Getty Corey Clement #30 of the New York Giants carries the ball during the first quarter of a preseason game against the New York Jets.
Corey Clement’s tour through the NFC East continues. After capturing a Super Bowl title with the Philadelphia Eagles and most recently putting forth a highly productive preseason for the New York Giants, the all-purpose running back is signing with the Dallas Cowboys.
The move comes on the heels of the Cowboys losing second-year running back Rico Dowdle to a season-ending hip injury. According to the team’s official website, Dowdle was “on the verge of making the 53-man roster” before landing on injured reserve. The South Carolina product-led all Cowboys preseason rushers in attempts (22) and yards (99).
Clement, a 26-year-old native of New Jersey, is now expected to step in for Dowdle and fill the RB3 role in Arlington behind starter Ezekiel Elliott and primary backup Tony Pollard. A four-year veteran, Clement has amassed 655 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 163 carries in his career.
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Sign up for the Heavy on Giants Newsletter!Clement Was a Surprise Cut for the Giants
By all accounts out of East Rutherford, the Corey Clement project was going well this summer. Signed by Big Blue following a stellar tryout at the team’s three-day rookie minicamp, head coach Joe Judge had nothing but positive things to say about the versatile running back.
“Corey, I’ve known him for a long time now and admired the way he’s played both in the offense and kicking game. He’s got some experience and I was pleased with the way he came to rookie mini-camp being a vet on a trial basis and really attacked it,” Judge said, via NJ.com.
The belief was the Clement would have a legitimate shot to nail down a roster spot in a reworked Giants backfield headed by a rehabbing Saquon Barkley. With no Wayne Gallman and no Alfred Morris, Clement’s multi-purpose skillset looked to be enough to deservingly nail down a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster. His team-leading 86 rushing yards in the preseason (6.0 ypc average) only strengthened his case. In fact, there were some rumblings early on in the offseason that he could push Devontae Booker for the No. 2 gig behind Barkley. Clearly, that never materialized.
Whether a fumble inside the five-yard line in the preseason opener against the Jets proved to be his downfall is up for debate. With that said, the writing looked to be on the wall in the team’s final dress rehearsal, as they leaned heavily on rookie sixth-round pick Gary Brightwell. Assuming Barkley will be good to go come Week 1, the sixth-round pick out of Arizona will enter the regular season as the team’s No. 3 back.
Clement Has Been Highly Effective in Spurts Throughout His Career
As well as serving as an adequate rusher — owning a career 4.0 yards per carry average, Clement flashed both in the receiving and the return game during stints of his Eagles tenure. He’s hauled in 37 receptions for 340 yards and two scores in his NFL career, to go along with a 25.1 yards per return average on 19 kickoffs. In 2017, he averaged 12.3 yards per reception, good for third-most among all NFL running backs with at least 10 receptions.
Clement is most known for his brilliant showing in Super Bowl LII when the then-rookie totaled 108 yards from scrimmage, including a 22-yard touchdown reception that helped the Eagles edge out the New England Patriots for the franchise’s first-ever Lombardi Trophy.