Should the Cowboys trade Darren McFadden or Alfred Morris?

With the recent news that the Dallas Cowboys had inquires about running backs Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris from other teams, should Dallas consider trading either of them?

Prior the last month’s NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys appeared to be comfortable at the running back position. Last year’s starter for 10 games in Dallas, veteran Darren McFadden, was the fourth leading rusher in the NFL with 1,089 yards.

The Cowboys had also added two-time Pro Bowler and former Washington Redskins starting running back Alfred Morris in free agency earlier this offseason. Despite the fact the 27-year old veteran was coming off his worst statically season in his four-year career, Morris did record over 1,000 rushing yards in his first three seasons in the NFL.

Combine those two veterans with scat back Lance Dunbar, who recorded a whopping 21 receptions for 215 yards as a receiver out of the backfield in the first four games of the season last year, and it appeared the Cowboys didn’t have a pressing need at the position.

Yet, Dallas opted to use their first round pick, the fourth overall selection, to draft Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott. And according to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones, that’s when their phones started ringing off the hook.

"“We got calls during the draft asking to trade for a couple of our running backs,” Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “and we just don’t have that interest.”"

The Cowboys went on to draft yet another running back in last month’s draft. This time it was Eastern Michigan’s Darius Jackson in the sixth round.

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Dunbar, who suffered a devastating knee injury in Week Four of last season, could miss the first half of the upcoming season as well if he lands on the PUP list as expected. That fact likely means the Cowboys are simply protecting themselves from future injuries by opting to keep both McFadden and Morris on the roster for now.

Out of the two, I believe McFadden is the one more likely to be traded out of the two veterans. Not only is his trade value high coming off a resurgent season in Dallas, but the 29-year old is also in the final year of his contract with the Cowboys. Morris just signed a two-year, $3.5 million deal in March and he’s slightly younger.

One argument against trading McFadden is the fact some believe his running style meshes better with Elliott than Morris’ does. Regardless, the Cowboys have gone on record saying they intend to keep both veteran backs to pair with their first round selection in 2016. Although if the rookie Jackson begins to show signs in training camp, that policy could change.

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