Cowboys Trade Proposal Sends 'Intriguing' Ezekiel Elliott Replacement to Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys may need some help in the backfield for the back half of the season, and one analyst suggested they could find it in the form of an "intriguing" running back falling out of the rotation in Chicago.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell suggested that the Cowboys could be looking for running back help at the trade deadline, especially with Ezekiel Elliott falling out of the rotation and Rico Dowdle having a "quiet start to the season."

Barnwell speculated that the Cowboys could land Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick, adding some much-needed depth and versatility to the backfield. Barnwell noted that Herbert has "intriguing tools" and a strong yards-per-carry average.

"There's no Derrick Henry lurking as an immediately impactful back, but what about adding another set of fresh legs to compete with Dowdle?" Barnwell wrote. "Herbert is probably not the sort of back to shoulder a workload of 20 carries per game, but among the 46 players with 300 carries or more between 2021 and 2023, his 4.9 yards-per-carry average ranks seventh."

Barnwell added that Herbert has become the "odd man out in Chicago's rushing attack," with D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson each logging more snaps. Herbert hasn't had a touch since Week 3, and his expiring contract could make him a likely candidate to move at the trade deadline, Barnwell added.

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