With superstar talents like Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry available, the Cowboys settled on a backfield tandem of Rico Dowdle and aging star Ezekiel Elliott. Fast forward to the end of the season, and the 7-10 Cowboys were the sixth-worst rushing offense in the NFL.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski predicted that the Cowboys would take a flier on an often-injured, but promising 26-year-old running back: J.K. Dobbins, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers.
“(Dobbins) proved to still be explosive last season, particularly early in the year. If his medicals check out and considering his age, the risk may be well worth it for a team in search of a running back upgrade,” Sobleski wrote.
“With Ezekiel Elliott gone (again) and Rico Dowdle set to test free agency, the Boys need a new lead back. Dobbins is the type of runner who can create a different dynamic in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense while the team doubles-down by adding another back in the draft to improve upon last season’s bottom-six ground game.”
Dobbins spent the first four seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, but appeared in just 24 games. He proved to be productive when healthy this season, though he still missed four games with an MCL sprain.
With 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, Dobbins had a very productive season in LA considering the time he missed. He should have a full offseason to train and be prepared for camp closer to full strength than he’s been since his rookie season in 2020.
Does all of this make Dobbins the perfect choice for the Cowboys? No one can say that with any certainty, but he’ll definitely be an intriguing name to watch when free agency opens on Wednesday.