NFL Rumors: Dallas Cowboys Signing New York Jets Running Back

NFL rumors have been swirling around the Dallas Cowboys and their search for additional help at running back. DeMarco Murray was long rumored to be returning to the Cowboys, but the Philadelphia Eagles actually ended up trading him to the Tennessee Titans to join Marcus Mariota. Pro Football Talk believes that Bilal Powell is rising rapidly up the free agent chart, so Dallas might be interested in acquiring the former New York Jets running back.

With Ivory gone, Bilal Powell comes into focus for Jets. … But the Cowboys, Patriots & Ravens are interested in Powell, per league sources

— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaSports) March 9, 2016

Bilal Powell isn’t a household name when it comes to NFL players. In fact, there might even be some New York Jets fans that might not know who he is. Players, executives, coaches, and scouts in the National Football League know Powell, though. They know that he’s vastly underrated and extremely versatile. That’s the reason why he has been able to generate attention from multiple teams.

The New York Jets are obviously interested in Bilal Powell. He’s played for the team since 2011, where he was a fourth-round draft pick. Continuity is something that can be quite useful in the NFL. The Jets are reportedly on the verge of losing Chris Ivory to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that has been especially aggressive in free agency because they feel that they are a couple of pieces away from going back to the NFL Playoffs.

Justin Forsett was rumored to have been a salary cap casualty, but Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has publicly dismissed that notion. Harbaugh states that Forsett will be back with the Ravens for sure next season. Justin suffered an arm injury last season, but he should be fully recovered by the time the season starts. Harbaugh, however, wants to bring in some competition for Forsett, which is what Bilal Powell would provide.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is always looking for unnoticed players. He has a knack for turning them into useful contributors in his quest to get to the Super Bowl each year. A running back like Bilal Powell is a perfect fit with Belichick. Aside from not being well known, Powell is also a capable receiver out of the backfield. Very few teams in the NFL utilize their running backs in the passing game as well as the Patriots do.

Darren McFadden did a lot better for the Dallas Cowboys than anyone thought, but it was clear that the running backs provided a lot less than what DeMarco Murray did before he left for the Philadelphia Eagles. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has bigger fish to fry, but adding more depth at the running back position is something that is on the list. Bilal Powell can be a nice change of pace running back for Dallas and a very nice complement to McFadden.

It’s an uphill battle for the Dallas Cowboys to sign Bilal Powell. The other NFL teams competing to sign him are pretty good organizations. They can be rather convincing. Jerry Jones is hoping that the appeal of playing for the most valuable National Football League franchise might sway Powell into signing with the Cowboys. It also doesn’t hurt that Dallas has one of the best offensive lines in the game.

Dallas Cowboys fans have a history of getting themselves overly excited whenever a big-name NFL star joins the team. Bilal Powell isn’t that type of signing. Some Cowboys fans may even brush him off. However, for those that are astute observers of the game, Powell is the type of signing that can help Dallas get back to the NFL Playoffs.

[Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]