Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have been under fire for their “selectively aggressive” approach to the 2025 offseason. The criticism intensified after Myles Garrett reset the edge rusher market with a massive contract before Dallas extended Micah Parsons — who is still without an extension.
However, the Cowboys have been more aggressive in addressing their running game. After letting last season’s leading rusher, Rico Dowdle, walk in free agency to the Carolina Panthers, the Cowboys signed Javonte Williams at the start of free agency and now plan to add Miles Sanders.
Cowboys to Sign Miles Sanders
Dallas’ offense struggled in 2024, finishing No. 23 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric. The team took a major hit when Dak Prescott suffered a partial avulsion of his hamstring in Week 9, ending his season. The offense never fully recovered.
The Cowboys’ rushing attack was among the league’s worst, despite Dowdle managing 1,079 yards and two rushing touchdowns behind a struggling offensive line. He was the team’s most consistent skill player, adding 249 receiving yards and three more scores through the air. Veteran Ezekiel Elliott was the next leading rusher from the backfield, finishing with just 226 yards.
Dowdle played on a one-year contract in 2024 before signing with the Panthers. After the Cowboys signed Williams on a one-year, $3 million deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Jerry Jones and Co. plan to sign Sanders to a one-year deal to bolster their backfield.
Sources: Miles Sanders plans to sign with the #Cowboys on a one-year deal. pic.twitter.com/Jx9jDzKyoP
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 14, 2025
Sanders had two years remaining on his four-year contract with the Panthers but was released on March 11, saving Carolina $5.225 million against the salary cap. He will join Williams and Deuce Vaughn in a Cowboys rushing attack that ranked sixth-worst last season, averaging just 95.7 yards per game.
Sanders was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and spent four years with the Philadelphia Eagles before signing with Carolina as a free agent in 2023. In Philadelphia, he rushed for 3,941 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 965 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
However, he couldn’t replicate that production in Carolina, managing just 939 total yards and four touchdowns over two seasons.
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Despite signing a four-year, $25.4 million deal in 2023, Sanders lost the starting job to Chuba Hubbard by Week 4 of the 2023 season. From that point on, he was primarily used in a backup role, only seeing increased touches when injuries occurred.
With Williams and Sanders projected as the Cowboys’ top two rushers in 2025, it’s unclear how much their running game will improve. However, adding a draft prospect like Ashton Jeanty could take this unit to another level.
The Cowboys are projected to target a running back in PFSN’s latest three-round mock draft by Marco Enriquez.