Who Should I Start? Ezekiel Elliott or Roschon Johnson

Tuesday, June 4, 2:14 PM

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the team will use a running-back-by-committee approach in 2024, although the exact members of the committee backfield aren't entirely clear yet. At the very least, it should be veteran Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle, with Royce Freeman, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke, Malik Davis, Snoop Conner and rookie Nathaniel Peat competing for roster spots behind them. "Two or three [running backs], whatever it takes," McCarthy said. Elliott has the best credentials with 8,904 career rushing yards, but he won't be asked to do what he did in his first stint with Dallas, when he averaged 268.7 carries per season. He had career-lows in rushing yards (642), touchdowns (three) and carries (184) last year with the Patriots, and those numbers could dip further in 2024 back in Dallas in an RB committee.

Tuesday, February 27, 4:26 PM

On the podium at the 2024 NFL Combine, Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said he "loves where Roschon Johnson is in his development." This was in response to a question about Johnson's potential prospects of being the team's lead back in 2024. The former Texas Longhorn rushed 81 times for 352 yards and two touchdowns and caught 34 passes for 209 yards in his rookie season after being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 25-year-old ball-carrier Khalil Herbert remains on the roster, while veteran D'Onta Foreman is a free agent. While Eberflus' comments are a good sign, it's far too early to project Johnson's potential workload. With a strong free agent and underrated rookie running back class available this offseason, the organization could easily add to its running back room.