After a quiet four weeks since their last free agent signing, the Dallas Cowboys made another move Friday afternoon by adding former Chicago Bears Running Back Ryan Nall on a one-year deal.
Cowboys signed former Bears RB Ryan Nall to a one-year contract today, his agent Sam Leaf said. Nall a versatile special teams player who worked out for team last Friday. He played 577 snaps on special teams in Chicago and 95 on offense.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) April 8, 2022
Nall, who went undrafted in 2018, spent his first three seasons with the Bears and has 33 career games under his belt. Stats-wise, Nall has 6 rushes for 12 yards, 9 receptions for 71 yards and 1 touchdown for his career.
While those stats may not sound the prettiest to fans’ ears, based on Dallas Cowboys Reporter Michael Gehlken’s tweet, fans should expect him to contribute more on special teams.
Coming out of Oregon State, Nall drew comparisons to San Francisco 49ers Fullback Kyle Juszczyk because of his big frame and speed, some analysts said he could be viewed as a swiss-army type player for NFL offenses.
Ryan Nall's size and strength are often too much for second and third-level defenders to handle. pic.twitter.com/MRu2MRCLgB
— Jordan Plocher (@PFF_Jordan) March 19, 2018
In an NFL Draft profile breakdown written by PFF analyst Jordan Plocher, he talked about Nall being called the “Wrecking Nall” because of how physical he was during his runs. Additionally, Plocher brought up that some of his best traits at Oregon State were in short-yardage, YAC (yards-after-contact), and the passing game.
In the end, Plocher provided a summary of Nall that said his skillset will attract different football minds, and depending on where he ended up, he could be used in different ways. To put it in perspective, Plocher said that old-school football guys would likely see him as a power runner who could grind out tough yards, and become someone who is paired with a smaller running back.
On the other side, Plocher said that younger, offensive-minded coaches would see him as a fullback or H-back that could be used in the passing game, and given the Cowboys have Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore, it should be interesting to see if Moore can scheme him in certain situations to exploit certain mismatches.
Overall, this is likely just a depth signing, but we could be talking about how much of a weapon Nall is months from now, so buckle up and stay tuned.
