The Dallas Cowboys news and rumors have been picking up again, and this time it involves the signing of a new veteran running back. The Cowboys recently cut wide receiver Lucky Whitehead due to a case of mistaken identity, which subtracted one player from their roster. With the NFL regular season approaching, Dallas could also be dealing with their sophomore star running back, Ezekiel Elliott’s potential suspension. They’re now planning to add another running back to the roster after days of rumors swirling but how will he fit into their plan moving forward, if at all?
With Lucky Whitehead’s roster spot available, it only made sense for the team to add another potential player to the mix. As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys signed veteran Ronnie Hillman to a spot on their roster. Hillman is 25 years old and played in games for the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers last season. While he played in just eight games because of an injury and his release, he racked up 41 carries for 131 yards on the ground and seven catches for 93 yards receiving. The veteran RB began his career in Denver with the Broncos after becoming a third-round pick back in the 2012 NFL Draft.
He’s now tallied 1,976 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns over his five seasons in the league. His career-best numbers in the two categories occurred just two seasons ago, showing promise if he is actually part of the team for the upcoming season.
On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys tweeted that Hillman had officially joined the team training camp and was out on the field with pads. He’ll likely continue with the team through training camp and probably get some time on the field in the preseason to make his case for an official roster spot.
Newest #DallasCowboys running back Ronnie Hillman getting involved in today’s practice. #CowboysCamp https://t.co/OKXUuNVuQ2
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) July 27, 2017
It could be tough for Hillman to actually make the team’s final roster for the NFL regular season, though. As it stands, an article from Bleacher Report notes that he’ll have several other running backs ahead of him on the Dallas Cowboys’ depth chart. That includes Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris, as well as their top option, Ezekiel Elliott.
As far as Elliott is concerned, his fate is being determined regarding an alleged domestic violence charge . The Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones spoke out about the situation, saying he believes “not one thing that I’ve seen has anything to do with domestic violence,” according to Sporting News. While Elliott was never charged with the alleged assault last year, the league has been looking into the charges to determine what sort of disciplinary action, if any, will occur.
The Dallas Cowboys are currently involved in their training camp. As far as preseason goes, Ronnie Hillman could appear on the field as of August 3rd, when the team takes on the Arizona Cardinals. If he can impress enough during these preseason games, he may be available on the sidelines for their first regular season game on Sunday, September 10th against the New York Giants.
[Featured Image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]
