The Dallas Cowboys head into their bye week with a 3-3 record after suffering a humiliating 47-9 defeat to the Detroit Lions in Week 6. One of the team’s biggest challenges this season has been their struggling run game. With running backs Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott leading the charge, Dallas ranks last in the NFL, averaging just 77.2 rushing yards per game. While Dowdle has received the bulk of the carries, his performance has been disappointing.
Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal thinks he has the answer for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ running back woes. On a recent episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” he featured former Super Bowl champion Leonard Fournette and directly urged Jones to sign him. “Jerry Jones, it’s me, your boy Shaq,” O’Neal said. “Look at [Fournette]. He’s looking sharp and ready. Stop messing around, Jerry. Sign my man up!”
For the Cowboys, Fournette might not be a huge improvement, but his background and abilities are about the same as those of Elliott and backup Dalvin Cook, both of whom are nearing the end of their careers. In the 2017 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Fournette fourth overall. However, he was cut after three seasons and later signed with Tampa Bay. Over seven NFL seasons, he has amassed 1,137 carries for 4,498 yards and 34 touchdowns, along with 2,219 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.