For the second straight offseason, the Dallas Cowboys entered free agency with a dire need at running back. With the theme of this current offseason being the organization showing they’ve learned some tough lessons from the 2024 season, the Cowboys broke character and actually addressed running back this time around on day one of free agency.

On the same day cornerback somewhat surprisingly became a much more pressing need after Jourdan Lewis signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cowboys at least did something about an already dire position by adding former Denver Broncos RB Javonte Williams on a one-year deal. Williams joins Deuce Vaughn and fullback Hunter Luepke as potential ball carriers now under contract going into 2025, although the door is very much still open for Rico Dowdle to return as well.

Just around this time last year, the Cowboys sent a stern message that fans should brace for a whole lot of nothing in free agency, even at positions of need, when FA running back Zach Moss signed a two-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts worth a total of $8 million. The Cowboys infamously called this price tag too expensive, and without knowing it at the time all but waved goodbye to fielding a competitive run game in Mike McCarthy’s final season as head coach. Now, they’ve given the 24-year-old back who will turn 25 on the second day of this year’s draft a one-year deal worth a base of $3 million and maximum of $3.5 million.

Williams was a second-round pick of the Broncos in 2021 under then head coach Vic Fangio and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Starting just one game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Williams still averaged just shy of 12 attempts a game and set career highs he’s yet to eclipse in yards with 903, rushing touchdowns with four, receiving touchdowns with three, yards per game with 53.1, and yards per attempt at 4.4. Williams played in four games before tearing his ACL in his second season under new coaches Nate Hackett and OC Justin Outten, but bounced back to start 13 games in 2023 and 11 games last season for Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi. The variety of offensive minds he has played under should be a positive as the entirety of the Cowboys roster on this side of the ball looks to quickly adjust to a new play-caller, coordinator, and position coaches everywhere but tight end.

This is a player that has always served in a complementary role, and his arrival in Dallas could be the first sign the Cowboys are looking to rethink yet another committee approach to their run game under Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams. Williams and Melvin Gordon perfectly split carries with 203 a piece in Williams’ rookie season. After coming back from injury two seasons later, Williams was the lead back for what turned out to be Russell Wilson’s final season with the Broncos. The amount of dysfunction they experienced on this side of the ball all year makes it hard to evaluate any individual performances, but Williams toted the rock 217 times with Jaleel McLaughlin being the next closest back at 76 carries.

The Broncos got back to a great balance with rookie QB Bo Nix under center in 2024, but Williams still led the way with 139 carries for 513 yards in 11 starts. With the limited information the Cowboys have made public about the new vision for their offense moving forward, creating the same types of easy completions and high percentage throws that saw Nix go to the playoffs in his first season is an apparent priority for Dak Prescott. Pairing him with a running back of Williams’ style who is more than capable of getting what is blocked for him on any given play as well as fluid catching the ball out of the backfield is a positive step here.

Williams is a stout back with an upright running style who runs north and south and shows above average wiggle between the tackles to evade arm tackles. When given some open space, Williams is not afraid to lower his shoulder and push for extra yards. This is a player that identifies holes quickly and can cut off of blocks from pulling linemen with top end balance and a smooth stride. Getting the offensive line out in space is another thing expected to be featured more again under new OC Klayton Adams, and Williams is the type of dual-threat back that fits what Adams is looking for based on the types of players he previously worked with in Arizona like James Conner.

There are some similarities between the way Williams runs compared to Rico Dowdle once Dowdle was given the opportunity to be the featured back in the second half of last season. Dowdle’s physicality and ability to put the offense on schedule opposed to behind the chains was sorely needed. Williams can do some of the same things. If the Cowboys vision is to truly pair Williams and Dowdle together in a tandem, with Vaughn as a third option, they should have great continuity up and down the depth chart at running back to call a lot of the same plays no matter who is in the game. This will also go a very long way in helping Schottenheimer achieve the “marriage” he’s spoken to between the Cowboys run, pass, and play-action concepts to all look the same.

Williams led the way for the Broncos in one career game against the Cowboys back in 2021 with 111 yards on 17 carries in a runaway win for Denver, 30-16. Something of a dark spot of a game in recent Dallas history, they trailed 30-0 at home late in the fourth quarter. This was Williams’ first 100 yard rushing game of his career, something he would do again four weeks later against the Chiefs. It was also his first two touchdown game of his career, and to this day the only time he’s rushed for two touchdowns in a game. Also later in his rookie season, Williams did have one rushing touchdown and one receiving in a similar blowout win against the Lions. He was named to the Pro Football Writer’s Association All-Rookie team after the season.

Javonte Williams is no stranger to balling out at AT&T Stadium

He racked up 111 yards and 2 TDs against the Cowboys as a rookie pic.twitter.com/kWOUVO0i3f

— DraftKings Network (@DKNetwork) March 10, 2025

The Cowboys shouldn’t mistake this move as the only thing needed to feel good about their run game going into next season, but from the state the backfield was in entering free agency, any addition was a welcome one. The fact the Cowboys made this move on the first day of free agency and got a player that appears to be a natural scheme fit with experience playing in a committee and under numerous offensive coaches are all things worth commending as free agency rolls on.