The Dallas Cowboys have consistently churned out one of the NFL’s highest-scoring offenses in the Dak Prescott era. But what if they added one of the all-time great utility weapons to an already potent unit?
Dallas’ offense is led by Prescott, future Hall of Famers and offensive linemen in Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, 1,000-yard rusher Tony Pollard and receivers CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. But in today’s pass-heavy NFL, you can never have too many playmakers.
At SB Nation’s Blogging The Boys website, LP Cruz floated the idea of the Cowboys trading for Atlanta Falcons’ do-it-all star Cordarrelle Patterson:
“If the Cowboys were to add Patterson, he could seamlessly fit into their plans offensively. As a runner, he has excellent vision from the backfield and has a knack for squeezing into the tightest creases to find space in the running game. As a pass catcher, Mike McCarthy can devise several ways to involve him thanks to prior experience as a wide receiver. Patterson is also a good third-down running back because he is an adequate pass protector…
Patterson could serve as an insurance policy for Tony Pollard if something were to go wrong, and also he could lighten the load for KaVontae Turpin if Turpin does take on a more prominent role in the scheme of the Cowboys.
As for compensation and how much it would take to acquire Patterson, it should be minimal. The Cowboys traded low draft capital to acquire two starters: Brandin Cooks and Stephon Gilmore. Undoubtedly, the compensation to acquire Patterson will be even less. Though still productive, Patterson is an older player, and the Falcons are running back rich now.”
Patterson is known as one of the greatest special team returners of all-time, with four First-Team All-Pro nods and as many Pro Bowl selections. On top of that, he was named to the 2010s All-Decade Team as a kick returner.
But Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith found a way to fully unlock Patterson’s potential in the 2021 season. Along with his elite production as a returner, Patterson put up 1,116 yards of offense (618 rushing, 548 receiving) and 11 touchdowns from scrimmage.
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Atlanta has 1,000-yard rusher Tyler Allgeier on their roster as well as Bijan Robinson, whom GM Terry Fontenot selected with the No. 8 pick. Patterson is definitely expendable in Atlanta, and he would certainly be an intriguing fit in Dallas’ high-powered offense.
If Atlanta is indeed willing to trade Patterson, the Cowboys should see if they can acquire him at the right price.
