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Rico Dowdle heads to the open market

He was a $1.1 million value last year

I will be interested to see what kind of market Rico Dowdle generates. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent, but he was a decent low-level starter last year.

The Cowboys got a lot of grief last year for not pursuing Derrick Henry, but I don’t know that he would have helped them much at all. His talents were amplified by playing in Baltimore’s offense. He wouldn’t have had that kind of season in Dallas.

Dowdle is a lightly regarded back, but he held up fine last year. He ran for 1,079 yards, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt, and he also caught 39 passes. The Cowboys had much bigger needs last year than an upgrade at tailback.

But Dowdle is a free agent, and with the Cowboys possibly thinking about drafting Ashton Jeanty (who might be another LaDainian Tomlinson or Ezekiel Elliott), they might not be interested in offering Dowdle much.

Five high-level running backs switched teams last year: Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones and Joe Mixon. All five ended up outperforming general expectations.

The pickings are leaner this year. There’s Aaron Jones, but he’s 30. And there are four others who last year (in PPR league) put up top-30 numbers but ranked outside the top 20: Najee Harris, Dowdle, J.K. Dobbins and Javonte Williams.

It’s a good draft for running backs, so I expect teams will be reluctant to hand out big contracts, particularly before seeing what players might be available in the third or fourth round of the draft.

In chart below, free agents tagged with black dots.

TOP 60 RUNNING BACKS FROM 2024
PlayerRunRecTotalTDPPRRk
Jahmyr Gibbs, Det.1,4125171,92920364.91
Saquon Barkley, Phil.2,0052782,28315357.32
Bijan Robinson, Atl.1,4564311,88715341.73
Derrick Henry, Balt.1,9211932,11418338.44
DeVon Achane, Mia.9075921,49912299.95
Josh Jacobs, G.B.1,3293421,67116299.16
Kyren Williams, LAR1,2991821,48116278.17
James Cook, Buff.1,0092581,26718266.78
Alvin Kamara, N.O.9505431,4938265.39
Chase Brown, Cin.9903601,35011257.010
James Conner, Ari.1,0944141,5089255.811
• Aaron Jones, Min.1,1384081,5467247.612
Chuba Hubbard, Car.1,1951711,36611247.613
Jonathan Taylor, Ind.1,4311361,56712246.714
Bucky Irving, T.B.1,1223921,5148246.415
Breece Hall, NYJ8764831,3598244.916
Joe Mixon, Hou.1,0163091,32512240.517
David Montgomery, Det.7753411,11612223.818
D'Andre Swift, Chi.9593861,3456214.519
Rachaad White, T.B.6133931,0069205.620
Tony Pollard, Ten.1,0792381,3175204.721
• Najee Harris, Pitt.1,0432831,3266204.622
• Rico Dowdle, Dall.1,0792491,3285201.823
• J.K. Dobbins, LAC9051531,0589191.824
Zach Charbonnet, Sea.5693409099186.925
Tyrone Tracy, NYG8392841,1236186.326
Rhamondre Stevenson, N.E.8011689698181.927
Kenneth Walker, Sea.5732998728181.228
Brian Robinson, Was.7991599588163.829
• Javonte Williams, Den.5133468594161.930
• Kareem Hunt, K.C.7281769047155.431
• Alexander Mattison, L.V.4202947145139.432
Jerome Ford, Cle.5652257903134.033
Austin Ekeler, Was.3673667334132.334
Travis Etienne, Jac.5582548122132.235
Tank Bigsby, Jac.766548207131.036
• Ameer Abdullah, L.V.3112615725127.237
Justice Hill, Balt.2283836114127.138
Jaylen Warren, Pitt.5113108211126.139
Jordan Mason, S.F.789918803117.040
Ray Davis, Buff.4421896316116.141
Tyjae Spears, Ten.3122245365113.642
Tyler Allgeier, Atl.644887323106.243
Antonio Gibson, N.E.5382067441103.444
Devin Singletary, NYG4371195564100.645
Jaleel McLaughlin, Den.49676572399.246
Isaac Guerendo, S.F.420152572496.247
Emanuel Wilson, G.B.50248550596.048
• Cam Akers, 2TM44468512595.249
• Ty Johnson, Buff.213284497491.750
Braelon Allen, NYJ334148482385.251
Zack Moss, Cin.242187429383.952
• Samaje Perine, K.C.92322414281.453
Roschon Johnson, Chi.150104254677.454
Miles Sanders, Car.205148353377.355
• Raheem Mostert, Mia.278161439274.956
Sean Tucker, T.B.308109417368.757
• Nick Chubb, Cle.33231363465.358
Gus Edwards, LAC3656371464.159
• Jeremy McNichols, Was.26127288463.860

—Ian Allan

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