There are few teams in the NFL in quite the strange position heading into this year’s NFL draft as the Cowboys. On one hand, this is a team that went 12-5 last year, a team that was a Super Bowl contender for much of the season, a team that has gone 36-15 over the past three seasons. On the other hand, it is a team that has been sapped in free agency, that has numerous major holes to fill and needs an influx of talent to maintain their contender’s status.
It’s a tough needle to thread, but one way the Cowboys could do it is by making trades, potentially sending away late-round picks in exchange for players who have at least proven themselves worthy of getting NFL snaps.
And one such player could be on the move this week as the draft approaches—Texans running back Dameon Pierce, who tallied 1,104 yards as a rookie in 2022 before falling out of favor with a new coaching regime last year.
In an article titled, “2024 NFL Draft: Realistic trade predictions for 6 veterans who could be moved during the draft,” Pro Football Focus writer Marcus Mosher predicts that Pierce will be traded, with Dallas as a potential destination.
Dameon Pierce Struggled in his Second Season
Pierce is only 24 years old and was a fourth-round pick out of Florida in 2022. He made a name for himself as a rookie, when he rushed for a respectable 939 yards in 13 games, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He suffered an ankle injury that held him out of the final four games of the season.
Pierce totaled four rushing touchdowns and added 165 yards receiving out of the backfield, with another touchdown. The Texans appeared prepared to make him a key part of the offense in 2023, but he lost out on carries to free-agent signing Devin Singletary.
That makes Pierce, coming off a season in which he averaged only 2.9 yards per carry and played only 32% of the team’s snaps, a prime trade candidate for teams that don’t land the running back they want in the draft this week.
Here’s what Marcus Mosher wrote at PFF: “The Texans have since added Joe Mixon and rewarded him with a new contract. He will be their starter in 2024 and beyond, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Texans draft a running back with some speed to complement him. …
“Luckily for Pierce, this is a pretty weak running back class, and there could be a handful of teams looking for a competent starter in the trade market. Teams in need of a starting-caliber running back could be interested in flipping a late Day 3 pick for Pierce, who best fits a gap scheme.”
Cowboys Currently Have Rico Dowdle as Lead Back
The Cowboys don’t have much established in the running game at this point, with starter Tony Pollard having been sent packing in free agency, accepting a deal to join the Titans. His backup, Rico Dowdle, re-signed with the Cowboys, and Dallas has inexperienced players Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman behind him.
The presumption is that the Cowboys will use a high draft pick on a running back, but with other holes to fill, it might well make more sense to keep their own second- or third-rounder and instead flip a late pick for a player like Pierce.
Pollard needs to be replaced, obviously, and it is unlikely that it will be Dowdle doing so. Maybe Pierce won’t be up to the job, either, but as a low-risk gamble with some NFL resume behind him, he may be worth a shot.
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