The Cowboys signed running back Royce Freeman to a one-year deal on Tuesday, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. Despite this signing, Dallas is still expected to draft a running back in the upcoming draft as they have lost Tony Pollard. Freeman is currently the most experienced back on the team’s roster, with Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and Snoop Conner as the other running backs on the depth chart.
At 28 years old, Freeman had 319 yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries last season with the Rams. He has played for four different teams in the past four seasons, including stints in Denver, Carolina, Houston, and Los Angeles since being drafted by the Broncos in the third round in 2018. His best season was as a rookie when he rushed for 521 yards and five touchdowns on 130 carries. In his second season, he had a career-high 175 touches for 752 yards from scrimmage.
Over the past four seasons, Freeman has had 209 carries for 775 yards and two touchdowns plus 29 receptions for 204 yards. This signing marks the second outside free agent the Cowboys have brought in this offseason, the other being linebacker Eric Kendricks.