The Dallas Cowboys have added Christine Michael in a trade and the running back is a solid fantasy football handcuff option for Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle after coming over from the Seahawks. The Cowboys reportedly had interest in a trade for Montee Ball, but he was later released by the Denver Broncos.
The Cowboys had been looking to add some depth at roster cut downs at running back, as the team wanted another option behind McFadden, Randle and Lance Dunbar. The team added McFadden in the offseason and through camp it looked like Randle would be the starter. The Cowboys are going to use a running by committee and now Michael is added to that mix. According to NFL.com, the Cowboys traded a conditional seventh round draft pick for Michael to the Seahawks.
The Seahawks started to shop Michael after signing Fred Jackson, as the team felt they did not need another backup behind Marshawn Lynch. The Cowboys had a need and now Michael comes back to the state where he previously played in college at Texas A&M. Michael had a strong career there, but he never was able to get much going in Seattle as one of the backups for Lynch. Michael looked like a breakout candidate last year, but Lynch once again got the majority of things in Seattle.
Michael now has the chance to be an effective back in Dallas, as his size and skills set him apart from the other players on the roster. Michael is a bruising back at 5-foot-10, 221-pounds, but he also has great speed for his size and that gives him some of the tools to be successful NFL runner. Michael scored 34 touchdowns in college over four years and in his final season he scored 12 times on just 88 carries that year and he finished out with nearly 2,800 rushing yards.
Michael has not had much of a chance in the NFL so far, putting up 52 carries for 254 yards in 13 games in his career. ESPN Dallas writes that Michael is "more about insurance and depth" and that he could be used as a short term yardage option. McFadden is the best of the group at being a receiver out of the backfield and Randle has been solid in limited action for the Cowboys, including last year when he averaged over 6.0 yards per carry.
The Cowboys needed to replace DeMarco Murray's production from last season and now they have four players to split that with. The team is considered to have one of the best offensive lines in the league and that should be a big help for this running back group.
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