The Dallas Cowboys face a decision at running back, and the good news is this is likely the deepest free agent group at the position in some time. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox offered his contract predictions for the top running backs and has the Cowboys moving on from Tony Pollard.
Who could Dallas replace Pollard with as the team’s new RB1? Knox tabs Las Vegas Raiders star Josh Jacobs as the perfect replacement and has the two-time Pro Bowler landing a 3-year, $30 million contract.
“A team like the Dallas Cowboys could be interested in making Jacobs an offer that the Raiders won’t match,” Knox wrote in a February 28, 2024 story titled, “Predicting 2024 NFL Free Agency Contracts for Star RBs Who Didn’t Get Franchise Tag.” “Dallas didn’t get the desired results from Pollard in 2023, and Jacobs is exactly the sort of dual-threat, every-down playmaker that the Cowboys had during the prime years of Ezekiel Elliott’s career.
“And while Dallas is facing a $3.2 million cap deficit, it has paths to creating cap space quickly. Extensions for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb could lower their 2024 numbers, and releasing Michael Gallup with a post-June 1 designation would save $9.5 million in cap space,” Knox continued.
“The Raiders likely saw enough from Zamir White late in 2023 that they won’t overpay to keep Jacobs.”
Buy or Sell Josh Jacobs as the Next Dallas Cowboys Running Back?
The fit makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys, but the price tag will likely prompt Dallas to keep shopping. There should be some skepticism that Jacobs or any of the free agent running backs will land a $30 million deal.
Consider that Jacobs is joined by other star running backs hitting free agency including the likes of Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Austin Ekeler. All of these veterans may be competing for less-than-ideal offers as teams could also turn to the 2024 NFL draft for running back solutions as well.
We are selling the idea that the Cowboys are going to spend $30 million on a running back deal. This is especially true after getting out of the big-money running back business by releasing Ezekiel Elliott during the 2023 offseason. The idea of Jacobs as a potential replacement for Pollard is an idea worth buying, but not at this price.
Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs Posted a Career-Low 805 Rushing Yards in 13 Appearances
Jacobs is coming off career-low numbers posting 233 carries for 805 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2023. The former All-Pro added 37 receptions for 296 yards. It is worth mentioning that Jacobs missed four games which accounts for some of this drop in production.
Jacobs is just one season removed from posting a career-high 340 carries for 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022. The veteran played on a one-year, $11.7 million deal for the Raiders last season. Spotrac projects Jacobs’ market value to be a four-year, $42.7 million contract.
Perhaps these projections turn out to be true, but there is also a scenario where there are more veteran running backs than landing spots. This could allow the Cowboys to potentially sign one of these star running backs to a more team-friendly deal.
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