCarthy has hinted at the answer being the former No. 4 overall pick but Dowdle likely provides the highest upside and has had experience with McCarthy's pass pro scheme.

Week 1 will be the first opportunity for these two to really battle it out as even the Cowboys head coach has admitted teams have little room to practice the running game as opposed to the passing game in the offseason.

Additionally, we'll find out how much Deuce Vaughn can contribute after surviving roster cuts thanks to a strong preseason, where he showed his unique, shifty play-making ability.

Related: Zack Martin takes a firm stance on one of the Cowboys' most controversial decisions of the year