Dallas Cowboys primed to make a significant roster change

The Dallas Cowboys have to do something to shake up their stagnant rushing attack.

Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Watching the game film during the bye week had to be hard for Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, especially when it came to running the ball.

His offense has been abysmal in this department throughout the first six games of the season. They're currently last in the league with just 463 yards on the ground and have two rushing touchdowns.

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That's why McCarthy made it clear that Rico Dowdle will get more touches going forward. Dowdle has been the only back in Big D who can move the ball consistently, which is why such a move makes sense. However, getting him more touches might not be the only change. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Cowboys should turn to Dalvin Cook, who took first-team reps during practice this week.

"Through six games, Dallas has 463 yards and two touchdowns on the ground — both totals rank last in the NFL. Dalvin Cook took first-team reps this week. The Cowboys believe he is ready to roll, don’t be surprised if the veteran makes his Cowboys debut on Sunday night." — Russini, The Athletic

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Cook signed with Dallas at the end of August and has been on their practice squad all year. There were times it appeared they would elevate him to the gameday roster but that has yet to happen. Instead, they've continued to work Ezekiel Elliott into the game plan, which has been tough to watch.

Heading into a Week 8 showdown with the San Francisco 49ers, McCarthy sounds ready to give Cook a chance. There's no reason to think he will be the player we saw during his prime but it's also hard to imagine he wouldn't be an improvement over Zeke at this point.

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