Expected: Cowboys to Trade for Eagles Ex-Star RB: “A Captivating Choice”
The Dallas Cowboys might still be in the process of adding running backs.
With uncertainty at running back, the Cowboys will be getting ready for training camp later this month. This is a result of the team’s lack of a clear-cut starter; Ezekiel Elliott, who is more of a part-time back than a starter at this point in his career, and journeyman Royce Freeman, who has started just one game since the 2019 season, are their main offseason additions.
The Cowboys’ other seasoned acquisitions are Malik Davis, Rice Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn, three unproven runners. Both of those running backs have never started a game in their professional lives.
Because of this uncertainty at running back, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine is predicting—in a “bold” way—that the Dallas Cowboys will try to acquire a running back through trade. Miles Sanders, a running back for the Carolina Panthers and a former Pro Bowler for the Philadelphia Eagles, is one alternative mentioned by Ballentine.
According to Ballentine, “a veteran like Miles Sanders would also be an intriguing option.” “He lost the backfield completely in Carolina the previous season, but in his 2022 campaign with the Eagles, he amassed 1,347 yards from scrimmage.”
Following his career year, Miles Sanders had a terrible 2023 season.
A career-best year was experienced by 27-year-old Sanders in 2022, when the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl. In the 2022 season, he ran for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns, good for seventh in rushing yards and ninth in touchdowns, earning him a spot in his first Pro Bowl. He finished the postseason with 148 rushing yards on 35 carries and a respectable 4.2 yards per carry average, but his usage began to decline. Actually, during the playoffs, backup Kenneth Gainwell received more carries (38), accumulating 190 rushing yards.
Sanders’ role obviously shrank during the postseason, but in the 2023 offseason, he capitalized on his stellar performance to get a big contract worth $25.4 million for four years with the Panthers.
Nevertheless, Sanders had one of the least productive seasons as a running back in the NFL last year, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry on 129 carries for 432 rushing yards, all career lows. Among the top 48 rushers from the previous season, Sanders actually had the third-lowest running average.
After the season’s first five games, Sanders lost his starting position due to his terrible start to the campaign. Sanders carried the ball just 68 times in his following 11 games after seeing 61 carries in the first five games of the season.
Reasons for the Cowboys to Trade for Miles Sanders
The veteran running back, Jonathan Brooks, a second-round selection, and Chuba Hubbard will be ahead of the veteran back in the depth chart in 2024. Rashaad Penny, a former starting running back for the Seattle Seahawks, was also added by Carolina.
Now would be the ideal time for the Cowboys to trade for Sanders in exchange for a cheap draft pick, as he is probably nearing the end of his career in Carolina. With a $10.5 million dead cap cost for the 2024 campaign, the Panthers would probably prefer to trade him than cut him go in order to obtain a late-round draft pick.
Elliott’s departure from the Cowboys seems doubtful, but Freeman’s place on the squad isn’t assured. The same is true for Davis, Vaughn, and Dowdle, the three inexperienced backs.
Despite having had a difficult season, Sanders might be able to reach his full potential if he plays for one of the NFL’s top teams and behind a well-established line.