Rico Dowdle 'Favorite' to Lead Cowboys in Rushing Over Elliott, Cook

Rico Dowdle, not Ezekiel Elliott or Dalvin Cook, is expected to be RB1 in Dallas.

Dowdle is entering his fourth season in the NFL. / jasen vinlove-usa today sports

The Dallas Cowboys have some experienced veterans in their backfield, having re-signed Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason before adding Dalvin Cook to the practice squad.

A few years ago, this would be the most feared running backs tandem in football. Today, the duo are expected to be competing for snaps as the Cowboys' No. 2 option out of the backfield.

According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, Dallas's fourth-year running back Rico Dowdle is the favorite to be the team's leading rusher in 2024.

Elliott returned to the Cowboys after spending the 2023 season with the New England Patriots, where he registered a career-low 184 rushes, 642 yards and three touchdowns. Despite him racking up 68 touchdowns across seven seasons (103 games) with Dallas, he'll likely be viewed as more of a goal line or third down running back during his second stint with the franchise.

Dowdle, 26, wasn't featured prominently during his first two seasons. In year three, he rushed 89 times for 361 yards and two scores, numbers he figures to add to this season. Machota noted that Dowdle looked to be the most explosive and "complete" running back in Dallas throughout training camp and the preseason.

Cook, who racked up more than 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons from 2019 to 2022, had his worst season as a pro in 2023 when he joined the New York Jets and subsequently the Baltimore Ravens.

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