The Dallas Cowboys have been going through musical chairs at running back since their Week 1 28-20 loss to the New York Giants.
Malik Davis was placed on IR, forcing the team to make some moves. The Cowboys waived Israel Abanikanda and signed Tyler Goodson to join the active roster.
That wasn’t expected to be the last move the Cowboys made, as they were going to add to the practice squad. Dallas did exactly that, adding talent to the practice squad before facing the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
Dallas Cowboys Make Roster Move Before Commanders Game
Cowboys reporter Patrik Walker reported that the team is re-signing Abanikanda to the practice squad. Abanikanda cleared waivers after the team let him go to make room for Goodson.
“Israel Abanikanda cleared waivers and re-signed to Dallas’ practice squad, where he was prior to the injury to Malik Davis.”
![Patrik [No C] Walker](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1946640157798494209/XNWwENH__normal.jpg){kind=small}
Israel Abanikanda cleared waivers and re-signed to Dallas’ practice squad, where he was prior to the injury to Malik Davis.
Abanikanda was a fifth-round pick of the New York Jets, where he played in six games back in 2023. He rushed for 70 yards on 22 carries and added another 43 yards receiving on 7 receptions.
During the preseason, Abanikanda finished second on the team in rushing yards with 91 on 22 carries. He also caught 3 passes for 16 yards and returned 3 kickoffs for 79 yards.
Cowboys Have Israel Abanikanda Back on the Team
The Cowboys are making sure they have the depth needed at running back to move forward without Davis. Abanikanda most likely won’t play during the season, but the door is a bit more open now.
Dallas needs Javonte Williams to step up and play better after having just 41 yards on 12 carries in the Giants game. The Cowboys had under 70 yards overall, so they needed a better running game.
Look for Emari Demercado to get some more carries for the Cowboys out of the backfield. He had 2 for 7 yards in the loss to the Giants on Sunday night.
Goodson’s role still isn’t clear, including whether he’ll play for the Commanders. If he does, look for a versatile back out of the backfield who can create big plays. He has great breakaway speed and can make the catch out of the backfield if needed.
Washington played the run well against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. They got a lot of credit for tackling Saquon Barkley in the backfield often.
Dallas will need to be aware of that and make sure they open running lanes on the outside. The Cowboys have tried to play it more inside, which did not work in the Giants game.
This will be a gut-check moment for the offense to see if they can get things on track. Another poor rushing performance, and the Cowboys could be facing another loss on their record.
Cowboys Bring Back 113-Yard Jets Castoff Before Commanders Game