Why the Cowboys would be wise to sign Rico Dowdle to an extension before season’s end

Should the Cowboys consider getting ahead of things a bit (lol) and sign Rico Dowdle to an extension?

Disaster is a fair word to describe the Dallas Cowboys 2024 season. After entering the season with lofty expectations, the Cowboys are all but eliminated from the playoff race as we sit in at the second week of November.

It’s been a while since the Cowboys have had to endure a season like this. 2020 was a bad year, but Dak Prescott’s injury in Week 5 gave Dallas a chance to have some optimism things would have gone differently if he was healthy. While Prescott suffered a season-ending injury again this season, it was very clear that even with their star quarterback, the Cowboys were not going anywhere this year.

While this season has not produced many positive developments, a few players have exceeded expectations and given Dallas some hope for the future. One of those players has been 26-year-old running back Rico Dowdle.

Dowdle, who many believe would serve as Dallas’ true number one running back this year, has been given fewer opportunities than expected but has produced at a high level when he’s been on the field. On the season, Dowdle has carried the ball 83 times for 374 yards, an average of 4.5 Y/A, and recorded career-highs in first down runs (21) and rushing success rate. (55.4)

There is a clear difference in explosiveness between Dowdle and the Cowboys’ other running backs. The 26-year-old has an 8.5% explosive rush rate, which isn’t anything all that special, but when you consider how much the Cowboys have struggled to run the ball this season it’s much more impressive. Dallas’ other two primary running backs, Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott, have explosive rush rates of 0% and 2.1% respectively.

Dallas’ run game as a whole is going to need a complete overhaul this spring, but adding multiple running backs and offensive linemen in one single offseason may not be a realistic option. While he may not be one of the top running backs in the league, Dowdle has proven he is capable of being a valuable piece of an effective rushing attack. It would benefit the Cowboys greatly to lock him up long-term to take one thing off their offseason to-do list.

If the Cowboys were to sign Dowdle to an extension, it wouldn’t break the bank. Devin Singletary, a similar runner production-wise to Dowdle, signed a three-year, $16.5M deal with the New York Giants last offseason. Dallas could likely lock up Dowdle with a similar type of offer only costing them $5-6M a year.

Signing Rico Dowdle to an extension isn’t going to be the singular move that thrust Dallas back into Super Bowl contention next season. However, it would help lessen their load this offseason and would allow them to pair him with another free agent or draft pick at the position.