News: DC: With RB Roles Undecided, Ryan Williams Seeks Opportunity To Showcase Skills

[MichaelWinicki]

Personally I think Randle was very good last year - way improved over the season before - with the chances he got. Almost excellent (better than Murray) in fact. Can he keep near that performance with 20 carries a game? No one knows.

I doubt you're going to see any back on the roster, or even another brought in who's going to get 320 carries on the season.

I think the lead guy, whomever it is, is going to average less than 20 carries per game.

 

[Alexander]

I think the lead guy, whomever it is, is going to average less than 20 carries per game.

If that is the case, he is not really the lead guy.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

If that is the case, he is not really the lead guy.

There was only one back last season who averaged 20 or more carries per game.

Lynch
McCoy
Bell
Forte
Morris
Lacey
Gore

All averaged less and are considered "lead guys" on their teams or were so last season.

 

[Alexander]

There was only one back last season who averaged 20 or more carries per game.

Lynch
McCoy
Bell
Forte
Morris
Lacey
Gore

All averaged less and are considered "lead guys" on their teams or were so last season.

In most seasons over the past decade, there have been 3-4 backs who carried the ball 320 times. I would consider them more marquee than "lead guys".

Honestly, if this is going to be a team identifying itself as a run heavy team, that player needs to emerge. I doubt it comes from any of the backs on this roster, but ultimately I think we will end up running the ball significantly less than last year in terms of attempts combined. Garrett is talking big now, but if there is a struggle with chemistry, which has to be considered, he will back off.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

In most seasons over the past decade, there have been 3-4 backs who carried the ball 320 times. I would consider them more marquee than "lead guys".

Honestly, if this is going to be a team identifying itself as a run heavy team, that player needs to emerge. I doubt it comes from any of the backs on this roster, but ultimately I think we will end up running the ball significantly less than last year in terms of attempts combined. Garrett is talking big now, but if there is a struggle with chemistry, which has to be considered, he will back off.

It would be interesting to see what everyone's thoughts are as far as how many carries per game this team will average this season.

And I agree in that I think it will be less than last season. How many less per game? Impossible to say at this point.

Last season the team averaged almost 32 carries per game. If I had to toss a range out there at this point I would say somewhere between 26-30, which would translate into between 416 and 480.

I'm too lazy to look it up but I think they averaged about 21 carries per game in '13.

 

[Alexander]

I'm too lazy to look it up but I think they averaged about 21 carries per game in '13.

It was exactly 21 in 2013. 22 in 2012. 26 in 2011. 27 in 2010. 27 in 2009. 25 in 2008. 26 in 2007. That is Garrett's tenure as a coordinator and head coach. Average that out, you will probably see what Dallas is likely to do, which is around 25 carries a game.

In Parcells' last year, they averaged 29 carries.

 

[Bleu Star]

We made our living last year by having a "marquee guy" carry the rock and work with our run oriented offense to run clock and control virtually every game. We needed that last year due to our mediocre defense. Will we need ball control as much this year? Perhaps not. Or perhaps we do. That remains to be seen based upon how the defense comes together. That all said... to shift the offensive paradigm so heavily after such a successful season just appears very short sighted to me. We finally fed Demarco after teasing him for a couple of previous years and he responded. I don't care how much better our defense can potentially be this year. That ball control offense put teams to sleep... and we need it again this year.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

It was exactly 21 in 2013. 22 in 2012. 26 in 2011. 27 in 2010. 27 in 2009. 25 in 2008. 26 in 2007. That is Garrett's tenure as a coordinator and head coach. Average that out, you will probably see what Dallas is likely to do, which is around 25 carries a game.

In Parcells' last year, they averaged 29 carries.

I think 29 per game is a good number.

 

[Alexander]

I think 29 per game is a good number.

I agree. Get down to 25 and below like has been the norm for Garrett then there really is not the same level of commitment.

Linehan had 23, 26, 26, 28 and 29 in his five years in Detroit, for perspective.

 

[xwalker]

So we have a practice squad guy, a Raider castoff, and an underwear thief all competing for the starting RB job.

Cant say I have much confidence right now in this group to replace Murray.

This is just more of what I call fan-logic. It's the same logic that had people predicting less than 8 wins at this time last year. Fans predicted doom for the defense without Ware and Hatcher. In reality the defense was better.

Most "fans" have not spent 5 minutes studying the game footage of the players in question. Fan-logic dictates that if a player has been in the league for a certain amount of time without great success then that player can't possibly have any value.

 

[Seven]

So we have a practice squad guy, a Raider castoff, and an underwear thief all competing for the starting RB job.

Cant say I have much confidence right now in this group to replace Murray.

Well......maybe if you used terms like athletes, running backs, etc. in lieu of derogatory terms in a feeble effort to bolster your point, there'd be some rational to your perception and/or confidence.

Just sayin'.

 

[Frozen700]

So we have a practice squad guy, a Raider castoff, and an underwear thief all competing for the starting RB job.

Cant say I have much confidence right now in this group to replace Murray.

To replace Murray? I understand if you said this about Shady, Bell, J Charles, AP, Foster ect ect....

But Murray? who is he before last year? What type of elite talent does he hold? Dude is an average running back, with fumbling problems, who happened to play behind a great O-Line last year.

The only thing I can say about Murray is he is good at getting the tough yards.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

So we have a practice squad guy, a Raider castoff, and an underwear thief all competing for the starting RB job.

Cant say I have much confidence right now in this group to replace Murray.

Yeah. How will they ever manage to be injury prone 3 out of the next four years like Murray and then have one great year in there as well? I don't imagine a fan base can be brought to believe that another back is absolutely irreplaceable after 1 really good season out of 4 years.

 

[gimmesix]

Anyone else feel like Dunbar is on the outside looking in right now? I hope Williams gets the chance to run behind this line. He may very well be the most natural runner if he can stay healthy.

I was all for Dunbar getting more opportunities after continually hearing how he was breaking linebackers' ankles in preseason practices with his moves, but either Dallas doesn't understand how to use him or he's just not as effective when the games are full speed. It's possible Dallas will keep four backs, but if not, I think the fact that we don't have a bell cow leaves Dunbar out. Without a bell cow, we can't afford a change-of-pace back because we need all the ones who can stay on the field for full possession that we can get.

 

[dallasdave]

So we have a practice squad guy, a Raider castoff, and an underwear thief all competing for the starting RB job.

Cant say I have much confidence right now in this group to replace Murray.

Hey I wonder if all Cowboys fans will get special offers from Fruit of the Loam ?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

So we have a practice squad guy, a Raider castoff, and an underwear thief all competing for the starting RB job.

Cant say I have much confidence right now in this group to replace Murray.

Well, it may not be a bad thing. I mean, remember back to the early 90s, before we became a powerhouse, our OL consisted of a guy who was originally a DE at LT, a nobody from Florida A&M who was playing RT the year before, an undersized (269 lbs) Center, a cast off from the Raiders at RG and a second year guy with 3 starts to his name from Central State Ohio. Mark Tuinei, Nate Newton, Step, John Gesek and Erik Williams.

You just never know.

 

[DFWJC]

I am not the only one bro, take a look at the threads and you will see this is the majority view.....................Even the Playmaker himself thinks our backs are scrubs.

I think you're part of the very vocal minority in this forum.

My guess is it's 25%

 

[dallasdave]

Well, it may not be a bad thing. I mean, remember back to the early 90s, before we became a powerhouse, our OL consisted of a guy who was originally a DE at LT, a nobody from Florida A&M who was playing RT the year before, an undersized (269 lbs) Center, a cast off from the Raiders ar RG and a second year guy with 3 starts to his name from Central State Ohio. Mark Tuinei, Nate Newton, Step, John Gesek and Erik Williams.

You just never know.

Jimmy had a vision and it came true. Hope this group of Cowboys gives us a team that wins 3 Super Bowls like the 90's Cowboys.

 

[dallasdave]

Funny enough, both Randle and Hunter played at Oklahoma State.

But I'd rather replace our stud Oklahoma RB from last year with the biggest Oklahoma stud RB of them all this year.

Well said indeed, stay thirsty my friend.

 

[dallasdave]

So we have a practice squad guy, a Raider castoff, and an underwear thief all competing for the starting RB job.

Cant say I have much confidence right now in this group to replace Murray.

Love the way you wrote this funny and hits home too.