The Cowboys opened Week 1 of the NFL season with an impressive win in Cleveland, putting behind them an offseason marked by turmoil over holdouts, contracts and a mostly idle free agency. Also among the items of controversy was the team’s approach to its running back spot, where the Cowboys lost starter Tony Pollard to free agency and replaced him with Ezekiel Elliott, the veteran whom the Cowboys were poised to make the lead back. That is, until the team inked former star Dalvin Cook last month.
Cook is a four-time Pro Bowler who could obviously help the Cowboys. He has been working with the team’s practice squad since he was brought aboard on August 28, and the only question around him is when, exactly, he will suit up with the 53-man roster.
Coach Mike McCarthy opened up about how Cook looks so far and when he might put him on the field this week.
“I’m glad he’s here,” McCarthy said of Cook, via Lonstarlive.com. “Impressive. Phenomenal feet. I’ve had a chance to watch him a lot. He looks really good. He really fits into the room very well. … If you look at his time frame and how much time he’s been here, I think the biggest thing is hopefully we can get a full week’s work this week and next week. That’s only going to help the guys that got here late.”
Cowboys RBs Were Subpar in Week 1
That indicates that Cook will not be activated for Week 2, the team’s home opener against the Saints. But it does leave the door open for Cook to play in Week 3, which would so happen to be a game against the Ravens—the team that Cook signed with late last year for the playoffs, after he was released by the Jets.
And McCarthy is right about having full weeks to work. After Week 3, the Cowboys have a Thursday night game in Week 4, meaning that Cook would not have much time to work into the rotation if he has not played by Week 3.
Even with as well as things went for the Cowboys in blowing out the Browns, the running backs were less than impressive. Elliott posted 40 yards on 10 carries, a respectable 4.0 yards per carry. But No. 2 back Rico Dowdle had just 26 yards on eight carries and Deuce Vaughn had one carry for four yards.
Receiver CeeDee Lamb was the Cowboys best running back on the day, with three carries for 25 yards.
Dalvin Cook Ready for New Role
Cook is just one year removed from a run of four seasons in which he topped 1,100 yards rushing with the Vikings. He is a four-time Pro Bowler who tallied 43 touchdowns in those four seasons. He left the Vikings for the Jets last year, but never carved out a role (67 carries, 214 yards) in New York behind starter Breece Hall, and wound up out of the rotation altogether, eventually being released and signed by the Ravens.
Cook said he knows his years as a featured back are behind him, but told the media he is ready for the change.
“My years in Minnesota it was Dalvin, Dalvin, Dalvin, give him the ball. Now, just a little adjustment,” Cook said, via ESPN. “Help everybody and be productive. That’s just my mindset. I’m going to be ready to go, being around Zeke, I can obviously learn a lot from him. He’s older than me. Just soaking up the game, still. Learning from the young guys, too. Just being a part of this group, I feel like we’re going to push each other.”
