5 Former Super Bowl Champs the Cowboys Could Still Sign in Free Agency

2. Cam Akers / 3. Jerick McKinnon

The Cowboys' running back group continues to be a hot topic. Fans are, unsurprisingly, anxious about this unit given its current construction.

At the moment, Rico Dowdle is the lead back in Dallas, while Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and Snoop Conner present the next man up. Those names don't instill fear in any opposing defense, making this position a legitimate liability that could bring the offense down.

While Jones considers adding the husk of Dalvin Cook or reuniting with an out-of-prime Ezekiel Elliott, he should instead look at other options available.

Cam Akers is one choice. Yes, he had a very forgettable 2023 campaign (60 carries, 167 yards, 2 TDs). However, he's also just one season removed from recording a career-high 786 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns in 2022. Over half (407) of those yards came after contact as well, showing Akers still has the ability to break big gains following his 2021 Achilles tear.

Jerick McKinnon is also coming off of a down 2023 season. Yet, his ability as a pass-catcher is undeniable. During his incredible 2022 showing, the veteran RB racked up 512 receiving yards and a whopping 9 TDs through the air as one of Patrick Mahomes' best targets when the team needed a score.

Neither back is maybe the most exciting, but Akers has shown he can be a solid RB1, while McKinnon is the perfect pass-catching RB to complement Dallas' bruisers and replace Tony Pollard's ability in that part of the gameplan.