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The Dallas Cowboys could be an ideal landing spot for free agent running back Leonard Fournette.
As Matt Lombardo of FanBuzz reports, free agency interest in Fournette has been “tepid” since he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in March. However, he is one of the most proven backs in the NFL, having started for the Buccaneers when they won the Super Bowl during the 2020 season. Furthermore, he’s just 28 years old and one of the best pass-catching backs in the league, having caught 73 passes last season — third-most among running backs in the NFL.
Lombardo lists the Cowboys as one of five teams that should be considered landing spots for the veteran running back. As Lombardo mentions, “all signs point” towards Dallas making a move for a veteran back.
“Meanwhile, explosive rookie Deuce Vaughn has turned heads as an early training camp standout, after being chosen in the sixth-round of April’s draft,” writes Lombardo. “However, all signs point to the Cowboys signing a veteran to add some insurance in the backfield, as well as a short-yardage and goal-line battering ram. Fournette may be an ideal fit, boasting 31 career touchdowns from inside the 10-yard line.”
Cowboys Feature Inexperienced Backs Behind Tony Pollard
Outside of Pro Bowler Tony Pollard and Ronald Jones, Dallas’ backfield features inexperienced running backs such as rookie Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle. The duo of Davis and Dowdle have just 45 career carries among them, with Davis entering his second season and Dowdle not having carried the ball since the 2020 season.
Further adding credibility to the idea that the Cowboys will add another veteran back is Jones’ current situation. Jones — who actually won a Super Bowl and split the backfield with Fournette in Tampa Bay — is currently nursing an ankle injury and will be sidelined for an unspecified amount of time, as head coach Mike McCarthy revealed last weekend.
That’s not even mentioning Jones’ two-game suspension to begin the season due to violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances.
At the present moment, the Cowboys’ depth chart beyond Pollard is Dowdle as the No. 2 back and Davis as the No. 3 back.
Why Leonard Fournette Remains Free Agent
Meanwhile, Fournette is coming off of one of the best receiving seasons of his career, posting his second-highest reception total while establishing career highs with 523 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
However, he also went through one of the worst rushing campaigns of his career, posting just 3.5 yards per carry — tied for the lowest average among all qualifying backs — and ceded playing time to rookie Rachaad White as the 2022 season progressed.
Fournette worked out for the New England Patriots last month, but he walked away without a contract. The Patriots had previously showed interest in signing Fournette last offseason before he eventually re-signed with the Buccaneers.
A topic of concern could also be Fournette’s level of conditioning, which was an issue heading into the 2022 season for the Buccaneers.
Via Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times:
“Coaches were not happy, and that’s an understatement, when [Fournette] didn’t participate in the OTAs, but then he shows up at the mandatory minicamp weighing damn near 260 [pounds],” Stroud said on the Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast back in July of 2022. “And that’s not a good sign for a guy that you’ve just spent a three-year contract on.”
We’ll see what the Cowboys end up doing at running back before the start of the 2023 season, but if they choose to sign a veteran running back, it’s hard to ignore Fournette’s versatility and his ability to catch the ball.
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