Ezekiel Elliott is by default the Dallas Cowboys starter at running back, but with Rico Dowdle backing him up, could they switch positions on the depth chart in 2024?
The Dallas Cowboys run game has been a point of emphasis this offseason with Ezekiel Elliott returning to the fold after a year with the New England Patriots.
With Zeke leading a room that includes Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke, and Malik Davis, there is a lot that is unknown about what the group could achieve in 2024.
But as things stand, with Elliott the leading man and Dowdle firming as his backup, could we see a Zeke/Tony Pollard-like situation develop over the course of the year?
In 2022, Pollard was Elliott's backup but played so well that eventually, the two swapped roles and Tony was getting his fair share of carries. That move eventually led to Elliott going to the Patriots in 2023. Could Dowdle do something similar?
While Elliott's value will be in the redzone and picking up those crucial yards on 3rd-and-1, Dowdle has shown he can be a three-down back. Last season, when he was given carries, he showed flashes of his potential.
Just twice, Dowdle has 10+ carries in games, and he rushed for 79 and 46 yards; ironically enough, Rico scored his two touchdowns for the season in those games.
Additionally, Dowdle had five runs of 10+ yards, and two of them were 20+, while Elliott's biggest run was 17 yards last year.
Zeke undoubtedly has value, but if we are being frank here, Dowdle can't be the backup for the entire season. Rico could be the one to take the mantle as RB1 over the course of the season, likely seeing far more carries than he did last season (just 89).
But he has to prove it he's worth it.
In 2022, Zeke (231) and Pollard (193) split their carries, and if we give Dowdle 193 attempts, based on his efforts last year, he would have rushed for 791 yards. What Dallas wouldn't give for that in 2024.
The run game is perhaps one of the biggest unknowns for the Cowboys as they enter a lame-duck season with everything on the line. With an aging Zeke, Dowdle could be next in line to show that he deserves to lead the running back room in Dallas.
