Cowboys roundtable: Discussions on trade deadline, Rico Dowdle, and Sunday’s game

Every week, we gather the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Brian Martin, RJ Ochoa, Tom Ryle and Sean Martin.

Jerry Jones made comments that the Cowboys will remain inactive before the trade deadline, what do you make of the fact the team needs help in key areas the front office refuse to address?
Jerry Jones made waves with an ominous announcement that his team would remain inactive for the trade deadline which will come on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The implication was clear: Dallas will choose to weather the remainder of the season without new faces.

What does this mean for the Cowboys moving forward? For now, the focus shifts as the team calculates its identity during a tumultuous season. A season where ascending dreams collide with unfulfilled expectations.

Howman: It sounds like business as usual to me. The front office has no real incentive to be aggressive in their roster management approach; the team will continue to make boatloads of money and it’s not like Jerry or Stephen are in danger of losing their jobs if things go poorly. To be fair, they should see the return of at least Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland, two additions that you can’t get any other way. However, it feels like there’s more that could be done if the front office had an actual sense of urgency.

Sean: First of all, you have to have a position with depth and a surplus of talent to entertain a significant trade. I am hardly alone in thinking the Cowboys do not have that anywhere on the roster right now. The other trade chip is draft capital and somehow that is becoming even more valuable to a front office that already uses it as the lifeblood of roster building. Even further behind the curtain, this front office already knows that they can expect some new coaches and perspective on the types of players they’re targeting next season.

Brian: I think we would all agree would absolutely love to see the Cowboys make a few upgrades to the roster via trade, but the way Jerry Jones and Company has handled things the season that seems like a pipe dream. It feels as if they are going to let things play out this year as is and then let the new coaching staff next year sort things out. Having said that, I could see them being sellers prior to the November 5 trade deadline if they lose these next two games.

RJ: At this point it feels like we have all accepted that we are on this ride and ready to see it through with the understanding that it is what it is. I don’t know any Cowboys fan who was shocked to hear that the team plans to sit on the sidelines for free agency. Water is wet.

Tom: I can’t figure out if Jerry is just oblivious to the needs of the team or if he’s already written the season off and is looking forward to decent draft capital. Maybe both? In any case, it’s shaping up to be a long, sad season.

Does Rico Dowdle deserve more touches or is time to start Dalvin Cook?
Rico Dowdle’s emergence as a fairly reliable asset in the backfield should be turning heads, yet this coaching staff seems anchored in other ideas rather than present potential. With an impressive 4.2 yards per carry, Dowdle leads the Cowboys running backs and has found the end zone twice in the last three games. In fact, his versatility is underscored by his capability in the passing game, adding yet another dimension to his skill set.

Contrast this with Ezekiel Elliott’s performance from the recent matchup against the Lions, where he received eight carries but could only muster a meager 2.1 yards per carry. Dowdle’s five attempts yielded a commanding 5.0 yards per carry—a figure hard to ignore, yet the coaching staff leaned toward a more nostalgic route with Zeke. The numbers tell a story: at a time when fresh legs and efficient carries seem vital for success, the determined allegiance to a slowing Elliott raises questions about future strategies.

Howman: I’ve been pretty consistent on this all year and I’m not changing my tune now. Rico Dowdle is the best running back on this roster, practice squad included, and he should be the lead back. Dalvin Cook hasn’t been a serviceable back in quite some time, so I’m not putting any hope in him representing a real upgrade from Dowdle, who currently ranks ninth among all running backs in rushing success rate.

Sean: Since Brandin Cooks is still a few weeks away from returning to the field and CeeDee Lamb can’t do it all himself, anyone remotely capable of making a big play for this offense should warrant more touches. We’ve seen Dowdle run hard when given the chance, gain positive yards when there isn’t much there, and even score on a screen pass. How that isn’t a player deserving of more touches given the state of this offense right now is beyond me.

Brian: Rico Dowdle is by far the best RB on the Cowboys roster and is not even close. He absolutely deserves more touches moving forward and that shouldn’t even be a question. As far as Dalvin Cook is concerned, he should at least be given the opportunity to show if he has anything left in the tank. Ezekiel Elliott hasn’t been productive, so why not Cook the chance as the RB2 behind Rico Dowdle?

RJ: There have been so many people wanting to see Dalvin Cook play and while I understand the “anything else is better” argument, there is so much data to support that he was not an efficient running back last season. The front office made their bed here and I am afraid that no option is amazing. I’d be fine and content trying to establish something with Rico at this point.

Tom: Count me as another who prefers to give Rico a chance to show what he has. Unfortunately it is going to be hard for any RB to do much with how poorly the O line is blocking.

This week the Cowboys will face the San Francisco 49ers. What are the factors in this in this matchup for Dallas to secure victory?
This week the Dallas Cowboys will face an NFC rival, the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses and are trying to get the wheels back on track. The 49ers lost their last game to the Kansas City Chiefs 28-18. The Cowboys currently reside third in the NFC East with a 3-3 record, where the 49ers are 3-4 and are third in the NFC West. Historically between the teams, the Cowboys have won six out of the last ten meetings, but the 49ers leads the series 20-19-1, including the last three.

Kickoff will commence at Levi’s Stadium this Sunday at at 8:20 p.m. ET. The Cowboys are down as five point underdogs in this game, but both teams are facing uncertainty with injuries so keep an eye on any changes as the week progresses.

Howman: Fundamentals. Neither of these two teams are playing well right now, and both can use the injury excuse for sure, but at the end of the day the Cowboys and 49ers are both playing fundamentally undisciplined football right now. The 49ers under Kyle Shanahan have generally been kings of not shooting themselves in the foot, so this is unusual for them. If the Cowboys play up to their potential, they can absolutely win this game. Problem is they haven’t played up to their potential for four straight quarters once this season. Maybe a road trip to their big brother gets them to finally wake up.

Sean: Getting matched up defensively. The 49ers are likely to put on a masterclass compared to the Cowboys when it comes to putting their best offensive players in the best position to operate. They will attack the middle of the field and force linebackers and safeties to cover in space. These are all things the Dallas defense has not done at a high level this season with so many new faces and injuries all happening during a scheme change. The Cowboys own offense will need to close the gap on finding easy yards and finishing in the red zone to give the defense any chance, and if they do this game may just be there for the taking by way of Dak Prescott outplaying Brock Purdy.

Brian: I think the biggest factor in this Week 8 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers is which team can overcome the rash of injuries both organizations are currently dealing with. Both the Cowboys and 49ers have several key players who are questionable and could miss this game. Dallas could be without their top three pass rushers once again and San Francisco could be without their top three receivers. Both the these teams are beat up right now, but whichever team overcomes their injuries best will likely get the “W”

RJ: Ultimately I think it is going to come down to not making critical mistakes, something that the Cowboys have not done well in their previous matchups against San Francisco. This is going to be a fight for them and we have not seen the team fare well when this is the case. Buckle up and get ready to close your eyes.

Tom: Whichever team gets its head in the game the best. Surprisingly, you can’t automatically say it will be the Niners. Their disarray is very similar to the Cowboys. What SF doesn’t have is a flock of lame duck coaches. It may all come down to whether the Dallas players rally around their staff or start to give up the way they did on Wade Phillips.