The Cowboys have been linked with several of the draft’s top running backs in the weeks leading up to the draft, but owner Jerry Jones downplayed the team’s need for backfield help during a pre-draft press conference on Tuesday.
Jones said, via David Helman of the team’s website, that the team is interested in adding a running back to a backfield fronted by Darren McFadden, but that the need is not “not urgent.” Improving the defense, on the other hand, is something that Jones characterized as something that the Cowboys have to do “by hook or crook.”
It’s a sensible approach to take. The Cowboys have a strong offensive line and passing game, which creates confidence that they’ll be able to generate a strong running game even if they don’t come away from the draft with Todd Gurley or Melvin Gordon. It’s also thought to be a deep group of runners, which helps the Cowboys wait before pulling the trigger on a back.
The defense, on the other hand, needs reinforcing in various spots after outperforming expectations last season. Jones also suggested that some of the help on both sides of the ball will come after the Cowboys move around the draft board, saying that being at No. 27 raises the likelihood that the Cowboys will make a trade before Thursday night is out.
If the Cowboys were to move down and add picks on the second and/or third day of the draft, it seems likely that they’d use one on a back given McFadden’s injury history and the general trend of using multiple backs in today’s NFL.
