The Dallas Cowboys have brought in another offensive weapon in their latest free agency move of the 2022 offseason.
While a new running back isn’t on most fans’ shopping list for the Cowboys, free agency and offseason additions don’t always arrive exactly in the order they’re supposed to. Offensive tackle and wide receiver are still areas Dallas will likely look to add in, but they’re adding a ball carrier in the meantime.
Ryan Nall, formerly of the Chicago Bears, is joining the Cowboys on a one-year deal. The 26-year-old’s agent, Sam Leaf announced the deal to the media on April 8, per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.
“Cowboys signed former Bears RB Ryan Nall to a one-year contract today, his agent Sam Leaf said,” Gehlken Tweeted. “Nall a versatile special teams player who worked out for team last Friday. He played 577 snaps on special teams in Chicago and 95 on offense.”
The team later confirmed the news on social media.
Welcome to Dallas, @Ryannall34! 🏈⭐️
🗞➡️ t.co/utZMWHpq9G
Obviously, Nall is not a major name or addition from an offensive perspective. However, the former Oregon State standout is still young, and has a role to play for the Cowboys should he make the 53-man roster this fall.
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Nall’s Background with Bears, Beavers
Before his pro days, Nall was an Oregon native through and through. He was born in Sandy, Oregon, and attended Central Catholic in Portland before eventually committing to Oregon State and playing for the Beavers.
While in Corvallis, Nall assembled an impressive resume. According to Sports Reference, the 26-year-old amassed 2216 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry while doing so.
However, he didn’t impress enough to be drafted, which led to the Bears signing him as an undrafted free agent in 2018. As an NFL player, he’s primarily found a role as a special teams player.
To put it in perspective, he has played 3.3% of potential offensive snaps over the past three seasons, while hitting the field on special teams 65% of the time for the Bears.
In his brief chances on offense, nothing too crazy has happened. Overall, Nall has six career rushes for 12 yards and nine career catches for 71 yards. However, Nall made splashes with Chicago as a player who made the most of his preseason opportunities, which led him to consistently making the Bears roster.
The run seen below against the Indianapolis Colts in a preseason game shows that the former Beaver can make a man miss.
Ryan Nall making his case to make that 53-man roster 🔥
@Ryannall34 @ChicagoBears
Cowboys’ Current RB Stable
Nall should definitely be considered a special teams player more than anything else, but he’s a running back otherwise, and his arrival in Dallas means there are now seven total ball-carriers on the roster. Besides Nall, the Cowboys have:
- RB Ezekiel Elliott
- RB Tony Pollard
- RB JaQuan Hardy
- RB Rico Dowdle
- FB Nick Ralston
- FB Sewo Olonilua
Elliott and Pollard are pretty much the only locks for the roster. Dowdle was on the Cowboys in 2020 and 2021, but is coming off a hip injury that sidelined him all of 2021. Hardy was elevated from the practice squad last year to replace Pollard after his injury woes last season.
It appears as if Nall’s primary competitors will be the fullbacks. Teams typically only take 3-4 running backs on the final roster, and excelling in his special teams assignments and as a potential pass blocker is the most direct way the Cowboys will deem him valuable enough to keep around.
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Cowboys Sign ‘Versatile’ Ex-Bears RB in Free Agency: Report