Dallas Cowboys remind Rico Dowdle about the cruel business of the NFL with latest free agency decision
The Dallas Cowboys have showed their cards at the running back position ahead of the 2025 NFL season, when Brian Schottenheimer is expected to emphasize the run game. Going into free agency frenzy, one of the biggest questions was whether or not the Cowboys would re-sign Rico Dowdle, whose value faced plenty of question marks given […]
The Dallas Cowboys have showed their cards at the running back position ahead of the 2025 NFL season, when Brian Schottenheimer is expected to emphasize the run game.
Going into free agency frenzy, one of the biggest questions was whether or not the Cowboys would re-sign Rico Dowdle, whose value faced plenty of question marks given he just had a breakout season yet has only one season of production in his resume.
We might've gotten an answer: The Cowboys are signing Javonte Williams on to a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
The news likely means Dowdle is off the table, as he was projected to land more money than that in free agency and it seems highly unlikely the Cowboys will pay two running backs. Specially considering the position is considered one of the deepest ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Since early in the offseason, the Cowboys were expected to add a low-cost running back and complement him with a draft choice. However, it's clear now Dallas is targeting one of the least expensive options in the market.
Williams' career has seen its fair share of ups and downs. He started off strong as a second-round rookie with a 904-yard season. However, four games into his second year, Williams suffered a devasting knee injury that resulted in three ligament tears (ACL, LCL, and PLC). Since then, Williams has gone for 774 rushing yards in 2023 and 513 in 2024. He's failed to average over four yards per attempt in each of the last couple of years.
Resume wise, there's no denying Dowdle is the superior player nowadays. However, by choosing Williams the Cowboys are reminding Dowdle of the cold reality of NFL business. Some teams aren't willing to spend at running back and lately, that's been the case for America's Team. A couple of weeks ago, I even wrote about how their free agency decisions in recent memory make me question how willing they'd be to take a first-round running back at No. 12 overall.
Williams will likely become part of a running back by committee approach from Dallas once the draft comes and goes but in the meantime, it's not exactly an inspiring addition as right now, a downgrade at the position appears possible if not likely.
