There will be much scrambling on Tuesday as NFL teams seek to pare their rosters to the required 53 players ahead of the opening of the season next week, and it is clear the Cowboys are still weighing all their options. They came into the offseason aware that their running game would take a step backward with the departure of Tony Pollard, but the long summer look at the team’s current “committee” of backs clearly left the Cowboys wanting.
Dallas brought in free-agent Dalvin Cook for a workout on Monday, and he could be a late addition. Or the Cowboys could seek to bolster the room via trade, and one noteworthy name is apparently hitting the market: Samaje Perine, the eighth-year veteran entering the second year of a two-year, $7.5 million contract he signed with the Broncos last season.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Perine is very much available in a trade for a late-round draft pick.
“The #Broncos are expected to move on from respected 8-year veteran RB Samaje Perine, sources say. The team is engaged in a number of trade conversations around Perine and it could be a trade, rather than a release,” Rapoport wrote on Twitter/X.
Samaje Perine Caught 50 Passes in 2023
Perine does not quite have the upside of a signing of Cook, but he is a steadier and more reliable back. Cook is two years removed from gaining 1,173 yards for the Vikings, who released him nonetheless after he refused to take a pay cut. Cook signed with the Jets last offseason, but never found a rhythm in New York, which favored younger running back Breece Hall.
Perine rushed for 238 yards on 53 carries last season, a healthy average of 4.5 yards per carry. For his career, he has averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Originally drafted by Washington in the fourth round in 2017, Perine bounced to the Dolphins and eventually the Bengals, where he began to establish himself as a quality receiver out of the backfield.
He had his best year catching passes in 2023, with 50 receptions for 455 yards, which ranked seventh in the NFL last year.
Cowboys RBs Did Not Impress
The Cowboys are facing a crunch among the running backs, none of whom were particularly impressive in the preseason. The two sure bets to make the roster are Ezekiel Elliott (who did not play in the preseason) and Rico Dowdle, but nothing is set beyond those two.
The Cowboys do seem enamored with the playmaking ability of Deuce Vaughn, who had 87 yards on 14 carries during the preseason, most on the team. Owner Jerry Jones said of Vaughn, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He obviously has got some very special talent, and you gotta find a place for that, you gotta find a place for it on Sunday to get it on the field.”
We can pencil in Vaughn, then. But the Cowboys need a fourth, at least.
At Pro Football Network, the possibility of a Perine trade was raised after news of his being put on the market.
“This opens the door for the Cowboys to potentially swing a trade before he is released and free to sign with any team,” wrote site insider Tony Catalina. “Perine makes sense as a running back target for the Cowboys.
“Last season, Perine showed off his pass-catching ability, recording a career-high in receptions (50) and receiving yards (455). Prior to signing with the Broncos in 2023, Perine was one of the best backup running backs in the league behind Joe Mixon in Cincinnati.”
