After neglecting the running back position last offseason, the Dallas Cowboys need a much better plan this offseason. Heading into the 2024 season, the Cowboys decided to re-sign Ezekiel Elliott after he spent one year with the New England Patriots and brought back Rico Dowdle on a one-year deal.
Cowboys fans weren’t necessarily enthused about the idea of a Dowdle-Elliott backfield, but it paid off as Dowdle became the team’s clear-cut lead back.
The 26-year-old running back had his best year as a pro with 1,079 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also saw an increased workload in the Cowboys’ passing game, posting 39 receptions (49 targets) for 249 yards and three scores.
Dowdle is an unrestricted free agent this month, so the Cowboys must figure out how much they value his production and role on the team. The fourth-year running back made a cryptic post on Twitter Monday night, which caught the attention of Cowboys fans.
“Let the blind lead the blind,” Dowdle posted on Twitter. Cowboys fans were trying to figure out what Dowdle was talking about, so they drew their own conclusions.
Let the blind lead the blind!
— Rico Dowdle (@ricodowdle) March 3, 2025
Some tied Dowdle’s tweet to Jerry and Stephen Jones, while others tried to make the case that the 1,000-yard rusher is leaving the team.
Last week, Stephen Jones told the Dallas Morning News ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine that Dallas wants to re-sign Dowdle for what it's worth. As of right now, the Cowboys don’t have the best cap situation as they are only projected to have $3.4 million in space.
Therefore, Dallas must make several moves to clear some space, hopefully allowing them to re-sign some key free agents like Dowdle. The Cowboys cannot afford to let Dowdle walk because it will put pressure on the organization to use their first-round pick on former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.