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The Dallas Cowboys were looking for some extra insurance for their injury-prone running backs and found it in the form of former TCU standout Ed Wesley.
An undrafted rookie who slipped through the cracks of the 2012 NFL Supplemental Draft, Wesley has spent the past few weeks waiting for an opportunity. Apparently, the Cowboys were willing to take a flier on the local product.
Throughout his three-year career at TCU, Wesley racked up 2,442 yards and 21 touchdowns on 387 carries. He averaged an impressive 6.3 yards per carry over that three-year span and also hauled in 22 passes, including three for touchdowns.
Still, Wesley doesn’t offer anything particularly exciting from a talent standpoint. Although he was productive during his college career, he doesn’t separate himself in any particular category and lacks the elite quickness that coaches expect from a ball-carrier of his stature. His explosiveness through the hole is commendable, but Wesley isn’t a homerun threat and only possesses average abilities to make defenders miss in the open field.
It’s a longshot that a 5’8’’, 196-pound running back with 4.67 speed can crack a 53-man NFL roster, but the Cowboys needed a fallback plan in the likely instance that either DeMarco Murray or Felix Jones go down with injuries.
Wesley will replace No. 4 running back Darrell Scott, who was waived to make room on the roster for the former Horned Frog. Although many considered him a possible practice squad addition, the Cowboys obviously weren’t as high on Scott and opted to take a peek at what Wesley had to offer.
If he hopes to make the team, Wesley will likely have to beat out No. 3 back Phillip Tanner for a roster spot. The chances of that happening, though, are slim at best.
There’s potential for Wesley to develop into a solid contributor over time. As of right now, though, he’s a project and that’s all.
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