Dallas Cowboys Rumors: Team To Sign Ray Rice Or Pierre Thomas If Cardinals Sign Chris Johnson
Free agent running back Chris Johnson looks as if he will end up signing with the Arizona Cardinals after a visit this weekend. That takes one more back off the market for the Dallas Cowboys who are dealing with a host of injuries in the offensive backfield. With that, rumor has it that the Cowboys could end up turning to either recently-reinstated Ray Rice or Pierre Thomas.
ESPN reported that Johnson went for a workout and a physical with the Cardinals this weekend. It is expected that if all went well and the two sides could work out a deal, Johnson will end up heading to Arizona.
The Cardinals are dealing with a lot of injuries to their running back. Andre Ellington just returned to practice after missing the last two weeks. Rookie David Johnson has been out since the third day of camp, and Marion Grice’s hamstring has kept him out, too.
The Dallas Cowboys are very much in the same boat, as their top three running back have been out with injuries as well. Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar have been out for a while, and Darren McFadden was set to practice for the first time with the Cowboys on Saturday, but didn’t.
McFadden passed a physical on Saturday and he was set to take part in the drills on Saturday, but then was on a separate field working out. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said they are simply being cautious.
“We’ll be very guarded as to how we bring him along. The good news is he’s in great shape and they’ve really spent a lot of time working on that aspect of him being ready to go. But we’ll be real careful with it. We’ve got a big investment in time in terms of him getting in football-playing shape, so they’ll move that along [slowly].”
Now, the Cowboys may really look into signing a free-agent running back before it gets much further into training camp. Ray Rice is still out there, but the Cleveland Browns have been reported as having a good bit of interest in him.
Sports World Report states that Pierre Thomas could become a viable option for the Cowboys. The former New Orleans Saints’ running back may not be an every-down back, but he is a great pass catcher coming out of the backfield, and the Cowboys could use that to their advantage.
The Dallas Cowboys are dealing with far too many running back injuries, and even first preseason game starter Gus Johnson is a bit banged up. Options such as Ray Rice and Pierre Thomas are out there, but a move needs to be made quickly.
[Image via Getty Images]
