Vincent Frank
Dallas Cowboys running back Ronald Jones is looking to break camp with the team after signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract during the spring.
Jones, a former second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, may find himself on the outside looking in after this most-recent news.
The NFL announced on Monday that the 25-year-old back has been suspended for the first two games of the regular season for violating its Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) policy.
Jones spent his first four NFL seasons with the Buccaneers, putting up a career-best 978 rushing yards and 1,143 total yards back in 2020. He struggled in 2021 with just 428 yards before spending last season with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Jones played sparingly for Kansas City, tallying 70 yards on 17 attempts in just six games last season.
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Dallas Cowboys depth chart at running back
With just $750,000 of his salary guaranteed for the 2023 season, Jones is not a lock for a spot on the Cowboys’ 53-man roster.
While Dallas did release franchise stalwart Ezekiel Elliott during the spring, it has a nice amount of depth at running back.
A Pro Bowler in 2022, Tony Pollard returns to the ‘Boys on the franchise tag this season. Dallas also has youngsters in that of Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle and rookie Deuce Vaughn. All three have displayed a tremendous amount of upside with Vaughn showing out thus far in Cowboys training camp.
It remains to be seen if Jones’ suspension will cost him a spot on the 53. He’ll still be able to participate in training camp and preseason games, giving the veteran an opportunity to prove himself in the process.
