Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
The Dallas Cowboys could make another splash ahead of training camp as the team is being mentioned as a potential landing spot for former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette.
The Cowboys “haven’t dismissed the idea of re-signing Ezekiel Elliott, but what if he finds another team?” Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton wrote in an opinion piece published May 13. “The Cowboys should consider other tailbacks who have a similar physical running style.” He suggested Fournette as a possibility.
Since releasing Elliott, the Cowboys have been poised to begin the season with Tony Pollard as the team’s RB1, but he is recovering from January surgery on a fractured fibula. Dallas also signed Fournette’s former Bucs teammate Ronald Jones and drafted dynamic rusher Deuce Vaughn. But, according to Moton, Jones’ production “has trended in the wrong direction since the 2020 campaign, and he fell to the back end of the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart last year.”
Fournette could “split touches with Pollard on early downs, with the latter sharing pass-catching opportunities with Vaughn,” Moton wrote. “Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who replaced Kellen Moore, has a history of keeping multiple running backs active in his game plans.”
He was released by the Bucs on March 17, a move that he said he’d requested after quarterback Tom Brady retired.
Cowboys Rumors: Will Dallas Sign Another Running Back?
The bigger question is what Dallas would be getting with Fournette. who averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season, his lowest number since 2018. Fournette posted 189 carries for 668 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 16 appearances last season, including nine starts. The former No. 4 pick did notch career numbers in the passing game with 73 receptions for 523 yards and three TDs through the air.
Fournette’s free agent availability this late in the offseason indicates that he is unlikely to land a lucrative contract. Yet, the Cowboys appeared to choose Jones over signing Fournette and the other available veterans. Dallas could wait to see what the team has with Vaughn before pursuing another running back.
Leonard Fournette: ‘I Really Feel Like Whatever Team I Sign With, We’re Winning the SUPERBOWL’
Fournette signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Bucs during the 2022 offseason and was slated to have a $2 million salary in 2023. Spotrac projects Fournette’s market value to be a reasonable two-year, $4.6 million contract as the financial value of running backs around the league continues to decline.
Despite his free agent status, Fournette still has plenty of confidence in his future. Fournette took to Twitter to predict another Super Bowl ring at his next stop.
“I really feel like whatever team I sign with, we’re winning the SUPERBOWL,” Fournette tweeted on May 13.
Cowboys Rumors: Could the Chargers Sign Ezekiel Elliott?
Moton also predicted that Elliott, also a free agent, would sign with the Chargers, a move that would reunite Elliott with Moore, the Cowboys’ former offensive coordinator.
“With the addition of Elliott, the Chargers would have a strong duo,” Moton wrote. “Ekeler can complement him as Tony Pollard did with Dallas under Moore. Los Angeles needs a physical ball-carrier who can take on short-yardage situations, which would keep Ekeler fresh for the duration of a the season.”