PAYDAY: Dallas Cowboys Lock Up KEY Player On Offense | Did They Overpay Javonte Williams?

Summary

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Locked On Cowboys – Feb 23, 2026

Episode Title: PAYDAY: Dallas Cowboys Lock Up KEY Player On Offense | Did They Overpay Javonte Williams?
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
Main Theme: Analysis and ramifications of the Dallas Cowboys re-signing running back Javonte Williams to a three-year, $24 million contract before free agency.

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the Dallas Cowboys’ decision to extend running back Javonte Williams before the start of NFL free agency. Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool dissect the deal’s timing, contract value, roster strategy, and what Williams’ return means for the running back room. They debate whether the Cowboys overpaid, consider alternatives that were available via draft and free agency, and project the team’s next steps at the position as they build out the 2026 roster.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Javonte Williams’ Extension: Timing and Rationale

[01:28–03:27]

• The Cowboys re-signed Javonte Williams on a three-year, $24M contract with $16M guaranteed ahead of free agency.
• The deal locks in continuity for a unit expected to carry more responsibility as the defense rebuilds.
• Landon: “Getting a guy back like Williams was important to at least set a floor for what this offense needed to be running the football... a high floor.” (02:54)
• Familiarity and locker room presence influenced the early signing.
• Marcus speculates that Williams (and his agent) may have approached the Cowboys to avoid the risk of being left with a weaker deal in a saturated free agent market for running backs.

2. Market Dynamics for Running Backs in 2026

[03:27–05:48]

• The hosts note the weak state of the 2026 running back free agency market and draft class.
• Landon: “It’s a buyer’s market... the team wanted him back, he probably wanted to be back... if they could get this done early, it would be to the best interest of both sides.” (05:48)
• Dallas had only two picks inside the top 100 in the upcoming draft, limiting their ability to draft a replacement.

3. Assessing the Contract Value: Did They Overpay?

[11:15–14:28]

• Debates over whether $8 million per year is high given running back replaceability and the need for cost control elsewhere on the roster.
• Marcus: “I thought $8 million a year was a little bit on the higher end of what I thought he was going to make. I thought it was going to be more in the $6 million range, but... it’s just not that big of a deal.” (14:10)
• The gap between $6M–$8M is acknowledged, but both agree it’s not a franchise-altering difference.

4. Potential Pitfalls: Usage, Decline, and Injury Risks

[12:05–14:10]

• Standard risks of second contracts for running backs are discussed, including declining production after reaching a ‘touch threshold’ and increased injury risk.
• Landon: “There’s a certain point when [RBs] reach a touch threshold where it affects them long term... and that’s when you start to see the real fall off.” (12:05)
• The Cowboys’ roster currently lacks depth behind Williams, which adds to the injury risk concern.

5. Roster Building Philosophy and Cap Management

[14:28–19:32]

• Dallas’ offense is highly paid, with several key players on second or third contracts.
• The importance of “nailing” future draft picks and free agent signings becomes paramount due to the limited cap flexibility.
• Marcus: “There’s just not a lot of cheap salaries on offense... It’s even more important that they nail the free agent moves and they nail the draft.” (15:03)
• By prioritizing stability and rewarding a known contributor, the team made a deliberate choice to forego potentially cheaper or more dynamic options.

6. Alternative Options: Draft, Day-3 Prospects & Free Agency

[06:33–08:25], [24:34–27:35]

• The 2025 draft class did not work out, with the team missing on preferred targets and instead taking a flier on lesser prospects.
• The weak 2026 draft class further rationalizes the Williams deal.
• In free agency, a robust list of competent backs (Brian Robinson, Kareem Hunt, Raheem Mostert, Nick Chubb, Najee Harris, Isaiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell) will likely be available on affordable short-term deals.
• Marcus: “There are some quality running backs out there if you just need somebody that could eat eight carries a game.” (27:35)

7. What’s Next at Running Back for Dallas?

[22:36–28:13]

• The hosts agree more depth and variety is needed in the RB room to keep Williams fresh and protect against injury.
• Landon: “I think you have to pretend like you just don’t have anything else right now.” (23:13)
• Competitions for backup roles likely; free agent options could be signed cheaply.
• Marcus: “Even if I have issues with it, paying Javonte Williams $8 million is not going to decide whether they are a Super Bowl contender or not.” (17:20)

8. Philosophical Wrap-Up & Front Office Choices

[18:18–19:32]

• The contract is framed as a choice for short-term continuity and stability versus uncertain upside and cost-saving.
• Defense improvements will hinge on creative cap management and nailing secondary contracts or restructures (Pickens, Steele, etc.).
• The precise balance of cap allocation between offense/defense is now the front office’s next big test.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the logic of re-signing Williams early:

  “He’s familiar with this offense, he’s a good fit... we might be able to save our million or two, but it’s just not worth the risk here.”
  —Marcus Mosher (03:27)

• On running back market conditions:

  “It’s a buyer’s market...team wanted him back. He probably wanted to be back.”
  —Landon McCool (05:48)

• On future needs at the position:

  “You still need to get a secondary back to kind of insulate Williams a little bit.”
  —Landon McCool (06:33)

• On the debate over contract value:

  “It isn’t a huge difference, but one of the things we cautioned about earlier is this is already one of the most expensive offenses in the league... there’s just less wiggle room to be wrong.”
  —Marcus Mosher (14:28–15:03)

• On roster building philosophy:

  “It’s just recognizing that they made a choice, right? They made a choice for continuity, for stabilization from what they had last year versus the opportunity to maybe get a little bit cheaper, maybe get a little bit more explosive...It’s not a good or bad, we’ll see how it turns out.”
  —Landon McCool (18:18)

• On backup running back targets:

  “I think you go get a guy who has a slightly different game than what Williams has, but who can handle being more than just a passing down back.”
  —Landon McCool (26:29)

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• [01:28] Start of Williams contract discussion and rationale
• [03:27] The timing of the deal and market strategy
• [05:48] Broader context of NFL RB market, the buyer’s market analogy
• [06:33] Draft class evaluation and context on Cowboys’ pick limitations
• [11:15] Potential pitfalls with Williams long-term, normal RB second contract risks
• [14:10] Dissecting the value of the $8M/year contract
• [15:03–19:32] The offense’s cost structure, cap implications, and philosophical debate
• [22:36–26:54] Future of the RB room, depth chart talk, free agent options
• [27:35] Specific value free agents discussed by name (Robinson, Hunt, Mostert, Chubb, et al.)

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Summary & Flow

This episode provides a rich, nuanced look at the Cowboys’ decision to secure Javonte Williams. The hosts balance optimism about continuity and proven production with skepticism about the opportunity cost, risks of running back contracts, and the need for backfield depth. They contextualize the deal within broader NFL positional value trends, the 2026 draft/free agent landscapes, and the team’s evolving resource allocation. Their trademark conversational, fair-minded tone grounds the analysis—never too harsh, but keenly aware of high-level roster-building implications for Dallas in the seasons ahead.

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Useful For:
Fans wanting to understand the contract’s impact, future running back plans, front office philosophy, and where the Cowboys stand as they allocate resources for a renewed push—with their offense, for now, leading the way.

Transcript

[Marcus Mosher]

Foreign podcast network your team every day.

[Tyler Rowland]

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[Marcus Mosher]

The Dallas Cowboys have locked up a key member of their offense. We'll break down all of the details next.

[Tyler Rowland]

You are Locked on Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network.

[Marcus Mosher]

Your team every day. Welcome back to the Laton Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Use your profit boost on an NBA future and get entered for your chance to win a trip to the NBA Finals. Play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Welcome back. I am your host, Marcus Mosher. He is Lana McCool. Like to thank you for making us the number one sports podcast network. And on today's show we're discussing the Dallas Cowboys resigning Javante Williams ahead of free agency on a three year, $24 million contract. We're going to talk about some potential pitfalls here. What's next at the running back position. But I think overall the belief at least from Cowboy fans is they're very excited to have Javante Williams back because of a lot of different factors, including what he did as an inside runner last year and as a pass blocker. But it just seemed like land and this was a player that the, the players loved and they kind of had to bring him back. So I totally get it.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And I think, you know, on a level of, you know, I think in a year where you are overly reliant on your offense, you need to be overland as your defense Rebuilds. Again, I think having continuity is probably a little bit more valuable.

[Marcus Mosher]

Right.

[Landon McCool]

And so I think it was important for the Cowboys to bring back Williams and we'll talk about the, the, you know, the need to try to continue to find ways to improve this offense. And I think there certainly is value there, but I think on a certain level, getting a guy back like Williams was important to at least set a floor for what this offense. A high floor. Right. For what this offense needed to be running the football and really. And what he does in the past game. And I think there are areas where he can even improve there as well.

[Marcus Mosher]

My question for you is, why do you think they decided to do it now? Because part of me thinks that we're going to get into free agency and there's just not a lot of destinations for these running backs. And I wonder if there's a chance that he could get him either on a cheaper deal into free agency or potentially upgrade the position or do you think it was just, it was as simple as, hey, he's familiar with this offense, he's a good fit. Yeah, we might be able to save our million or two, but it's just not worth the risk here.

[Landon McCool]

I, I think it's a little bit of that. I think it's a little bit of just trying to get things done a little bit earlier. I mean, I think that was a, a pleasantly surprising aspect of this, is that it did get done early and, and, and that it was. I mean, not that this was necessarily going to be some long, drawn out affair necessarily, but just, you know, the Cowboys knocking out the, the simple things in order to kind of get to business on some of the more difficult things as free agent approach, free agency approaches.

[Marcus Mosher]

So my take on that is. I, again, this is me speculating. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if this was Williams and his agent coming to the Cowboys first maybe because I think if you're, you don't want to be one of these running backs that gets left having to take a one year, $3 million deal. I think it's possible Javante could have got more money elsewhere in free agency. But is it really worth the risk when you know, you fit this offense well and there's a, you know, $16 million guaranteed on the table. Probably not.

[Landon McCool]

Especially when you probably, you know, this is one of those things where the negotiation started probably pretty close, right. There wasn't like a huge difference in what the valuation was. So I, I don't, you know, it's not like these, these parties were so far off. And, and if there's mutual interest there, then I think it's easier to kind of hammer out a deal that makes both sides feel like it's equitable, you know.

[Marcus Mosher]

Right.

[Landon McCool]

And.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, I mean, how much negotiating can you really do at this? Because.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, you're right.

[Marcus Mosher]

Like, so he, last year he signed a one year, three and a half million dollar deal. We always knew that it was going to be at least a couple million dollars more per year and you know, he wasn't going to get like over $10 million a year. So you're talking about the difference in like 4 or 5 million a year at most. That's just, that's much different than when you're talking about negotiating with the George Pickens or a Michael Parsons or Oso digizua. Like, there's only so many ways this can go.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, absolutely. And like, you know, we talked about the market and what it's going to look like this year for three for free agent running backs. It's, it's not pretty for, for, you know, being a free agent running back. It's, it's a buyer's market. And so I think it was one of those things where the team wanted him back. He probably wanted to be back. He felt a level of comfort with what was going on in Dallas and, and just felt like if, if, if they could get this done early, it would be to the best interest of both sides. So, yeah, it made some sense. And, and I think, you know, we'll, we'll see how it plays out a little bit because I still think that things are going to need to change. Yeah, you're still going to need. We still. All the things that we prescribed for the running back room, I think still apply. You still need to get a secondary back to kind of insulate Williams a little bit season.

[Marcus Mosher]

I also wonder how things would have been different if this was a better running back class and, or if the Cowboys had more day two picks. Because I think there's a, you could make an argument, hey, you know, the Cowboys have had a lot of success, you know, just cycling through these guys in free agency, draft and running back on day two and let's go that route. But I mean, you and I have been doing a lot of draft homework. There might be one running back actually there might be two running backs worthy of being drafted. 100. They both go to Notre Dame.

[Landon McCool]

That's right.

[Marcus Mosher]

Just not a great running back class. And the Cowboys only have two picks inside the top 100. Two of them in the first round, I think it was a combination of, let's just get this done deal done, let's knock out a need. It's not going to cost us a ton to do it. And now we can focus on getting George Pickens done, getting Brandon Aubrey done, and fixing the defense.

[Landon McCool]

I mean, honestly, the argument that, that we should be making is that if they had not waited so late until the draft of running back the year previous in 2025, then maybe they could have gotten a running back that they could have felt a little bit more comfortable to not have to invest as heavily in, in. In a starting running back. Right.

[Marcus Mosher]

I think, you know, to be fair, I, I think they were. I think they were. That was the plan, honestly.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

But in 2025, you had Trayvon Henderson and Quinton Judkins, who were both selected right before they picked, so they pivoted to Donovan as Raku, which again, if you do that over again, you take Ezra Raku even over those running backs. But in round three, I don't think there was a guy that they loved and they had a high grade on Ravel. The problem was between picks where the Cowboys took Ravel in that fifth round, pick of Jaden Blue were where all those other running backs went. And there was just nothing there the Cowboys felt great about.

[Landon McCool]

It's just the way the whole thing played out was rough. And I think ultimately it's. Look, the Cowboys landed on their feet because Williams was such a great value last year as a running back. And look, I think the contract is right on the upper edge of what you and I talked about with being comfortable with, you know, as far as when we first kind of laid out a deal for him. So I'm not upset with it. I think it, you know, again, I think he's a good player and I think he brings a high floor to the situation. But I still think that you need to add some dynastism to the, the offense with, with a, a back that kind of alternates that skill set. And whether that's blue or whether you need to kind of still go out and find another running back, that still remains to be seen.

[Marcus Mosher]

The good news is I think you can find that player whether it's in free agency, whether it's in the draft, but, but it's really hard to get rookies that'll come in and pick up, you know, linebackers in, you know, the passing game as blockers that'll be able to grind out the hard yardage on, you know, third and goal and Javante showed that he could do that. I do have some concerns about him as a player and we can get to those next. This episode is brought to you by Turbo Tax Tax season doesn't have to take over your Life this year. TurboTax is making it easier than ever to just hand things off and move on with your day. With TurboTax Full Service, you can have your taxes done for you by a trusted local expert, start to finish, without the stress or all of the guesswork. Instead of spending hours trying to figure out forms, you can meet with a local TurboTex expert in person or or connect online. It's a huge time saver and it gives you real peace of mind knowing that an expert is handling it all. And for a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 all in. If a TurboTax expert didn't file for you last year, just file by February 28th. So take taxes off your plate and get back to your life. Visit turbotax.com local to book your appointment today.

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[Landon McCool]

for a limited time.

[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. The off season never stops around here. We've got combine coming up. Free agency is just around the corner, so join the group chat to talk Cowboys year round and get every episode of the show ad free. Head over to locked on cowboys.supercast.com or hit the link in the show notes to learn more. All right, we talked about all the positives. There's. Honestly, there's way more positives here than there are negatives. I got into some trouble this weekend sending out one slightly negative tweet about Javante. Well, it was more than 1. It was like 4. 4 slightly negative tweets about Javante Williams. But if there are any potential pitfalls with this deal. What are they?

[Landon McCool]

I think mostly it's the kind of normal running back signing long term pitfalls, right. Like there's a certain point when they reach a touch threshold where it affects them long term. It's sort of similar to what we saw at the end of the season. You know, it's just. Except it happens kind of on a more permanent basis. Like I expect Javante Williams to come back with fresh legs next year because he's still 25 years old or whatever it is, and be absolutely fine and refreshed next year like he was the beginning of the season last year. But I think that there's a certain point where that just kind of goes away or you start getting injured and it starts chaining into a series of lower body, especially injuries. Right. And that's when you start to see the real fall off of this situation. And, and, and when it falls off, you want to get outside of those deals and you certainly. The other thing too is that you just need to have something in place because at some point injuries are going to happen. And right now, like if Williams were to get hurt, like the Cowboys don't really have anything, you know, to like replace that. And so probably Hunter Lipke, honestly, I mean, as it stands currently, they probably just signed Malik Davis and have him and Hunter Lipke in blue maybe I think after, if he has a good off season kind of trio, it. But yeah, I mean it's not a good solution right now. So I do think that there's still a lot of work to be done in this running back room just to kind of give yourself some insurance, not only to prevent a lot of the accumulated, you know, touches and injuries that happened with these guys as he gets more and more touches throughout the season and making sure that he can continue to play into January and hopefully February. But, but you also need to like have a plan for when he gets injured and he's not on the field. And, and you still need to kind of keep this running game going. It doesn't take a ton, but you still have to do something about it. And I don't think the Cowboys have the answer currently right now on their roster.

[Marcus Mosher]

And the comment that I made that people got upset about is I thought $8 million a year was a little bit on the higher end of what I thought he was going to make. I thought it was going to be more in the six million dollar range,

[Landon McCool]

but which is factual. Literally. Go back and listen to guys. We said six to eight millions was what we've said.

[Marcus Mosher]

Right?

[Landon McCool]

We thought it was. That's the Top end of what we expected. So that's.

[Marcus Mosher]

And it's just what I really tried to emphasize. It's just not that big of a deal going from $6 million to $8 million a year. Like to get too upset about. But one of the things that we kind of cautioned about earlier this off season is this is already one of the most expensive offenses in the league and we knew it was going to be more expensive this year because you're going to have to pay Javonte Williams, you're going to have to pay George Pickens, which means you're going to. There's just less wiggle room to be wrong when it comes to draft picks or free agency when it comes to addressing the defense. Right. Because right now you have a quarterback who is on his third contract. Third. I believe you've got a running back on a second contract with the team. CD Lamb's on a second contract. George Pickens is going to be on a second contract. Jake Ferguson is on the second contract. Tyler Smith is on a second contract. Terrence Steele is on a second contract. There's just not even guys like Hunter Lipke on a second contract. Right. There's just not a lot of cheap salaries on offense. And that's not, that doesn't mean that Javante Williams needs to be the odd man out. It's just acknowledging that this is going to be the most expensive offense in the league. So it's even more important that they nail the free agent moves and they nail the draft. And they also need Javante to play at a similar level that we saw last year because he was fantastic in the first 10 weeks of the season. And then if you watch the second half of the year, he really wore down. Now whether that's because he was getting banged up because they didn't have another running back, who knows? I mean I think there's some fair, you know, excuses in there, but they just need to be right here. I think they will because Javante is a good player, but I don't think he's an elite a special game changing running back and, and I just philosophically I have an issue with paying non elite running backs.

[Landon McCool]

That's all. Well, yeah, and I think again like even more so they need to find a way to get another kind of every down back at least up and going on their roster. If that's Phil Mafa, that's fantastic. Like, but they need another in between the tackles back on this roster. And look, I also think that, that you can, you could spread Javante Williams touches out a little bit more. I mean, he only had, I think, 35. It was like 35 catches for 137 yards last year. Like, he has done a lot in the receiving game when he was with Denver. He's done a ton, you know, at receiving in Denver. So I think that there's more room for him to kind of spread out those touches and then maybe get some help as with the second running back and make this a little bit more committee so everybody can stay fresher. But yeah, I don't disagree.

[Tyler Rowland]

We.

[Landon McCool]

That doesn't mean that you don't still need similar production that you had from him this year, next year, and if not even slight improvement in some areas.

[Marcus Mosher]

And again, part of me is just like looked at what they've done, the running, at the running back position the last couple years and saw that, you know, they got really good production out of Rico Dowdle. And I understand that Javante Williams is a much better pass blocker than Javant, than Rico Dowdle, and he should be rewarded by getting a nicer contract. But what if. What if there was another running back out there that you could have gotten for 4 million or maybe you signed two running backs for 8 million? Is that better than Javonte Williams? I don't know, but this is a time I wish the Cowboys would have shown a little bit more patience. But at the same time, I totally understand why Javante Williams wants to be here. I understand why Dak wants him to be here. And I'm not going to kill them over a million or $2 million a year difference. Like, it's just in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big of a deal. And this, even if I have issues with it, paying Javonte Williams 8 million is not going to decide whether they are a Super bowl contender or not.

[Landon McCool]

It's.

[Marcus Mosher]

It's just not.

[Landon McCool]

It's just recognizing that they made a choice, right? They made a choice for, for continuity, for, for stabilization from what they had last year versus the opportunity to maybe get a little bit cheaper, maybe get a little bit more explosive from something in the market that was something that they had the opportunity to do and, and they kind of pass it up, which again, is a choice that they made. It's not a good or. There's no judgment on it. We'll see how it turns out. It's just a choice that they made. I don't think that's.

[Marcus Mosher]

I just thought because of how many needs the defense had, they were going to be very tight about how they spent money on offense and that was going to allow them to be more aggressive in free agency on defense. And maybe they still will be. Maybe we'll see them restructure more deals to create more cap space than maybe even. We're thinking. Maybe you'll see guys like Terence Steele restructure his contract rather than getting cut to free up some more cap space.

[Landon McCool]

I don't know.

[Marcus Mosher]

But I am curious to see how they address the defense because it'll be easy to point at Javante and be like, hey, if we didn't spend this $8 million here, could we have gotten this linebacker or this corner? It's a choice. Again, I. I don't totally disagree with it, but I think we need to see how the rest of free agency plays out first.

[Landon McCool]

I think if anything, it puts a little bit more pressure if you're going to pay. Kind of the top end of what we were expecting in these kind of deals, especially on the offensive side of the ball, like you're saying. I think it puts a little bit more pressure for the Cowboys to get a pick and steal done. Right. Because then you can control the cap a little bit more, can lower that number this season way, way down versus what it's supposed to be with. With the. The franchise tag. So I think, you know, it just. Yeah, or they got to pull some more triggers on some of these deals that maybe they were not expecting.

[Marcus Mosher]

Last thing before we move on, part of me was curious as to what the other running backs in the market were going to get. Like if Bree hall only gets, let's say, 10 or $11 million a year or Kenneth Walker gets $10 million a year, part of me would have rather spent a little bit. I can't believe I'm saying this. Would have spent a little bit more money on the running back position. And I know Breece hall has not put up the stats that Javante Williams has. I just think in terms of talent, he's a more talented player. But again, they opted for continuity and it's hard to blame them considering how successful this offense was last year.

[Landon McCool]

With Williams toting the rock, they're betting on their offensive line improvement being the floor, the ceiling razor here. And. And I'm hoping that that's true.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about what's next for the Cowboys at the running back position now that they've locked up Javante Williams. We'll get to that next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Ever wanted to experience the NBA Finals live and in person, Bandool is giving you the chance to turn that dream into reality with their NBA Sweepstakes. And here's how it works. Use your profit boost on any NBA future and you'll automatically be entered for a shot to win an NBA Finals trip for two. That's right, flights, tickets, the whole experience. And if you're already looking at the board and thinking about which teams can make a deep run, this is the perfect time to lock in the I love betting on the futures market this time of year because we're past the NBA All Star break. The action is really heating up as we get closer to the NBA playoffs. So visit FanDuel.com to get started and use your profit boost on an NBA future and get entered for your chance to win a trip to the NBA Finals. So play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. All right, Lena, let's talk about what's next for the Cowboys at the running back position because you've got Javante locked up for the next three years at least the next two years. That's when the guaranteed money runs out.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

You've got Phil Mafa, you've got Jaden Blue. I believe Malik Davis is a unrestricted free agent, but he'll probably be back. You also got Hunter Lipke, I guess.

[Landon McCool]

Stop it.

[Marcus Mosher]

What do you do at the running back position now? Do you just hope that Moth and Blue develop or do you continue to look at the free agent market to see what's out there?

[Landon McCool]

I mean, I think what we talked about before is still, still holds true. Right. Like you just can't. I think you have to pretend like you just don't have anything else right now. I think. Or at least you, you look at the Mafa Blue situation as two guys competing for one spot potentially. Right. I would agree. I, I still think you need to be, you know, consistent in going out and finding a guy. And I Also think at this point you, you're looking for someone who's more dynamic. But I, I would say that you should probably try to reach for somebody who has, you know, a balanced aspect of their game is not just a pass catching running back, you know. You know, I think you've already got a guy who may be a little bit kind of one dimensional and I think that Jaden Blue could develop into a more balanced running back if he's, if he puts his nose to the grindstone. I think he's shown the kind of footwork to run inside if not the, if he doesn't, not necessarily have the strength right now. But I just think you need to find a guy who could be a change of pace sort of back for you without being, you know, just so like a speed guy that he can't be relied upon to run between the tackles. If, for instance, something were to happen to Williams and he's not able to play, I just, you just got to find a way to take touches away from these and you got to spread those touches out in this running back room a little bit.

[Marcus Mosher]

And I can't believe I'm saying this again. I, I, I would not be opposed to looking in the free agent market and finding another running back and spending a little bit more money because I don't, I don't think on day three of the draft because the Cowboys aren't going to spend one of their first two picks on a running back. If they did, they might have to find a new host for the lockdown Cowboys. Okay, there's probably people cheering right now, but so I, I got, I gotta believe that the running backs that they would consider on day three of the draft won't be significantly graded higher than like Jaden Blue or Phil Mafa. And that leads. No, I mean, I, I wouldn't think so. I'm looking at some running backs in free agency like Najee Harris, right. So these are all Pro Football Focus numbers from over the cap. Najee Harris is coming off the torn Achilles, but he's a guy that's, a guy that's handled a bunch of touches. PFF projection at 1 year, 1.35 million.

[Landon McCool]

That's exactly the price point I was thinking is like, go get maybe a slightly risky guy that is going to be cheap but has like some serious upside there.

[Marcus Mosher]

Isaiah Pacheco, one year, $2.2 million at 26 years old. Now if you want a guy that's a little bit older, but a very good receiving running back, Kenneth Gainwell two years, $4 million. That's somebody who had like a thousand total yards for Pittsburgh this year as a third down back, like something like that. So that way you're not relying on Jaden Blue to be an every down guy for you.

[Landon McCool]

Look at how these dynamic run games in the NFL work now. They have multiple running backs like, and not even just like with guys with different skill sets. It's just that they give the ball to a lot of different guys because they have a lot of different carries. So yeah, I would be. I, I think you go get a guy who has a slightly different game than what Williams has, but who can handle being more than just a passing down back. I think the guys that you mentioned all have experience doing that.

[Marcus Mosher]

Right?

[Landon McCool]

They all have experience being more than just third down backs if, if they can get some help. I think if you can find a way to kind of split the running back two position between one of these guys like a veteran guy for $2 million or less, and then maybe Blue or, or Mafa steps up to kind of fill in the gaps, I think that's a really good plan that can work even, and even support a situation where maybe Williams goes down for a game or two.

[Marcus Mosher]

Four more running backs. I want to mention you tell me these are interesting for you because there are a lot of them out there.

[Landon McCool]

That just shows you exactly what the market is like right now.

[Marcus Mosher]

And this is why I'm. Never mind Brian Robinson, 1 year, 2 million, played last year for the 49ers. You have someone like Kareem Hunt who's a veteran, 1 year, 1.6 million. Great short yardage, great pass blocker, Raheem Moser, he's getting up there in age. But one year, 1.5 million. And then you can get somebody like Nick Chubb who was okay for Houston last year. 1.1 year, 1.75 million. I think some of those guys are older and maybe you want to avoid that, but there are some quality running backs out there if you just need somebody that could eat eight carries a game.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and look, I mean I, I think you got better than what you were expected out of. Oh man, I've already forgotten Miles Sanders earlier this year. I'm not suggesting you necessarily bring him back, but I'm saying like, you've shown that you can get value out of those kind of cheaper older guys. So I, I actually don't hate any of those names, especially for the kind of role that we're talking about. I would, I mean, Chubb, it's just he's so old at this point, he's so old, like, but I mean, that, that brain and what he's, what he's done in the physicality, it would be valuable. But yeah, I just don't know if I could trust a guy even to be healthy in this, in that role with, with what he's been through so far.

[Marcus Mosher]

But a guy like Brian Robinson, 26, good tackle run. Now again, his skill set isn't all that different than Javante and maybe that's what, you know, sways you away from this. But if you're looking for a guy that could come in and fill his role if you needed him, I think Brian Robinson could be a good value. That is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Locked on Cowboys your first listen. Make sure you subscribe and follow the podcast so you get all of the latest episodes. And if you never miss an episode, the everyday club is built for you. Get locked on Cowboys ad free members only. Discord access. And so much more than head over to Lock On Cowboys to join the club. And for those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24. 7 national NBA YouTube channel. And on audio, make your second listen the Lock on NFL Draft podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter @mccool BCB I'm @Marcus Underscore Moser and we'll see you right back here tomorrow.

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[Arby's Announcer]

Can I have your attention, please? I have a big announcement. Arby's big Crispy Fish sandwich is back. So now you can choose between crispy fish or roast beef as your mediocre tray in your 7.99 meat and three box. And now I have an even bigger announcement. You still get three sides instead of one. Which means you get crispy fish, mud sticks, curly fries, a peach cobbler roll and a drink for just 7.99. That is all we can't make any bigger announcements. Arby's we have the meats and participating

[Landon McCool]

Arby's for a limited time.

[Ross Jackson]

Hey everyone, this is Ross Jackson, one of the hosts of the Locked On Podcast network. If your group chat's been a little quiet lately, I want to invite you to come and join ours. If you sign up for the Everydayer Club, you get access to the members only group chats for your favorite teams, plus national chats for every sport. Personally, I love watching folks talk a little smack in the NFC South Trash talk chat. You also get an ad free version of your favorite Locked on show and a whole lot more. You can check it out by tapping the everydayerclub link in the show notes.