The Dallas Cowboys are placing a lot of faith in Javonte Williams, who didn't suit up once in the preseason because he locked up the starting job in training camp.
While Williams earned it, it's important to remember how inefficient he was with the Broncos last season. Per Next Gen Stats, Williams' -83 rushing yards over expected was fourth-worst among qualified running backs and he tied for sixth-worst with 3.7 yards per carry.
It's really tough to justify Dallas not playing him at all in the preseason. The Cowboys could certainly find an upgrade to complement Jaydon Blue if they look hard enough.
Names like Travis Etienne and Breece Hall have been floated all offseason, but Seahawks starter Kenneth Walker makes a lot of sense as a potential trade target.
Cowboys should send a fifth-round pick to the Seahawks for RB Kenneth Walker
A second-round pick in 2022, Walker is a physical runner who plays to contact, but he has markedly more burst and acceleration than Williams, who is only 25 but seemingly lost a lot of his athleticism following a gruesome knee injury in his second season.
Walker fits the Cowboys' scheme like a glove, and we know this front office likes taking chances on former high draft picks. Well, the 24-year-old's stock is arguably the lowest its been over his three years in the NFL after injuries limited him to just 11 games last season.
He is clearly a big part of the Seahawks' offense, but they have a promising young back in Zach Charbonnet, who toted the rock 134 times and drew 52 targets in the passing game last year.
This wouldn't be a case of Dallas leaving Seattle out to try. Both parties would benefit from a deal. Who knows? Maybe the Seahawks do the Cowboys a favor and take Javonte Williams back in return.
A fifth-round pick might seem like a cheap price, but the 49ers just acquired Brian Robinson from Washington for a sixth-round pick.
A third-round pick in 2022, Robinson had 799 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 4.3 yards per carry last year, but he's in the final year of his rookie deal. The same can be said about Walker. The only difference is that Seattle isn't openly shopping Walker like the Commanders were with Robinson, which is why a fifth-rounder would be fair compensation.
Walker is only set to count $2.685 million against the cap this season. The Commanders agreed to eat $1.25 million they owed to Robinson. Perhaps the Seahawks do the same with Walker, but again there haven't been any reports to suggest they're shopping Walker.
Regardless, Walker would be a significant upgrade over Williams. He would give Dallas a dangerous 1-2 punch with rookie Jaydon Blue.
It's wishful thinking that Jerry Jones even peruses the RB market, but adding Walker to what is expected to be a potent passing attack would give the Cowboys one of the best offenses in football. Period.