Cowboys Have Massive Rico Dowdle Decision to Make in the Offseason

The 2024 season will undoubtedly be a forgettable one for the Cowboys. Having faced a myriad of disappointments and setbacks throughout the season, the organization is likely relieved that this underwhelming season is coming to an end.

Although this season was just one big disappointment after another, there was one bright spot in this bleak season: the emergence of the team's running back, Rico Dowdle, who has suddenly transformed into one of the most promising backs in the league.

Going into the season, the running back position was by far the biggest question on the Cowboys' depth chart. Without a proven running back on the roster, the front office made the shockingly incompetent decision to bring back Ezekiel Elliott, who had been a far cry from the running back he once was during his prime through his first stint in Dallas.

It was no surprise to anybody that bringing back Elliott did not turn out the way Jerry Jones or the rest of the Cowboys' front office imagined it would. Elliott had a very underwhelming 2024 campaign, as he only rushed for 226 yards through 74 carries. Elliott's reunion with the Cowboys ended unceremoniously when he was released from the team earlier this week.

While Elliott's season was a disappointment, to say the least, another member of the Cowboys running back unit made up for Elliott's poor performance and gave the Cowboys' offense a sliver of hope through this desolate season. Rico Dowdle who came to the scene after being near the bottom of the depth chart for the past season, quickly proved himself as one of the most efficient backs in the league.

While Dowdle started the season slowly, he quickly rose to the occasion when given the opportunity and rushed for over 100 yards in numerous games through the second half of the season. This past Sunday against the Eagles, Dowdle had his fourth 100-yard game, which put him over 1,000 yards for the first time in his young career. 

Since Dowdle has quickly become one of the most imposing members of the Cowboys' offense, the question becomes whether or not Dowdle will remain with the team once this season concludes. Dowdle is in the final year of his contract with the Cowboys, and the Cowboys front office has already expressed multiple times that they are looking to be frugal this offseason.

With the Cowboys currently financially handcuffed and forced to deal with multiple roster gaps this offseason, Dowdle is in real jeopardy of already having played his final game in Dallas.

It would be quite disappointing to see Dowdle go, as he has put up one of the most impressive seasons in recent memory as a Cowboys running back. Losing the talented rusher could set the Cowboys' offense even further back, which is quite concerning given how one-dimensional the team's offense already appeared to be this season.

If Dowdle does not remain with the Cowboys going forward, it will be a shame to see the team lose out on another talented player due to financial restrictions and poor cap space management. That has, unfortunately, become somewhat of a recurring theme for the franchise.

Just this past offseason, the Cowboys were forced to lose out on premier running back Tony Pollard, and prior to that, standout tight end, Dalton Schultz left the organization due to their inability to pay them for what they were worth.

While all teams are forced to lose valuable players due to the cost of doing business, it seems the Cowboys are forced to lose promising players far more frequently than most other teams. Rico Dowdle could soon join the ever-growing list of talented Cowboys who are leaving the organization due to poor money moves made by Jerry Jones and the rest of the front office.

Dowdle potentially leaving the Cowboys is a tough pill for fans to swallow, but it is the unfortunate reality that comes with being a Cowboys fan. It is another blunt reminder that the organization will continue to suffer with Jerry Jones as the team's general manager, and the roster will continue to be mismanaged as long as Jones is instrumental in making football decisions for the organization.

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