IRVING, Texas -- The Cowboys wasted no time addressing their running back vacancy on Tuesday, as they signed rookie Trey Williams off of Washington's practice squad.
The roster move comes just hours after they released former starter Joseph Randle, leaving them with just two experienced ball carriers on the roster.
Williams signed with the Redskins as an undrafted free agent back in May, and he was signed to their practice squad after final roster cuts. The Texas A&M product calls Lance Dunbar to mind, given his small stature. He measures up at just 5-7, 195 pounds, and he clocked a 4.45 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
Despite that small stature, he enjoyed a fairly productive career for Texas A&M. His seven rushing touchdowns in 2014 led the Aggies, and he finished second on the team with 81 carries for 560 yards. All told, he carried the ball 83 times for 1,343 yards and 18 touchdowns during a three-year career in College Station.
What makes Williams particularly interesting for the Cowboys is his abilities as a kick returner. He has obviously yet to play in a regular season NFL game, but he was a primary return man in college, returning 70 career kicks for an average of 24.1 yards per attempt.
NFL rules stipulate that, since the Cowboys poached Williams off another team's practice squad, he must remain on the 53-man roster for at least three weeks. That gives Dallas a total of four running backs, with Williams rounding out the depth chart behind Darren McFadden, Christine Michael and Rod Smith.
