The Dallas Cowboys are set at running back for the next few years with Ezekiel Elliott in the lineup. However, they needed to figure out what to do at the backup position. After Lance Dunbar bolted from the Cowboys this offseason and signed with the Los Angeles Rams, Dallas knew they needed to strike fast to avoid losing all help. The Cowboys re-signed Darren Mcfadden, who is only two years removed from a 1,000-yard rushing season with Dallas, to a new one-year deal at a rate that is very affordable for the Dallas Cowboys.
The new Darren McFadden Cowboys contract
Darren McFadden was the starting running back in Dallas in 2015 but watched the team draft his replacement in 2016 when they chose Ezekiel Elliott in the first round of the NFL Draft. McFadden, a former first round pick himself with the Oakland Raiders, then missed most of the season recovering from surgery and watched as Elliott dominated and took over the starting job he once held. Instead of leaving the Dallas Cowboys and possibly accepting a bigger contract elsewhere, McFadden chose to remain with Dallas as the backup and change-of-pace running back to Elliott. The contract was also team-friendly with the former starter only making $980,000 this season, a very low amount for the former first-round draft pick.
Darren McFadden’s spot with the Cowboys in 2017
For the past few seasons, Lance Dunbar was the third down back, a player who was always dangerous when it came to catching passes out of the backfield. However, Dunbar was about worthless when it came to taking a handoff and running with the ball. This means that the Dallas Cowboys have an improvement with McFadden, who can catch the ball and is still a great cut back runner when taking a handoff.
While leading the Cowboys in receiving in 2015, McFadden averaged 4.6 yards-per-carry and also caught 40 passes for 328 yards. While Dunbar took the money to play for a losing team in Los Angeles, Darren McFadden will remain a change-of-pace back to Ezekiel Elliott on a team that has every chance of making the playoffs for the second season in a row.
