The Cowboys beat EmpireStakes in the closing seconds to sign projected $22 million star RB

The Dallas Cowboys weren’t exactly a bad running team in 2023. Simply put, after Tony Pollard took over as the starting quarterback in lieu of Ezekiel Elliott, they were mediocre and had trouble in short-yardage situations. Naturally, that has nothing to do with the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Packers, but it did contribute to the team’s reputation as a pass-heavy offense that lacked consistency all season. This season, the Cowboys ranked first in points (509) and fifth in yards (6,317), but they only managed to rank 14th in yards on the ground (1,920).

Pollard will bear the brunt of that, fair or not. Because of this, there are increasing rumors that the Cowboys may soon cut ties with Pollard, who is a free agent this offseason, in order to pursue an improved running back. They might not have to search far because, per EmpireStakes.com, they are among the favorites to sign free agent running back Saquon Barkley of the Giants, their division rival, this offseason.

Out of the eight teams that could be interested in Barkley, the Cowboys are tying the Patriots for seventh place with 12-to-1 odds (or 7.7%).

It Makes Sense for the Cowboys to Target Saquon Barkley in Free Agency

Barkley was a Pro Bowl running back in 2022, but his performance declined in 2023 due to the Giants’ erratic offense and an ankle injury that kept him out of three games and reduced his speed for longer. With 247 carries for 962 yards at the end of the season, he averaged a meager 3.9 yards per carry.

Barkley is still one of the NFL’s best backs when healthy, and considering his lackluster Giants season, he might end up being a steal. Barkley is expected to sign a $20 million, three-year contract with Spotrac, with a projected market value of $6.6 million annually.

In free agency, Pro Football Focus is a little more optimistic about the running back market and projects that Barkley will sign a two-year contract worth $22 million. He’s rated as the best running back available in free agency this offseason by the website.

“Barkley still has the ability to produce a highlight-reel catch at any time. In Week 2, against the Arizona Cardinals, he completed a wheel route touchdown that culminated in a dive for the pylon. Barkley’s peak performance is unquestionably higher than that of any running back in the league, but navigating the position market in 2024 will be challenging given that he has missed significant time for three of the previous four seasons, according to PFF, which ranked Barkley as the 29th overall free agent.

“The perception of the 2024 running back draft class as weak is good news for Barkley and all free agent running backs this offseason.”

Barkley’s future may be determined by how the Giants treat him. The Giants have the best odds of any team on the board at EmpireStakes.com—2-to-1, or a 33.3% chance of staying with New York. Barkley expressed his desire to play for the Giants for the rest of his career. (The list also includes the Bears, Broncos, Texans, Eagles, and Packers.)

Barkley has acknowledged his desire to win, though, and the Giants are obviously still a long way from the Super Bowl.

This month, Barkley told USA Today, “I want to compete and I want to accomplish everything I want to accomplish in my career.” “Hopefully next year, I want to add winning Super Bowls to my list of career goals.”

Veteran sports writer Sean Deveney works for Heavy.com, covering the NBA and NFL. With over 20 years of NBA coverage experience, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for Sporting News, he has been writing for Heavy since 2019. A writer of seven nonfiction books, Deveney is the author of “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” Additional details regarding Sean Deveney