Cowboys Source Reveals RB Signing To Compete with Rico Dowdle

FRISCO - The running back room entering the 2025 season for the Dallas Cowboys is about to be in a state of flux. ... just as it was a year ago.

Remember? Tony Pollard left for the Tennessee Titans, Ezekiel Elliott returned to lead the room, Derrick Henry never got that phone call and the NFL Draft never fell just right to pick the next star.

So Zeke and Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn were going to handle Dallas' "running back by committee" approach. Even Dalvin Cook was signed to the practice squad, played two games, and didn't see the field again.

The committee approach was shelved in Week 12, Rico was handed the keys and the Cowboys offense found some semblance of a run game behind Dowdle, as he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the year, becoming the first undrafted back in franchise history to achieve the feat.

So, as Cowboys fans are all wondering the same thing about adding backs in 2025, we keep an eye on ideas like Ashton Jeanty in the NFL Draft and on a trade for a player like Breece Hall of the New York Jets.

And we think is is worthy to note that a Cowboys source tells us that Malik Davis is coming back for another go-around, having signed a futures deal here.

Davis, in the eyes of Dallas has talent, and so after he went undrafted in 2022 and hooked on here, he keeps making the practice squad. And his his rookie year, Davis was called up to be the No. 3 back for the Cowboys for a short time and he totaled 161 yards on 38 carries.

He did not get a crack on the 53-man roster at all this year.

But he's hanging around, maybe in part because Rico - who had 1,079 rushing yards, including four 100-plus-yard efforts in his last six games, plus 249 yards and three touchdowns as a receiver - is now a free agent.

But Dallas stuck with Rico to get to this point. And now it appears they'll stick with Malik to give him a spring and summer shot as well. Want more Cowboys free agent signings in the futures category? See below ...