The Dallas Cowboys look like they’re going to make the same mistake again at running back as they did bringing Ezekiel Elliott back for last season. USA Today's Jacob Camenker listed the Cowboys as the perfect fit for free agent running back Raheem Mostert.
That seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Mostert could be a decent acquisition, but knowing Jerry Jones and his cheap mindset, he could look to Mostert as a solution rather than an option.
What I mean by that, Elliott was brought back to be the feature back and he lost that role before the season ended. When Rico Dowdle took over as the feature back, his production and results drastically improved.
Which begs the question, if the Cowboys were to seriously eye Mostert, what’s the play? The NFL Draft class is running back-friendly. Take one of the many options in the draft, bring Dowdle back, who proved to be a good backup to Tony Pollard, and patch the rest of the offense and defense together.
But would require Jones to do what he rarely does and that’s make football decisions. He prefers to watch his pockets and that’s largely been the reason the Cowboys have struggled recently. They haven’t made big offseason moves and as a result they don’t make big playoff runs.
Cowboys being linked as 'perfect fit' for Raheem Mostert points to Jerry Jones’ biggest flaw
It feels like the Cowboys are always in this never-ending loop of insanity. The season starts, every fan feels like it’s Dallas’ year! Halfway through the season, the Cowboys lose games they shouldn’t. The season ends and there's more frustration with Jones.
Rinse and repeat.
Jones’ biggest flaw is he isn’t great at making football decisions and adding Mostert feels like one of those decisions. Mostert’s best season of his career was in 2023 when he had over 1,000 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns.
In 2024, he had just 278 yards and two touchdowns on less than 100 carries. Those numbers are identical to that of Elliott’s final year in Dallas. That’s the type of mistake Jones would be making.
They’re better off drafting two running backs than they are trying to revive Mostert’s career, who will be playing in his age 33 season. Jones will have to get savvy to work within the cap space limits, but he has to make a switch to help this Cowboys team.
Pointless signings aren’t getting the job done. Re-signing your franchise players is only part of the task. The Cowboys have to put together a true winning team. That all relies on Jones making good football decisions.