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Dallas Cowboys: Making the case for Daniel Thomas

By Ryan Ratty

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A second-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Daniel Thomas‘ career hasn’t panned out the way he had planned, but he could get a second chance with the Dallas Cowboys.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises in the 2015 NFL Draft was that the Dallas Cowboys did not draft a running back. Despite having pre-draft visits set up with the elite running backs in this year’s draft, such as Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon and even Tevin Coleman, the Cowboys decided that upgrading the defense and taking the best available player was more important.

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In the past decade, the Cowboys have excelled at bringing in quality undrafted free agents.

Tony Romo

,

Cole Beasley

,

Barry Church

, and

Dan Bailey

were all undrafted and they all have huge roles for the Cowboys. That said, the Cowboys brought in Synjyn Days out of Georgia Tech in the undrafted free agency period and although some have raved about Days, the Cowboys are reportedly still in the market for a running back.

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Ben Tate (34) carries the ball during an AFC wild card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens game at Heinz Field. The Ravens defeated the Steelers 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It was reported earlier Thursday that the Cowboys brought in running backs for workouts. Knowing that, it’s been made clear that the Cowboys don’t exactly feel comfortable about their running back situation. One running back to have been brought in was Ben Tate, who most recently started last year’s AFC Wild Card Game for the Pittsburgh Steelers when Le’Veon Bell was injured. Tate also spent time with the Cleveland Browns and the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 after beginning his career with the Houston Texans.

Another running back that was given a workout was Felix Jones. In 2008, the Cowboys used a first-round pick on Jones and although he had a couple of successful seasons in Dallas, he was horrible towards the end of his tenure in Dallas and wound up not be re-signed by the team after five seasons.

The last running back who was brought in for a workout was Daniel Thomas, who was the 2011 second-round pick for the Miami Dolphins. The news was first reported by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

While Tate is clearly the guy the majority of Cowboys fans will want, the reality is that Thomas might be a better fit. At 6’1″ and 230 pounds, Thomas is a bigger running back. He has an excellent combination of size and power. His breakaway speed isn’t the best, but he when he sees a hole, he bursts through it and when you pair that with his size, it’s easy to see just why he can simply bull over defenders.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t done much in his career, but the mainly was because of the scheme fit, his role, and the offensive line he played behind in Miami. In Dallas, Thomas would enter a running back group that truly lacks a No. 1 option. He would also enter perhaps a career-changing situation behind the Cowboys’ star-studded offensive line.

Thomas has a ton of talent and for him to maximize his talent, he needs a fresh start and he can get that by signing with the Cowboys. Over the past few years, the Cowboys have given second chances to players on numerous occasions. They would be wise to do just that with Thomas.

Next: Should Dallas Cowboys Sign Ben Tate?

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