Surprising Cowboys Playmaker Named Potential Breakout Candidate

The Dallas Cowboys don’t exactly have a very enviable backfield at the moment. They lost Tony Pollard in free agency, failed to sign anyone of significance, struck out in the NFL Draft and then had to settle for bringing back Ezekiel Elliott in what seemed like a panic move.

That leaves the Cowboys with Elliott and a couple of unproven commodities at the running back position.

However, Saad Yousuf of The Athletic feels that one of those said unproven commodities could end up being a breakout player in 2024.

In a piece where The Athletic beat writers listed off one potential breakout Fantasy Football player from each team, Yousuf named Rico Dowdle for Dallas.

Dowdle joins Elliott and Deuce Vaughn as the Cowboys’ main three halfbacks heading into 2024, which has many wondering if Dallas will make a move at the position between now and Week 1.

But Yousuf notes that Dowdle came on strong late in 2023 and could end up becoming the Cowboys’ lead running back this coming season.

Dowdle rushed for 361 yards and a couple of touchdowns while averaging 4.1 yards per carry last year, adding 17 catches for 144 yards and a pair of scores.

The 26-year-old did put together a couple of solid performances in the second half, most notably when he carried the ball 12 times for 79 yards and a touchdown in a Week 10 win over the New York Giants.

Will the Cowboys be genuine contenders in 2024?

The Cowboys have rattled off three straight 12-win campaigns, but they have just one playoff win to show for it.

Dallas has not made it past the Divisional Round of the postseason since January 1996, so the franchise is starving for some playoff success.

Can the Cowboys finally deliver that to their fans in 2024?

Well, on paper, Dallas looks formidable, but its potential locker-room issues could cause some problems for the team this coming season.

The Cowboys have yet to reach contract extensions with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, both of whom are entering the final years of their respective deals. Plus, edge rusher Micah Parsons became eligible for a new pact this offseason, and his behavior may be wearing thin on the club. Just ask safety Malik Hooker.

If Dallas is able to get things in order before September, there is every reason to believe that it can repeat as NFC East division champions and potentially make a deep playoff run.

But I feel like we’ve heard this all before.

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