Lost in the excitement of the Brandin Cooks trade, the Cowboys hosted a trio of free agent visitors on Monday. Offensive lineman Chuma Edoga (since signed), linebacker Travin Howard and running back Ronald Jones were all slated to undergo physicals at the Star and possible additions in the near future.
While all seem to offer varying degrees of value to Dallas’ roster, it’s Jones who stands out as the most noteworthy of the bunch. The two-time Super Bowl winner is only 25-years-old and with just 17 rushing attempts in 2022, is coming off the lowest usage rate of his career.
The former second round pick is not expected to command significant money or commitment this offseason and could offer excellent value for the Cowboys if signed.
It wasn’t long ago Jones was one of the higher regarded running backs in the NFL. In 2020, Jones was the leading rusher on the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers. While Leonard Fournette garnered the most media attention, it was Jones who added more value in both EPA and RYOE.
Ronald Jones was a top-10 RB only two seasons ago and at the age of 25 is far from washed. If the Cowboys can sign him on a low 💵 deal he could be a steal as a depth piece pic.twitter.com/1UrOCT0zS5
— Reid D Hanson (@ReidDHanson) March 20, 2023
Running behind the same line, Jones averaged 5.16 yards per carry compared to just 3.99 yards per carry for Fournette. Jones’ rushing yards over expected sat at 0.44 that season ranking eighth overall in NFL in 2020.
80 seconds of Ronald Jones being difficult to tackle pic.twitter.com/5ZxKEGkGFP
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) June 28, 2021
Jones’ running style isn’t dissimilar to the man he would potentially replace. The Cowboys recently cut ties with Ezekiel Elliott and is looking to add some pieces either in free agency or the draft (or both). Finding a player who matches well with Tony Pollard is a solid way for Dallas to keep some continuity to their running game roles.
While Pollard seems ready to take on a bigger role in 2023, the Cowboys value his explosiveness and won’t want to wear him down with a heavy workload. Having good players around him who have proven to be successful in this league is a good start.
Jones isn’t without warts. He has issues as a pass catcher, has at times shown suspect vision at the line, and has never had more than 200 rushing attempts in a season.
But as a pure depth piece, Jones has a high floor and can replace some of the things the Elliott used to do making him safe signing prior to the draft. Dallas’ re-signing of Rico Dowdle on Tuesday shouldn’t much change any thoughts about signing Jones; the offseason roster is 90 for a reason.
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