Arizona’s decision to waive the former third-round pick sparks a roster dilemma as Dallas weighs explosive potential against mounting injuries within a crowded, competitive backfield.
Off-the-couch running back Malik Davis had his moment against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving last year.
Forty-three yards. One touchdown. And another reason for the Dallas Cowboys to wonder whether they already had their change-of-pace option behind Javonte Williams.
Then-rookie Jaydon Blue exited the doghouse and got his chance five weeks later.
His first NFL touchdown came against the New York Giants, part of a season-high 64-yard rushing performance that gave Dallas another possibility.
Today, both are still here, each having spent the preseason making the Cowboys' internal decision more difficult.
And suddenly, along comes an external option that might create another decision.
The Arizona Cardinals waived Trey Benson with an injury designation Monday, moving on from the former third-round pick less than three years after selecting him No. 66 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
If Benson eventually becomes available for Dallas to pursue, there is plenty to like.
He has rushed for 451 yards on 92 carries through two NFL seasons, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. Last season, Benson took 29 carries for 160 yards in four games.
That's 5.5 yards per carry.
Pretty intriguing ... until you get to the injuries.
An ankle injury cut Benson's rookie season short. A knee injury limited him to four games in 2025. Now, that knee remains an issue, as Arizona has waived him with an injury designation.
So ... he might be "damaged goods.''
Additionally, the Cowboys might not need another running back at all.
Davis rushed seven times for 39 yards in the preseason opener against Seattle. Israel Abanikanda added 36 yards on seven carries.
Against Arizona, Davis followed with 29 yards on five carries and an eight-yard touchdown reception. Blue led Dallas with 75 yards on 15 carries.
Even Phil Mafah got involved, scoring on a 15-yard run on his only carry.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer has called it a "deep room."
He isn't kidding.
Davis and Blue have received much of the attention, but Mafah and Abanikanda give Dallas two more options fighting for work behind Williams.
Adding Benson wouldn't just make that room deeper. It would make it more crowded ... and it would tell us that Schottenheimer's praise for "the room'' has been bogus all along.
As Cowboys insider Mike Fisher reminds us, Benson was a major consideration for Dallas in that 2024 Draft; indeed, he was a 30-Visits guy at The Star.
Oh, and Dallas coordinator Klayton Adams was on the Arizona staff when Benson was drafted there.
"But,'' Fish adds, "that 'yards-per-carry' thing isn't Benson's big number that makes the odds on his success pretty low. The big numbers are that last year he missed 12 games ... and that he was already playing behind James Conner for an Arizona team that - with him already on the roster - re-signed Conner, signed Atlanta's Tyler Allgeier and drafted Jeremiyah Love third overall.
"What does that tell you as to the opinion on Benson from the team that knows him best?''
Benson is still just 24, and at 6-0 and 224, he can fly. But Fish makes a point about the Cardinals' roster; in addition to Conner, Allgeier and Love, Corey Kiner and Bam Knight are also still employed.
So they dumped Benson and kept Corey Kiner and Bam Knight?
We understand the attraction here on the part of Cowboys Nation. Benson seems like a shiny new toy. But he's not as "shiny'' - or as deserving - as Malik Davis.
Take a flier on Benson? As of this writing, we don't hear any buzz from inside The Star there.
But count on Benson as being better than what Dallas already has at running back? His track record makes that seem like a mistake.
