‘Shocking’ Proposed Trade: Cowboys Acquire Former 1,000-yard RB
The Dallas Cowboys have reached an agreement to sign another top experienced star.
The suggested transaction would involve the Dallas Cowboys acquiring a former starter running back.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine prepared a list of “shocking” trade targets, which includes Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce. Pierce, 24, had a fantastic rookie season with the Texans in 2022, rushing for 939 yards at 4.3 yards per carry and adding 165 receiving yards in 13 games started.
Ballentine contends that Dallas’ lack of young, viable depth at running back would make the Cowboys a perfect destination for Pierce
“A young running back with a higher ceiling would be a good addition,” states Ballentine. Most teams are unwilling to deal with those guys in a trade. Dameon Pierce may be an exception for the Houston Texans. Pierce got over 1,100 yards from scrimmage as a rookie but fell out of favor during his sophomore season.”
Why Dameon Pierce is a viable trade target
As Ballentine points out, Pierce fell out of favor during the 2023 season, when the Texans began transferring totes to veteran back Devin Singletary. Making matters worse, the Texans acquired former Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals. Mixon has started 88 of his 97 career games with the Bengals since 2017, running for more than 1,000 yards in four separate seasons.
In other words, Pierce is the clear No. 2 and will most likely play a supporting role to Mixon.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys lack a clear No. 1 option, with veteran signees Ezekiel Elliott and Royce Freeman, as well as holdovers Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and Rico Dowdle, vying for the starting running back position. The final three runners have yet to start a game between them. Meanwhile, Freeman has only started one game since the 2019 season, while Elliott is one of just two current players with 2,000 or more career carries.
Acquiring Pierce, a former fourth-round pick with a $1.2 million cap charge for the 2024 season, would effectively fill the Cowboys’ running back hole at a discount rate.
What Cowboys Would Give Up in a Potential Dameon Pierce Trade
While Ballentine did not specify which round selection the Cowboys will part with, a fourth or fifth-round pick should enough to obtain Pierce from the Texans.
“Perhaps a fresh start for Pierce would be good for both sides and the Cowboys should be willing to part with a pick to have a shot at a young back with upside,” says Ballentine.
Pierce clearly struggled throughout the 2023 season, carrying for 416 yards on 2.9 yards per carry, the lowest average among all running backs last season. According to Pro Football Focus, sophisticated analytics provide a clearer view of Pierce’s performance. Pierce had a nice 66.6 offensive rating and 64.7 running grade last year. The offensive grade rated 64th out of 130 running backs.
However, he has already demonstrated his ability to flourish, and a new start in Dallas as the No. 1 option with a couple of complimentary pieces to back him up might help get Pierce back on track.
