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If the Cowboys keep a 3rd RB, could it be the UDFA Rico Dowdle? ✭

Last season, the Dallas Cowboys had only Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard on the list of 53 men as a ball carrier. If they extend the depth chart in 2020, the undrafted free agent Rico Dowdle is among the prospects hoping to gain employment.

Dowdle joined the Cowboys after a four-year stint with South Carolina. He was a starter when he was in good health, but fought injuries throughout his university career, limiting his production and consistency.

Yet Rico has done enough to be invited to the 2020 NFL Scout Harvest. The 6’0 ″, 208 pounds. the ball carrier posted a time of 4.54 on the scoreboard of 40 yards and a vertical jump of 38 ″.

There was enough in his athletic and college band to have Dallas sign Dowdle. Now Rico will enter his training camp with a competition open enough for the bottom of the RB depth table.

If there’s a favorite right now, it should be Jordan Chunn, who has two years of training team work for him. But while these years of development are precious, Chunn is now 25 and could have Dallas looking for a younger player to work with.

Also in the mix, two TCU backs, Darius Anderson and Sewo Olonilua. I wrote about Anderson’s prospects of being on the team a few weeks ago. As for Olonilua, Dallas has already put him on the back list.

If the Cowboys are looking for a versatile back to get behind Zeke and Pollard, Rico Dowdle may be the best candidate. Chunn is no longer a bruised guy and short film and Anderson is no longer a scatback like they once did at Pollard.

The big problem with Dowdle, as it has been in the past four years, will be health. If he’s having trouble staying on the pitch during camp or preseason, Dallas won’t want to waste valuable development work on him, even on the training team.

List of the 53 men would also mean finding a role in the special teams. This is how former RBs like Phillip Tanner and Rod Smith have stayed for the past few years, getting noticed in the Cowboys’ cover teams.

Dallas did not retain a 3rd RB last year as they had better options for special team players in other positions such as linebacker and cornerback. Many of these players, like CB CJ Goodwin and LB Justin March, are still on the list.

It’s entirely possible, and perhaps even likely, that none of Rico Dowdle, Darius Anderson or Jordan Chunn will be on the list this year. Dallas is struggling to give Tony Pollard the hit count he deserves, and FB Jamize Olawale serves as the 3rd and 3rd ball carrier.

But if there is room for more RB in 2020, Dowdle has the full game to be a competitor. Hopefully he stays fairly healthy and shows up in special teams to be competitive.

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