Just when you thought Israel Abanikanda was going to get his shot with the Dallas Cowboys, the team has moved in another direction.
There's a large contingent of fans (mostly draft junkies) who believe Abanikanda can be effective in this offense, but that optimism hit a roadblock on Tuesday when Dallas signed Tyler Goodson off the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad.
Because players signed from another team's practice squad transfer directly to the active roster, the Cowboys needed to make a corresponding move, and Abanikanda was the odd man out. That speaks to their conviction in their new running back.
Tyler Goodson may have an immediate role with the Cowboys
Abanikanda had been on the Cowboys for nearly a year. He signed to the practice squad last November and signed a futures contract after the 2025 season. He stuck around all summer battling for the RB2 job and, by all accounts, showed more than Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah.
Dallas made no attempt to bring back Blue or Mafah after waiving them. Abanikanda, though, returned to the practice squad as the only running back. The coaching staff clearly sees something that they like, and yet they waived Abanikanda to clear a roster spot for Goodson.
Logistically speaking, it makes sense to waive one RB to make room for another. But again, the Cowboys went out of their way to keep Abanikanda in the building after final cuts. To turn around two weeks later and risk losing him on waivers suggests Goodson offers something Dallas believes it was missing at the position.
Goodson has to get up to speed with the playbook, so he may not be active right away, but don't be surprised if he carves out a role as the season progresses.
There's a reason Falcons fans are so bothered by Goodson's departure. He was widely expected to make the initial 53-man roster after impressing in various roles this summer. It helps to have an elite back in Bijan Robinson, but Atlanta is now left without an RB3 they trust after leaving Goodson on the practice squad.
Tyler Goodson is more versatile than Israel Abanikanda
Despite limited NFL opportunities, Goodson is a well-rounded running back. He runs with patience but has the explosiveness to outrun defenders at the second level. He's not a broken-tackle machine, but he runs hard and keeps his feet churning after first contact.
In 33 career games, Goodson has carried 54 times for 616 yards and a touchdown, which is good for 4.9 yards per attempt. He's averaged 2.16 yards after contact per attempt and owns a career 43.6 percent breakaway rate. That would've ranked second among all RBs last season, per PFF.
Goodson is also a natural receiver out of the backfield. The Cowboys badly need to incorporate a screen game into their offense. Brian Schottenheimer has to be willing to call a screen first and foremost, but Goodson knows how to sell the action, secure the catch, and create something in space.
And to top it off, Goodson plays everywhere on special teams. He can return kicks, but he also has experience on kickoff and punt coverage. He has multiple avenues to justify being active on game day.
Abanikanda is a really strong runner, but he doesn't bring that same well-rounded skill set.
Javonte Williams is going to continue to receive 15 touches every game, but Dallas now has a very intriguing backup tandem with Emari Demercado and Tyler Goodson rounding out the rotation.
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