Cowboys Named a Potential Landing Spot for Bills RB James Cook

The Dallas Cowboys are being linked as a possible trade destination for Buffalo Bills running back James Cook.

Last season, the Cowboys’ ground game was among the worst in the NFL. If not for Rico Dowdle’s surprise breakout performance, it might have gone down as one of the worst rushing attacks in league history.

Heading into the new season, Dallas is clearly focused on fixing its run game. The team signed Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency, but with Dowdle now in Carolina, the Cowboys’ backfield still doesn’t look significantly better than it did in 2024.

While the upcoming NFL Draft is expected to be their primary avenue for improvement, Pro Football Network’s Sterling Xie suggests the Cowboys could instead make a move for a proven back—Buffalo’s James Cook. The Bills have been hesitant to extend Cook, and that could open the door for a trade. In Dallas, he’d not only fill a key need, but he’d also reunite with a familiar face.

“Dallas has a connection to Cook with Ken Dorsey, a Cowboys assistant who was Cook’s offensive coordinator in Buffalo from 2022 until he was fired after Week 10 of the 2023 season,” said Xie.

Bringing in Cook would be a major win for the Cowboys, especially considering the immediate impact a top-tier running back can have—just look at how Saquon Barkley transformed the Eagles’ offense.

That said, this year’s draft class is deep at the running back position, and financially, the smarter move might be to select a young, cost-effective back rather than trading assets for Cook.