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Rico Doodle has re-signed with the Dallas Cowboys, his agent tweeted Monday afternoon. The team announced a one-year contract.
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The team's official website said, “One of the team's thinnest positions received some relief Monday as the Cowboys look to recall Dowdle.”
The Cowboys recently lost Tony Pollard to the Titans in free agency, so the team's running backs were led by Deuce Vaughn, followed by Malik Davis and Snoop Conner, until Dowdle was re-signed.
In the DallasCowboys.com article announcing the news, Patrick Walker and Nick Eatman advised readers that they felt like the Cowboys had learned the benefits of having a dynamic tandem at running back. Still, the lessons learned there were not applied well in 2023. It was mostly Pollard's show, and Dowdle, although very productive, had limited reps.
Dowdle set career highs in attempts (89), rushing yards (361), total yards (505) and touchdowns (4).
Still, Dowdle is coming off his best four years in the NFL (which included missing all of 2021 due to injury). In 2023, Dowdle rushed for 361 yards on 89 carries (4.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. He also had 17 receptions for two scores and 144 yards.
The Cowboys are unlikely to be happy with Dowdle, but he will reportedly enter this offseason with a chip on his shoulder and assume a bellcow role. For now, his return will likely see him designated as Dallas' RB1. Dowdle's selection as the 96th running back in the first Football Guys' 2024 draft rankings arguably reflects Dallas' belief that it's not finished at the position.
How that plays out will determine how high up Dowdle's rankings rise.
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Again, the fact that Dowdle was only able to sign a one-year deal means the Cowboys could and should still be in the market for another veteran, as Walker claims. It suggests something. When asked how the organization would handle the position in 2024, Executive Vice President and Director of Player Personnel Stephen Jones suggested two approaches, including the 2024 NFL Draft.
“We're looking at the draft as well,” Jones told Walker. “We have no established [running back] I'm currently in an organization. In terms of getting that youth back out there, that's something we look at.But I wouldn't be surprised if we worked on it [in free agency]. ”
The average age of Dowdle, Vaughn, Davis, Conner and fullback Hunter Luebke is just 24 years old. These combine to give him zero NFL starts and only his seven NFL touchdowns.
“Everyone has complementary backs in this league these days,” Jones acknowledged. “This has become the norm. I think we're fixing it with multiple players instead of just one player at the running back position.”
Until we get that solution, everything else is status quo.
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Rico Doodle has agreed to a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys, making him their most experienced player at the moment. The Cowboys recently lost Tony Pollard to the Titans in free agency, leaving Dowdle at the top of a depth that includes Deuce Vaughn, Snoop Conner, Malik Davis and fullback Hunter Luepke. Doodle is coming off the best season of his career, but his role last season was still limited and he failed to gain fantasy traction. Whether that happens this year will depend on the team's moves in the coming weeks, whether it's through free agency or the draft in April.
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