After struggling through the season with one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys overhauled their running back corps this offseason.
Dallas didn’t re-sign Rico Dowdle, but instead brought in veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. While those two will fight for the lead spot, rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah will also be trying to prove they deserve snaps.
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While that could be an interesting camp battle, there’s still a relatively high chance that the ground game is suspect once again. That’s why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox is urging the Cowboys to call the Jacksonville Jaguars in regards to Travis Etienne Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. rushes for yards during the second quarter at EverBank Stadium / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“The Dallas Cowboys should already be calling about Etienne’s availability. They currently have a backfield headlined by Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders—two big question marks, given their recent production—and have shown a willingness to trade for talent post-draft.”
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Knox points out that Etienne saw his workload decrease in 2024 with the emergence of Tank Bigsby. That could get worse for him with Jacksonville adding Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. in the NFL draft.
Etienne had more than 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons in the league, but finished with just 558 in 2024. He’s still a dynamic weapon capable of doing damage as a runner and receiver. If Dallas decided to pull the trigger, he would give instant credibility to their ground game, but also wouldn’t prevent them from getting their two rookies on the field.
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