Could the Dallas Cowboys have interest in Javonte Williams?

League sources have told me the Dallas Cowboys could investigate running backs that hit the waiver wire after training camp. These ‘camp cuts’ aren’t just guys who can’t make it in the league, but they’re also veterans who may not fit on a team’s roster for various reasons. When you go hunting at the end of camp, there are players who can help your team. This is why I’ve heard the Cowboys may do such a thing.

I’ve also been told that a trade near the end of the preseason for another running back is not out of the question. The Cowboys brought Ezekiel Elliott back as their starter this year, and he’ll form a running-back-by-committee with Rico Dowdle if the team can’t find additional help at the position. This is a good-not-great combination, and I think it’s why the Cowboys may be looking for help elsewhere.

The question becomes; where should they look?

Around the league, there are a few running backs with starter’s talent that could be on the roster bubble with training camps set to open this week. In this article, I will take a look at who could draw interest from a team like the Cowboys – or any other team in need of help at the running back position.

Javonte Williams could be competing with Samaje Perine for the final spot in the Broncos’ running back room. A 2021 second-round pick of the Broncos, Williams was an exciting player in his rookie year, but he has not looked the same since shredding his knee early in the 2022 season. Williams started 13 games last season, but he averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. His game is all about running defenders over, but Williams only had 11 broken tackles last year (ranking no.28 in the NFL) on 217 total carries. Compare that to his fantastic rookie season when he had 31 broken tackles (leading all NFL rushers that year) on 203 carries.

Khalil Herbert has flashed talent during his time with the Chicago Bears, but he’s in danger of not making the team due to the talent above him on the depth chart. The Bears are stacked with backs, and they’ll have a problem just getting enough touches to guys like D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. Herbert, a sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2021, has amassed 1,775 rushing yards over the last three seasons (compared to Williams who has 1,881 rushing yards during that time). Herbert started nine games last year for the Bears, but since fellow backup Travis Homer is a standout special teams player, we might see a team in need of a running back throw out a trade offer.

Myles Gaskin is a fast back who can do it all, but he might not make the 53-man roster for the Minnesota Vikings coming out of training camp. With only 10 snaps last year between two teams (and all of those snaps on special teams), Gaskin is trying to get back into the offensive mix with the Vikings. Just like Herbert with the Bears, the Vikings have some talented backs above Gaskin on the depth chart. Thus, he might get squeezed out of a roster spot because Aaron Jones is starting, Ty Chandler is a great backup (and arguably a rising talent), and Kene Nwangwu is a younger player (also with a lot of speed). A seventh-round pick in 2019, Gaskin has the second-most starts (17) of this group (Williams 18, Herbert 12) but it’s been a while since he started on offense.

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