NFC Contender Dallas Cowboys may trade for 1,100-yard former starter and Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce this offseason. According to a report, the Cowboys may trade for Pierce. The Florida product was showing promising strides until having a down year in his 2023 campaign with the Texans. According to Pro Football Focus, he notched 939 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 13 games in 2022.
He was one of the better rookies entering 2022 with 4.3 yards per carry, and adding 30 receptions for 165 yards and another touchdown. This was until Devin Singletary took the hot hand and all of the attention is on him after his illustrious 2023 campaign. Pierce struggled while only posting 416 rushing yards and two touchdowns. It’s not ideal for anyone at his age to have those types of ideal touches, especially at 24.
This makes sense of why the rumors are there, Pierce could explode in a roster that is lacking running back gas. Pierce has plenty of that despite the Cowboys recently signing Royce Freeman on a one-year deal. This doesn’t necessarily mean Dallas is set at the position since he’s more of a short-term option. The Cowboys are running thin and they’re probably running out of options so this means they prioritize either the offensive tackle or the running back position in round one of this year’s draft.
Pierce is looking to reboot his career after falling out of favor with a new coaching regime last season. It looks like it will be C.J. Stroud and Singletary running the offense for the Texans. The good news is Pierce could be playing under Dak Prescott next season.
NFC Contender Dallas Cowboys May Trade For 1,100-Yard Starter Dameon Pierce
The Team May Need A Legitimate Running Back
The Cowboys have been quiet this offseason so it’s easy to assume why they could try to make a splash trade to improve their roster. Pierce isn’t going to drastically change the running game but he’s a better option than Freeman, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. Dowdle and Vaughn still need time to develop so it’s easy to assume why they signed Freeman in the first place. He provides a quick cheap option for the team until they figure out who their running back will be for the long-term.
Tony Pollard was showing true promise in Ezekiel Elliott’s final year with the Cowboys but that fell short. Pollard left to sign with the Titans on a four-year deal after wanting to stay in Dallas for the future. The Cowboys don’t have an established running game so that may be why the team is exploring all options, including a trade. There’s a presumption that Dallas will use this year’s draft on a running back.
It would be wise for the Cowboys to probably flip a late-round pick for Pierce. It makes sense since the Texans signed Joe Mixon as well to bolster their roster. This leaves the door open for Pierce to explore a trade. Here are some other possible fits for the Florida product.
Team Trade Fits for Pierce
The Carolina Panthers are one option after bolstering an offense behind second-year quarterback Bryce Young. The Panthers are stacking key players for Young after trading for Diontae Johnson to complement Adam Thielen. Carolina doesn’t have a first-round pick so they could get creative to bolster their running game by sending later-round picks. Quarterbacks like Stroud are off to a stellar start in his career with Singletary so there’s no doubt Pierce can excel under Young.
Chargers are another good option since J.K. Dobbins is injury-prone despite the team signing him to a one-year deal. The backfield with him and Gus Edwards doesn’t look promising. They need someone who isn’t coming off an injury to last. Edwards is nothing but average so they may as well have an open backfield to have all three running backs get the touches and reduce the workload.
The Ravens still need a long-term answer at the position after signing Derrick Henry on a two-year deal. Henry isn’t going to last so they need a homegrown player to fit into the system with Lamar Jackson.
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