IRVING, Texas – The Cowboys added a new name to their running back competition Sunday by trading for Seattle's Christine Michael.
Dallas will surrender a conditional 2016 draft pick for Michael, who was a second-round draft pick in 2013 and has been fighting for playing time behind Seahawks All-Pro Marshawn Lynch.
It was long suspected that the Cowboys might try to address the running back position after the league's deadline to meet the 53-man roster limit on Saturday. The trade gives them four running backs and a fullback on the current roster, as they kept Joe Randle, Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and Tyler Clutts at the deadline.
To make room for Michael on the 53-man roster, the Cowboys released defensive end Lavar Edwards, who made the initial cut on Saturday. That roster move brings the Cowboys down to 10 men on their defensive line. They released Ben Gardner and Efe Obada on Saturday, in addition to Edwards on Sunday.
Fans in Texas should be familiar with Michael from his four-year career at Texas A&M. He racked up 2,791 career rushing yards and 34 touchdowns in college, before Seattle drafted him No. 62 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Michael appeared in 14 games during his two seasons with the Seahawks, carrying the ball 52 total times for 254 yards – an average of 4.9 yards per carry. The Seahawks' decision to sign veteran running back Fred Jackson earlier this week made Michael a likely candidate for trade conversations.
During the 2015 preseason, the Beaumont, Texas, native carried the ball 32 times for 118 yards. His best games came at the tail end of the exhibition season, when he carried seven times for 37 yards in the third preseason game against San Diego, and then eight times for 39 yards in the preseason finale against Oakland.
