Cowboys replacement for Ezekiel Elliott becoming more obvious on trade market

The Dallas Cowboys spent the offseason securing their two biggest offensive stars, CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, for the foreseeable future. They inked both players to substantial contract extensions to make them some of the higher paid players in the league. Both players deserved the contracts they receieved, but the Cowboys seemed to overlook adding a running back.

They brought Ezekiel Elliott back, but he is so far beyond his best years that he doesn't provide anything close to an RB1 caliber back anymore. Rico Dowdle backs him up, but he is unproven and also not the best option. These two really can't work as a committee because neither guy is much of a threat to dominate on the ground. This leaves Dallas as a very one-dimensional offense unless they opt to go after a running back via a midseason trade.

NFL insider connects the Cowboys to potential trade target Miles Sanders

ESPN's Dan Graziano (subscription required) put together a list of some of the biggest names that could be traded this season. He connected each player to a few teams, but listed one as the best fit — Miles Sanders of the Carolina Panthers.

"Sanders signed a four-year, $25.4 million contract with the Panthers before the 2023 season and has delivered a grand total of 633 scrimmage yards and one touchdown," Graziano wrote. "He slipped behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart last season, and the team drafted Jonathon Brooks in April. Once Brooks is healthy (knee), Sanders could be expendable...

"...[The Cowboys] didn't invest in the position this offseason and aren't generating much in the run game so far. Maybe they could use a boost from the outside, considering they rank 26th in yards per rush (3.7)."

With the Panthers looking at another bad season, Sanders very well could be on the move. He would be an upgrade over what the Cowboys have in their running back room, at the very least being a piece of a running back by committee approach that Dallas is currently failing at running.

Carolina could be willing to trade just about any player on their roster given the state of their franchise right now. If Sanders draws any sort of trade interest, I'd expect them to jump all over the idea.

Dallas spent quite a bit of money this offseason on their roster. With as much talent as they have, they need to be well-rounded and successful or else they run the risk of watching a ton of money go down the drain. I would anticipate seeing Dallas very active in trade talks over the next few weeks.