Maybe the Dallas Cowboys don't need a running back. Maybe while the rest of the league rediscovers the fact that running the ball is, actually, pretty valuable, Dallas can stay ahead of the curve.
Sure, running backs are trendy now, but in five years? In five years the cycle will be back at that point where teams throw the ball 60 times a game, and what's cooler than being a trend ahead of the trend? I assume that's why they traded for George Pickens.
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But [sigh] in case the Cowboys do need a running back, they're something of a pickle. The depth chart right now – Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and Jaydon Blue, probably – isn't exactly the most inspiring list of names you'll find on an NFL roster, which has led to plenty of offseason trade speculation. And since Dallas has a specific reputation to live up to, we can skip the whole 'will-they-won't-they' routine and just guess the biggest trade we can think of. It's very convenient in that way.
Bleacher Report didn't need to be asked twice, beating everyone to the punch Monday morning with a new list of trade candidates that could be moved between now and training camp. One name in particular could be of interest to Cowboys fans: Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.
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"Publicly, the Jacksonville Jaguars aren't trying to trade running back Travis Etienne Jr. New head coach Liam Coen called trade rumors surrounding the 26-year-old "absolutely inaccurate" earlier this month, according to Demetrius Harvey of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union. However, it isn't hard to connect the dots between Etienne and an eventual deal that has the 2021 first-round pick playing elsewhere ... With Etienne entering the final year of his rookie contract, the Jags could erase his entire $6.1 million cap hit by trading him. Coen might not be eager to part with him before even coaching a regular-season game. Jacksonville might be willing to dump him for a reasonable offer anyway. The Dallas Cowboys should already be calling about Etienne's availability. They currently have a backfield headlined by Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders—two big question marks, given their recent production—and have shown a willingness to trade for talent post-draft."
It would be a little bit weird to see the Jaguars trade their starting running back before Coen even coaches a single game for them, but the Jaguars do weird things all the time.
In a way, it'd be weird if Jacksonville didn't do something bizarre for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Every NFL team has their schtick, and Bleacher Report isn't wrong for suggesting that, in this instance, the Jaguars' and Cowboys' schticks sure do look like a good match.
That said, fans in Dallas may stage a strike if they trade for a running back who'll be looking for a new contract next March and is coming off his worst season as a pro.