Cowboys ready for obvious move to solve potential RB problems

It would be silly to say that Dallas Cowboys fans know better than the front office. At the end of the day, they have an excellent eye for talent and are one of the best drafting teams in the NFL. Still, there have been countless cases over the years where Dallas would have been better off if Jerry Jones had listened to the fans.

It was Cowboys fans who pushed the team to sign JK Dobbins as a free agent. Jones and Mike McCarthy wanted Ezekiel Elliott.

Dobbins, the lifeblood of the Chargers' offense, is now the league's leading runner in both rushing yards and yards per carry. Elliott, on the other hand, has yet to force a missed tackle and is one of six qualified runners who have yet to have a run of 10 or more yards this season.

Over the past two weeks, the Cowboys' running game has been one of the worst in the NFL, with both Elliott and Rico Dowdle ranking in the bottom 10 in rushing yards above expectations. According to the latest rumors, Dallas could be looking to an obvious solution for their Week 3 game against the Ravens.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that Dalvin Cook is a candidate for a promotion from the practice squad for Sunday's game.

“The Cowboys' running game is a problem and they know they need to do more with it,” Graziano writes. “They like the way Dalvin Cook looks since they signed him to the practice squad, and they haven't ruled out the possibility of adding him to the roster if they don't get more production out of the Ezekiel Elliott/Rico Dowdle tandem at some point.”

“Eventually” is a very telling statement from Graziano. It does not confirm that Cook will be promoted in Week 3. That mirrors what Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy have been telling the media.

Jones told 105.3 The Fan he sees “no change” affecting Cook this week. McCarthy said the Cowboys' running backs need more playing time before the coaching staff can truly tap into the capabilities of Elliott, Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn.

The flow of play did not favor Dallas in their game against the Saints and the team faced a strong Browns defense in Week 1. However, it is clear to the naked eye that the running game lacks momentum and explosiveness.

Dowdle was good, but Elliott is a snail in the open field and doesn't even manage yards after contact (his 34 yards after contact are third-worst among running backs, according to PFF). Deuce Vaughn is not an NFL running back. There would be little point in keeping Cook on the practice squad for another week.

The offensive line is still working on continuity, but the Cowboys' offense's problems can be traced back to a talent problem. Cook shouldn't be viewed as the ultimate elixir, but what else does the team have to lose?

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