The Cowboys need to acquire a running back in next week's draft.
Arguably the best back in this draft will still be available on Day 2, in part due to his return from injury.
The franchise has shown a willingness to take injured players in the second round of the draft for years, but it's because physical issues move players up draft boards more than their talent dictates. This is because they believe that it is pushing them further down the list. And that leads us…
Jonathan Brooks.
It's too early to declare that Brooks will find his way to Dallas. There's no guarantee the Texas running back will still be around when the Cowboys come in at No. 56.
But it's reasonable to speculate.
Dallas has decided not to let Tony Pollard become a free agent since his replacement is currently on the roster. The club did not sign Royce Freeman earlier this week in order to install a journeyman as the lead back.
That player will come from the draft. Even if he wasn't selected in the first three rounds, the Cowboys would still have the No. 87 pick in the third round and then the No. 87 pick without a pick, but if the club It is difficult to claim that the
And back to Brooks.
“Obviously, he's someone we're chasing in our backyard in Texas,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “He has a lot of skill sets. If he didn't get injured, he might be [have] In the end, he received the highest rating in the draft.
“You always have to take those things into account when your back is recovering from an injury.”
Brooks ran for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns in the fall. He caught 25 passes for an additional 286 yards and one touchdown. However, he tore his ACL and missed the final three games of the season.
No matter where rookies arrive, they cannot participate in organized team activities or minicamps. However, he has told teams they will need to get permission to participate once training camp begins in July. Medical reports support that assessment.
The Cowboys should be well aware of those reports. Dr. Dan Cooper, one of the team's doctors, performed the surgery.
“It always helps when you have a doctor you know doing the surgery,” Jones acknowledged. “That would be very helpful.”
Brooks seems like an instinctive runner with a great sense of balance and vision. His jump cuts are explosive. Officials can ask the Longhorns' position coach for more information as the Cowboys dig into the Bucs' strengths and analyze their weaknesses. That would be Tashad's choice.
It's the same Tashard Choice who rushed for 1,139 yards in three-plus seasons with the Cowboys and began his coaching career with the club as an intern in 2016.
Sean Lee, Bruce Carter and Jaylon Smith are all returning from Dallas' first major injuries since 10 years, suffered in the second round. Luke Schoonmaker, a second-rounder last year, had a history of injuries, although he hadn't returned from a major injury.
Randy Gregory, who was red-flagged after testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine, was also eliminated in the second round.
Importantly, the Cowboys have traditionally accepted a higher level of risk in the second round than in other rounds.
“We've never done that before, have we?” Jones asked jokingly. “Jerry [Jones] He just doesn't have the DNA to take the risk. ”
This is not a Brooks or bust proposition. Florida's Trey Benson, Oregon's Bucky Irving and Wisconsin's Braylon Allen have all visited the Star. Michigan's Blake Collum and Tennessee's Jalen Wright are interested.
All of these backs will be in the third or fourth round. The Cowboys currently don't have a fourth-round pick, but if the club wants a back who can be part of the rotation from day one, they'll need to acquire one.
“The running back position, as we all know, we can find really good backs and we can put them in positions to be successful,” Jones said.
An argument could be made that it makes more sense for Dallas to wait until the third round to make an upset. You could also argue that the Cowboys are not in a position to take a risk in the second round of this draft because they have done little in free agency to protect key positions.
But if the Cowboys are willing to take a risk for a big return, Brooks is a name to keep in mind. They've done it before.
Especially the second round.
Catch David Moore on Cowboys Happy Hour on Tuesday nights in April at 7pm on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM).
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