Rico Dowdle’s season with the Cowboys was explosive. He started off slow, but a majority of that was due to the running back committee Mike McCarthy tried to install. Once Ezekiel Elliott got benched, it was Dowdle’s show – and he proved himself to be a very valuable player.
Evaluating Whether the Cowboys Should Keep Rico Dowdle
Now’s the Best Time for Dowdle to Hit Free Agency
Even if the Cowboys plan to keep Dowdle in-house, it’s likely the running back will want to see what’s out there. After averaging 4.6 yards per carry and cracking his first 1,000-yard season, he has every right to. Coming off of his best season makes him more valuable. The Cowboys could pay him nicely, or they could watch another team offer more.
Several teams need a new running back or might want to offer Dowdle a wad of cash. However, a lot of those teams don’t quite have the same potential as the Cowboys. Super Bowl aspirations haunt Dallas and now they seem closer than ever. Dowdle leaving could risk him playing for a team that just can’t go the distance. So he might have to decide between money now or ring later, similar to Dak Prescott.
The Downfalls of Rico Dowdle
The Cowboys are focused on having a running offense next season. They’ll want to develop more than one guy at a time. The benefit of doing this creates the kind of run power that the 49ers had, when they weren’t plagued with injuries. Also, this is Dowdle’s first season of raw success. The Cowboys organization doesn’t know if he’ll be able to maintain such a high caliber. In previous seasons, Dowdle was plagued with injuries and sat behind other running backs like Tony Pollard and Elliott. Whether he can go back-to-back seasons is yet to be seen.
Also, the Cowboys didn’t see Dowdle capitalize on many Red Zone opportunities. Some of that was because they would take Dowdle out in red zone situations. But it led to the running back only collecting two touchdowns for the entire season. He also didn’t have a run for over 30+ yards all year. So yes, he can collect yards and fall forward, but he isn’t quite an explosive, twitchy guy.
The Dallas Cowboys at Running Back
If the Cowboys want a more breakout runner, then Deuce Vaughn is a likely candidate. The Cowboys coaching staff is setting up to help him finally thrive. There’s also the draft, where a few talented running backs are available. If the Cowboys get lucky there, Dowdle might not be as important to keep. It makes little sense to keep a player when other, cheaper options could be available. Especially with a team who already has so many other unrestricted free agents to decide on.
It’s likely that, after the best season of his career, the Cowboys will let go of Rico Dowdle. It’s tough. Letting go of Tony Pollard worked out. The Cowboys have a long history of exceptional running back talent. Although there hasn’t been evidence of that recently, it’s still in the blood. Brian Schottenheimer knows it and wants to channel that energy. But he isn’t as likely to do it with Dowdle at the head of the running back room.
Main Photo: Kevin Jairaj – Imagn Images
