The Dallas Cowboys under Brian Schottenheimer want to be a run-first football team built on toughness and grit.
To be able to do that, the offensive line needs to be bulldozers, and the run game has to be first class - two things the 2024 Cowboys were not.
But now, under Schottenheimer, with the additions of Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator and Conor Riley as offensive line coach, both of whom have skins on the wall in developing top run games with Adams at Arizona and Riley with Kansas State, moves are being made.
However, now comes to the running back itself. Rico Dowdle is a free agent, and the Cowboys, who hold the No. 12 pick, have long been linked with Boise State star Ashton Jeanty.
But what if Dallas half-sorted out its running back room in free agency? In a neat exercise, CBS Sports compiled a mock draft of free agents, and when it comes to Dallas, Aaron Jones comes to The Star.
"RB Aaron Jones: Reinforcing the line after Zack Martin's retirement will be key," CBS Sports writes. "So will surrounding Dak Prescott with better multipurpose talent. Jones could be their discount version of the Eagles' Saquon Barkley investment, fresh off a smooth one-year stint with the Vikings."
Jones has long been Dallas' kryptonite over the years, with his famous 118-yard, three-touchdown game in the 2023 playoffs that sent the Cowboys crashing out being his best moment.
But fresh off a 1,138-yard, five-touchdown season with the Minnesota Vikings, Jones is available as a free agent. His market value per Spotrac.com is a modest $5.6 million APY.
That is very doable for the "selectively aggressive" Cowboys.
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Plus, if Jones is signed, Dallas still has the option to either re-sign Dowdle or draft a younger option.
For so long the bane of the Cowboys' existence, maybe now, with a run-first mindset on offense, Jones could help Dallas re-ignite its NFC East dreams.
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This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 7:37 AM.