Dallas Cowboys: Should the Cowboys trade for a running back?

The NFL trade deadline is coming approaching quickly and teams will look to make moves in the coming days. Should the Dallas Cowboys make a trade?

With the trade deadline looming (October 31st at 4 P.M. EST) teams will begin to evaluate the market. The Dallas Cowboys may need to add some insurance to their running back corps as Ezekiel Elliott is set to find out whether or not he can continue to play a day prior to the deadline. The Cowboys may look to add another talented back if the price is right.

Dallas will likely be in the battle for the NFC East late into the season as the Philadelphia Eagles will be their final opponent however for a large stretch of time they could be without Elliott.

Finding a proven back who is looking for a new place to shine may be possible as the trade deadline approaches. Now this list is not implying guys like Rod Smith, Alfred Morris, or Darren McFadden, are not talented or cannot handle a full workload, however merely exploring the option an option that the Dallas Cowboys can utilize.

Morris and Smith have shown some solid production during the limited amount of time they have had on the field. Adding another back to the mix, however, would not be a terrible idea. Here are four players the Dallas Cowboys could target around the deadline.

Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers): This guy should get you excited. Stewart has clearly struggled all season but this is not because of his talent as a player. This is because of the Panthers offensive line and how they implement their offensive game plan.

The Panthers have been giving the ball to Christian McCaffrey in space which has led to some great production.That is not really the type of back Stewart has ever been so he has been the odd man out in the Panthers backfield. 

Stewart should come cheap as he has not even gotten into the end zone this season but could have a big payoff as he is a big, bruising back, who can make a lot of things happen when he gets some solid blocking.

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Tevin Coleman (Atlanta Falcons): This one is more of a long shot as Coleman is an effective back as he is, he is just in an ineffective system. The Falcons clearly cannot run the ball as well as they had during the 2016 season and that has caused a dramatic drop off in production.

Devonta Freeman is the clear leader in that backfield while Coleman has been relegated to a change of pace role. He does have two touchdowns on the season however he has around the same number of yards as Stewart.

He is more of a threat on passing downs and has even been seen as a better pass catcher than a pure running back. Coleman would give the Dallas Cowboys that extra edge on the ground that they have lacked when Elliott is off the field.

Giovani Bernard/Jeremy Hill (Cincinnati Bengals): The Bengals running attack has been terrible and that has only been magnified by the fact that there does not seem to be a discernable starter in play.

Sure Joe Mixon is the guy right now but that offensive line does not seem like they can block for any back. By the end of the season, one of these players will likely be elsewhere and they could come a lot cheaper than the players listed above.

Bernard is leading the Bengals backfield in touches but that is because of his ability to be a consistent check down target. Mixon is getting the majority of the carries, and that leaves Jeremy Hill struggling to get on the field.

Hill is a lot more than a change of pace back and is a playmaker in the red zone. With solid blocking, Hill could show the talent he is known for instead of being an afterthought in a bad offensive system.

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Lamar Miller/ D’Onta Foreman (Houston Texans): The Texans need a three-down back and I am not certain either of these players can do that. Foreman has shown a bit more burst in recent weeks, however, Miller does not appear to be going away.

With Deshaun Watson balling out the Texans could look to move one of these players. While it may be unlikely that a deal actually comes to fruition the Cowboys and the Texans could be excellent trade partners.