After owner Jerry Jones said the Dallas Cowboys were going “all-in,” the Cowboys made another free agency signing that didn’t sit well with their fans.
Running back Royce Freeman was signed by the Cowboys to a one-year deal. Freeman will have to compete with fellow running backs Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn for the starting job in 2024.
The Dallas Cowboys are the fifth team Royce Freeman will play for since being drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
In the six years he’s been in the NFL, Freeman has only had over 500 yards one time. His rookie season with the Broncos was his best season. He had 521 yards and five touchdowns. Freeman only managed to find the end zone in two of the other years in which he played in the NFL.
Last year with the Los Angeles Rams was Freeman’s most productive season since 2019. He had 319 yards and scored two touchdowns. It was the first time he scored a touchdown since 2019.
Freeman’s career numbers of 1,792 yards and 10 touchdowns have surpassed in a single season on several occasions.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said they were going “all-in”; The signing of Royce Freeman does not fit that description
One of the main reasons many Dallas Cowboys fans are upset with the signing of Royce Freeman is because owner Jerry Jones made bold claims about the 2024 free agency period.
In an article from Fox Sports, Jones told reporters that he expects to go “all-in” for the 2024 season after a devastating blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Playoffs.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters on Tuesday that he expects to go “all-in” for the 2024 season. He added: “I would say that you will see us this coming year not building for the future. That’s the best way I know how to say it. That ought to answer a lot of questions.”
As free agency continued, Cowboys fans became antsy with expectations. They expected a big-name splash like running back Derrick Henry, but instead, they got linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Not only did the Cowboys not make any big-name signings, but they let key players walk. Offensive tackle Tyron Smith and running back Tony Pollard both left the team in free agency. When combined with the lack of big-name signings, Cowboys fans’ anger has boiled over onto social media.
In any other year, running back Royce Freeman would be a solid depth piece addition in free agency. Now that Dallas Cowboys fans have been anticipating a big-name signing for over a month, the signing of Freeman falls flat.
Fans took to social media to express their disappointment with the organization after hearing of the Freeman signing. Coming off of another first-round loss, many Cowboys fans wanted a massive shakeup in some capacity.
Went from Derrick Henry wanting to be a Cowboy to signing Royce Freeman……. pic.twitter.com/LVtdvVHrQb
— MartinTalkCowboys (@DAK_4_MVP) April 17, 2024
Nothing says all-in like Royce Freeman https://t.co/UFa1EJIYNx
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) April 17, 2024
Royce Freeman
This team is so unserious. pic.twitter.com/poDa0mS49K— D.A. Lee (@TheRealDA_Lee) April 17, 2024
I feel ashamed. Why you ask? Because I have no idea who Royce Freeman is. Never heard of him.
Go Cowboys!— E2️⃣✭ (@elb_red) April 17, 2024
Royce Freeman to the Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys fans: pic.twitter.com/NtY7LGNpPn
— Faceoff Sports Network (@FFfaceoff) April 17, 2024
There are still a few big-name free agents left on the board that could appease the appetite of Dallas fans, but free agency is looking thin compared to what it was just a few weeks ago.
A reunion with running back Ezekiel Elliot was rumored, but that likely won’t occur with the signing of Freeman. Wide receivers Michael Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr., Tyler Boyd and Marques Valdes-Scantling are still available.
Notable defenders like Shaquille Leonard, Calais Campbell, Justin Simmons, Xavien Howard, Jamal Adams and Micah Hyde remain available as well. A lot of these signings are not near what Cowboys fans hoped for in the free agency period of 2024, but the bar has been moved to a lot lower position than what it was in March.
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