The Dallas Cowboys have a problem.
After sitting out a gangbusters veteran running back market that saw Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Aaron Jones, and even former Cowboy Tony Pollard change zip codes during free agency, Dallas largely sat on the sidelines before taking a flier that Ezekiel Elliott can still be a productive contributor at age 28 and after logging 2,065 career carries.
The Cowboys, and head coach Mike McCarthy, have publicly been consistent in suggesting the offense will feature a backfield by committee with Elliott playing a key role.
However, in a season that features both McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott as lame-ducks on the final season of their respective deals, the Cowboys have every motivation to upgrade the backfield before the 2024 campaign kicks off.
The Dallas Cowboys Should Trade for Miles Sanders
The answer to the Cowboys’ running back woes may be a minor trade away.
Miles Sanders has a Pro Bowl appearance on his resumè, the experience of playing in a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, and was seemingly the odd-man-out in the Panthers’ backfield after signing with Carolina as a free agent last offseason.
Still, Sanders, 27, could be an ideal fit both as a runner and receiving option out of the backfield for the Cowboys’ offense.
Through his first five seasons, Sanders has rushed for 4,140 yards with 21 touchdowns while adding 151 receptions for 1,096 yards and three more scores.
Given the fact that Sanders has just 868 career rushing attempts, he has plenty of tread left on his proverbial tires and could even be a more viable long-term option for the Cowboys either at the top of a rotation or even as a feature back than Elliott would appear to entering this season.
For the Panthers, moving on from Sanders would clear the way — officially, for Chubba Hubbard and explosive rookie Jonathan Brooks to become focal points in the offense. Likewise, it isn’t inconceivable that the Cowboys would be able to land Sanders in exchange for even a meager sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft.
If the Cowboys are serious about rounding out an explosive offense around Prescott, there’s too much upside to taking a chance on Sanders to ignore as the season approaches.
