The Dallas Cowboys could be an ideal landing spot for a young New Orleans Saints running back who is considered on the roster bubble.
As Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine writes in his seven players on an NFL roster bubble who could help out teams ahead of cut day, he mentions Saints running back Kendre Miller as one of those guys. The Cowboys are mentioned as a team that the 22-year-old running back could help out, with Dallas being mentioned as an “obvious place” considering their lack of a viable starting running back.
“The Cowboys would be the obvious place,” writes Ballentine on Saturday, August 24. “There isn’t a lot to get excited about with their backfield. What’s left of Ezekiel Elliott could be the No. 1 back with Rico Dowdle looking to overtake him. Signing or trading for Miller would give them a younger back with more upside.”
Why Saints Could Very Well Cut or Trade Kendre Miller
Miller was a third-round draft pick just last year. However, he’s buried on the Saints’ depth chart behind proven veterans in Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams. The 6-foot, 220-pound running back was limited by injuries last season, appearing in just eight games while playing just 112 offensive snaps.
The TCU alum finished his rookie campaign with just 156 yards on 41 carries (3.8 yards per carry) with one touchdown. In fact, during Kamara’s three-game suspension to start out the 2023 season, it was Williams and Tony Jones — not Miller — who started those games in his absence.
It’s all telling that head coach Dennis Allen hasn’t hid his frustration when it relates to Miller’s struggles in staying healthy.
“He’s talented. I know he’s talented,” Allen said. “But I don’t know if he can learn the system. I don’t know if he can pick up the system, because I haven’t seen him out there.”
Allen mentions how he can only go off of “college tape” when it pertains to Miller due to the limited game tape of him in the pro’s.
“All I can go off of is what I’ve been able to evaluate and, quite frankly, since we drafted him, there hasn’t been a whole lot of new information other than what I saw on the college tape, because he hasn’t been available.” Allen said. “For whatever the case may be. But it’s hard to make that evaluation. Hopefully, we can get him out here and have an opportunity to evaluate where he is. But it certainly makes it a lot more challenging, that’s for sure.”
Why the Cowboys Should Acquire Kendre Miller
In Miller’s defense, he did have one heck of a season during his junior year while helping lead the TCU Horned Frogs to a national championship appearance. Miller ran for 1,399 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry, ranking eighth in rushing touchdowns. He also ran for 7.5 yards per carry as a backup during his sophomore season in 2021, leading the nation in yards per carry.
Considering the Saints are paying Kamara $15 million per year as one of the league’s highest-paid backs and are also paying Williams — who led the NFL in rushing touchdowns during the 2022 season — $4 million per year to complement Kamara, there’s really no reason to carry Miller on the roster.
While Miller still has some value, the Saints would benefit from trading him to a running back-needy team such as the Cowboys and gaining a draft pick in the process.
The Cowboys probably don’t want to enter the season with a past-his-prime Ezekiel Elliott and a number of unproven backs who have never been starters — Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn — as their backfield. Acquiring Miller gives Dallas a potential starting running back and someone who has little wear-and-tear as a second-year player.
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Cowboys Considered ‘Obvious Place’ for Saints’ Roster Bubble RB