Cowboys’ 2025 free agent profile: RB Rico Dowdle

The Dallas Cowboys have an extended checklist of unrestricted free brokers who will formally hit the open market in slightly over two months. Of these, six or seven have been vital contributors in 2024, that means the Cowboys have some troublesome choices forward of them within the subsequent two months.

Immediately, we check out a Dallas impending free brokers coming off the most effective stretch of his profession, working again Rico Dowdle.

Photograph by Mitchell Leff/Getty Photos

2024 Common Season Stats: 16G, 235 Dashing Makes an attempt, 1,079 Dashing Yards, 4.6 Y/A, 2 Dashing Touchdowns, 53 1st Downs, 45 Missed Tackles Compelled, 26 10+ Yard Runs

12 months Evaluation: 2024 was a story of two halves for Cowboys’ working again Rico Dowdle. Coming into the common season, many believed Dallas would lean on Dowdle as their main working again proper out of the gate. Nevertheless, that ended up not being the case.

By means of Dallas’ first six common season video games, Dowdle carried the ball greater than 11 instances in a single contest simply as soon as. Within the sport by which he achieved that feat, the 26-year-old working again had the most effective particular person efficiency to that time of his NFL profession, speeding for 87 yards and scoring one in every of Dallas’ two offensive touchdowns in an enormous street win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After that sport, it was again to extra of the identical as Dowdle carried the ball, 5, 12, 12, and 10 instances in Dallas’ 4 subsequent contests. It appeared clear to everybody however the Cowboys that Dowdle was by far the most effective again on the roster, however Dallas stayed away from making him their clear lead working again, persevering with to present carries to ageing veterans.

Lastly, all the best way in Week 12 earlier than a matchup in opposition to the Washington Commanders, Cowboys’ head coach Mike McCarthy got here out and publicly said Dowdle could be their clear number-one working again transferring ahead. This resolution ended up being probably the greatest McCarthy would make all yr, as Dowdle went on a tear in Dallas’ closing seven video games of the common season.

Over this seven-game span, he was one of the productive working backs in all of soccer. From Week 12 on, Dowdle led the NFL in yards after contact (344), was fourth in 10+ yard runs (13), fifth in speeding yards (479), and sixth in missed tackles compelled (19).

Dowdle made it abundantly clear he was greater than able to being a lead again and made Dallas’ resolution to have him break up carries for the primary half of the season look much more silly.

Free Company Outlook: Dowdle’s late-season run makes his potential free agent market a lot tougher to challenge. Earlier than that seven-game span, the previous undrafted free agent regarded like he’d be fortunate to earn a $2-3M deal on the open market. Now, with seven video games of stellar play underneath his belt, he could have an opportunity to just about double that quantity if the Cowboys let him hit free company.

Final offseason we noticed a shocking 12 working backs earn multi-year contracts as free brokers. Of these 12 who signed, eight secured offers with an AAV of $4M or greater. After the best way he carried out on the finish, you’d should think about Dowdle and his camp might be aiming for a two- or three-year deal price $4M or extra yearly in free company.

Zack Moss (2 years, $8M) and Devin Singletary (3 years, $16M) who signed final spring could also be good benchmarks for what Dowdle’s contract will find yourself trying like. Singletary had put collectively extra persistently strong play all through his then five-year profession than Dowdle has coming into free company, so Moss’s contract could also be a greater projection for what he could earn.

Cowboys Verdict: Deciding what to do with Rico Dowdle could also be one of many hardest questions for the Cowboys to reply this offseason. In the event that they let him stroll, they go away their working again room trying like one of many worst particular person items in all of soccer. However, in the event that they do go forward and re-sign Dowdle, they might block themselves from taking a proficient runner they actually like, presumably Ashton Jeanty, within the first spherical of the draft.

With all of the wants elsewhere on their roster, the sensible factor to do could be to re-sign Dowdle to an inexpensive deal and draft a younger working again within the third spherical to pair with him. Nevertheless, realizing the best way the Cowboys function, the sensible transfer isn’t at all times the choice they make.

Even after his dominant late-season run, Dowdle’s not going to interrupt the financial institution with no matter contract he finally ends up signing. He’s not going to get as a lot as Tony Pollard did final yr, and if Dallas have been to supply him a two-year deal price round $8-10M complete he most likely could be prepared to return again.

Finally, as a lot because the Cowboys would love to try to search out their subsequent Zeke Elliott within the first spherical of the draft, they cannot go away themselves that naked on the working again spot. Re-signing Dowdle is the appropriate transfer on this state of affairs, and this time Dallas will make the appropriate name.

Prediction: Rico Dowdle re-signs with Dallas Cowboys on a two-year, $9M deal.