FRISCO – Inarguably, the Dallas Cowboys acted with too little urgency to improve their offensive backfield a year ago. Once Tony Pollard left in free agency, the team re-installed an aged Ezekiel Elliott and an inexperienced Rico Dowdle onto the top of the depth chart.

Fast-forward to today, and Zeke remains unsigned while Rico ended up producing solid numbers individually (and left for Carolina), and the fact that the Cowboys’ rushing offense was far from a strength is now in the rear-view mirror.But … all of that led to a complete overhaul in the offseason.

Was there more urgency this time around?

Dallas signed Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams during free agency before drafting Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue in April. One would think those moves give them a deep enough pool to construct their backfield and identify a solid No. 1.

Just in case they are still searching for options, Daniel Arwas at Heavy.com has urged the Cowboys to explore a trade for another young running back. He identified Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum as the ideal target.

“Although Williams and Sanders are both recognizable names; both made their respective All-Rookie teams, and Sanders was a Pro Bowler in 2022; the two combined for less than 800 yards in 2024,” Arwas wrote. “And that — in the case of Williams — was as the team’s designated starter.

“Running back is, unfortunately for the pair, a young man’s game, and Corum certainly still has his youth.”

Blue and Mafah were not widely acclaimed prospects coming out of college so there’s no guarantee they usurp the veterans at training camp. As Arwas notes, there are some questions for both Sanders and Williams to answer in showing they deserve top billing in the Cowboys’ backfield.

But does that all mean Dallas must add another player to the mix? Corum may be underutilized in Los Angeles, yet the Rams are one injury away from needing his services. At Kyren Williams’ usage rate, that grim possibility cannot be ruled out.

It’s a hard ask for the Rams to sacrifice their own backfield depth and the Cowboys simultaneously stir the competition with another competitor. If they cannot find a solid starter and use their backs effectively within this scheme, that’s simply a failure on both the front office and coaching staff.

As of now, there’s a belief that at least two of these players will be capable and dependable each week. The Cowboys should not – and need not – be in a rush to add any more pieces at least until they see the full scope of what they have at training camp.