The Dallas Cowboys have had nothing but turmoil at the running back position and with the offseason looming it seems pretty evident that they will invest in that position either in free agency or the draft.
The Cowboys recently cut cornerback Tyler Patmon and may be gearing up to cut Brandon Carr as he counts $8 million against the salary cap. This means they could be looking to invest their early first round pick in the cornerback or defensive back position. So naturally the Cowboys could look to free agency to fill their need at running back.
So far these four guys will likely be the top running backs to test free agency, Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, Chris Ivory, and Matt Forte. Now a lot can happen between now and the end of the season but with no new contracts being offered as of yet for these players one could assume they are headed to test the waters of free agency. The running back position is not as valuable (from a salary standpoint) as it once was however it is more valuable than ever when it comes to playing an actual football game.
Miller has been used sporadically and whenever he has 20 plus touches magic happens. Miller does seem to feel undervalued by the Dolphins offense and since the Dolphins are currently a mess Miller leaving for greener pastures is not the oddest scenario on the planet. Martin on the other hand is having a career year and the Buccaneers have stated they would like to get something done with one of the league's top rushers.
It is likely that the Bucs will resign Martin at the end of the season however if he does test free agency the Cowboys could be a welcome suitor. The Bucs have nowhere close to the talent on the offensive line that the Cowboys do and that could play a major role in his decision. As for Ivory he has had a pretty successful year as well but he may be too much of a finesse runner for the Cowboys liking. Ivory would certainly be an interesting choice however he still does have some durability issues.
Lastly Forte who is a veteran coming off of a solid season, he will also likely be the cheapest option available out of these four. Forte is the oldest and that may be a concern in itself and after spraining his MCL this season it is possible that teams see this as a sign of his body wearing down, one thing is clear the Bears are not going to resign him to a brand new long term deal.
Forte will likely spend the tail end of his career with another team trying to compete for a championship. For now at least the Cowboys can be sure they have plenty of choices for which player will lead their ground game in 2016.
