Important Dallas Cowboys position group ranked as worst in NFL

The Dallas Cowboys have a pair of problems on their hands. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are in the final year of their contracts, and agreeing on fair market value has been difficult. Both deserve to be among the highest-paid players at their position. Naturally, these expenses impact how the Cowboys can pay their other players too.

In an offseason where Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Dallas would be “all-in,” we’ve yet to see the team make a splash. In fact, some might argue the Cowboys have gotten worse with several players leaving in free agency. Now, one large publication believes Dallas ranks dead last in one specific position group.

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Dallas Cowboys RB room ranked as NFL’s worst

One of the more significant losses the Dallas Cowboys faced was seeing Tony Pollard sign with the Tennessee Titans. Pollard inked a three-year, $21.7 million contract after two consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. His body of work includes being named to the Pro Bowl in 2022.

The Cowboys have since replaced Pollard with a familiar face, re-signing Ezekiel Elliott after he spent last season with the New England Patriots. Elliott, now 29, signed a one-year contract worth $2 million. But his production has dwindled since rushing for 1,002 yards in 2021. Last year, Elliott was held to 642 rushing yards, while averaging just 3.5 yards per carry.

Yet, Elliott’s now projected to be the Cowboys’ starting running back again. Backing up Elliott is 26-year-old Rico Dowdle, who tallied 361 yards with a 4.1 YPC. If that doesn’t scream elite to you or going all-in, it’s because it’s not.

Now, the Cowboys have earned extremely low marks for their 2024 RB room. In fact, ESPN believes the Cowboys have the worst group of running backs in the NFL.

“This wasn’t a tough choice considering that Dallas clearly decided to deprioritize the position this season. Tony Pollard left for the Titans after two 1,000-yard seasons, paving the way for Ezekiel Elliott’s return to the Cowboys. Elliott is a franchise legend, but at 29 he’s no more than an innings-eater. He posted his fourth straight season with underwhelming YPC, YAC and YPT marks in New England in 2023. Additionally, Dallas is choosing to run “by committee” this season, but there’s not much to get excited about with its other options (Rico Dowdle, 179-pound Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman).”

ESPN’s Mike Clay on Dallas Cowboys RB group

Unless Dowdle, Royce Freeman, or last year’s sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn can suddenly develop into stars, there’s not a lot of upside in the Dallas backfield this season. We’ll see just how much of an impact downgrading at the RB position has on what was the NFL’s highest-scoring offense a season ago.

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