Great Take On Cowboys Run Game

[Doomsday101]

Randle better get ready to eat then. Thus far he has he has avg 3 carries a game through out his 1st 2 season. He has an OL and QB no reason he should not have a big year.

 

[JoeKing]

It's so easy to criticize from the perspective of hindsight. Nit picking Murray's season last year seems a bit absurd considering he set a team record for rushing and won NFL offensive POTY. To double down on the boneheaded comment Randle made is ridiculous until he has a better season.

 

[AbeBeta]

That MMBQ article had interesting pieces on the OL. Smith is not great technically. Leary is good when he's aggressive. Fred is perfect technically. Martin has some flaws but they are correctable. Parnell ain't worth what he got. Wish they'd have analyzed Free too.

 

[Doomsday101]

It's so easy to criticize from the perspective of hindsight. Nit picking Murray's season last year seems a bit absurd considering he set a team record for rushing and won NFL offensive POTY. To double down on the boneheaded comment Randle made is ridiculous until he has a better season.

I don't even mind what Randle said, I just expect him to know go out there and do it. No excuses.

 

[JoeKing]

I don't even mind what Randle said, I just expect him to know go out there and do it. No excuses.

Agreed! Kick butt and take names or be gone.

 

[Doomsday101]

Agreed! Kick butt and take names or be gone.

I hope he does, Dallas needs to continue the ability to run a balanced offense. if Randle can step up and do the job I will be thrilled. Heck I liked the pick when Dallas took him. I saw a lot of him at OSU so I'm not anti Randle as some may think. I just have some reservations about him both on and off the field.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I hope he does, Dallas needs to continue the ability to run a balanced offense. if Randle can step up and do the job I will be thrilled. Heck I liked the pick when Dallas took him. I saw a lot of him at OSU so I'm not anti Randle as some may think. I just have some reservations about him both on and off the field.

I think we all do. It's only natural but at some point, the Cowboys have to give him a shot and see what he can really be. No sense in drafting a back high if you have a guy who can be your starter. He's a bone head IMO but he's earned the shot at proving he can be a starter. Now, he just has to do it.

 

[Nightman]

I hope he does, Dallas needs to continue the ability to run a balanced offense. if Randle can step up and do the job I will be thrilled. Heck I liked the pick when Dallas took him. I saw a lot of him at OSU so I'm not anti Randle as some may think. I just have some reservations about him both on and off the field.

He better have some sizzle because I don't think he has enough meat on his bones to be the lead back all year.

If he can play like JCharles I will be surprised and ecstatic.

I don't think we can count on getting anything substantial from DMC or RWilliams.

 

[Bullflop]

1. Randle is the only one saying he could have done better than murray.
2.Murray was the starter and ever team stays with the starter unless they cant play, I call it "starter mentality"
3. Murray had a record breaking start to the season, and was leading rusher all year, so he had to be the main back each week.

I think JG should have gave randall the Jag game , the chicago game, and colt game, just to see what he could do as starter, and
rest murray those games. Then we would now know how good randle would be.

Once Murray left Dallas, there were one or two suggesting Randle might do better but they were saying so in the sense that 'all would be OK and there's nothing to be concerned about.' Anyhow, the main source of my being "somewhat mistified" was mainly due to the fact that he could easily have been used more, as opposed to being used so very sparingly.

As another poster pointed out, there may have been a reason that the staff saw fit not to divulge their reasoning for the great disparity. In view of the success Murray had, it really didn't bother me, however, and I'm doubtful if it bothered anyone. DeMarco did great, whether "meat was left on the bone" or not.

Be that as it may, Murray did himself proud and the disparity in carries certainly wasn't something outrageous or anything of the sort. The staff wanted to make the most of his success. If you've got a big gun, you're likely to use it generously. Still, I couldn't help but feel it might have been even more productive if Randle had been utilized a little more than he was. Our offense surely didn't suffer for the way it was handled, though.

I'm quite sure Randall will enjoy much success, whether he manages to come anywhere near what Murray did or not. Realistically, it's pretty doubtful even DeMarco, himself, could duplicate what he did last year. It was an amazing feat, to be sure.

 

[Doomsday101]

I think we all do. It's only natural but at some point, the Cowboys have to give him a shot and see what he can really be. No sense in drafting a back high if you have a guy who can be your starter. He's a bone head IMO but he's earned the shot at proving he can be a starter. Now, he just has to do it.

I would not have been opposed to drafting a guy like a Gurley. Randle is a 5th rd pick who was a good college player. Gurley was a great college player. Not upset with the picks we got was a bit disappointed we did not get a RB in the draft. However not one to pout about it. Randle along with the other RB will compete and my hope is one can become a lead RB. I mention a RB who can be around 200 carries for the season (12 carries a game) and produce at a very good level. After all not just looking to replace Murray I'm looking to replace the production

 

[Doomsday101]

He better have some sizzle because I don't think he has enough meat on his bones to be the lead back all year.

If he can play like JCharles I will be surprised and ecstatic.

I don't think we can count on getting anything substantial from DMC or RWilliams.

Well then you likely will not be surprised or ecstatic. Myself I just want to see someone can step in as a primary back and be a good consistent runner as well as a blocker and work out of the back field in the passing game. I really do not want to see backs who only come in for 1 thing after all kind of defeats the purpose if the defense knows what you are doing based on the players entering the game.

 

[Stash]

I think we all do. It's only natural but at some point, the Cowboys have to give him a shot and see what he can really be. No sense in drafting a back high if you have a guy who can be your starter. He's a bone head IMO but he's earned the shot at proving he can be a starter. Now, he just has to do it.

I agree with you, but at the same time, it's tough to make him 'the guy' if you can't trust him not to be stupid.

I hope he runs with it, but there's that part based on his past history that makes you worry.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I would not have been opposed to drafting a guy like a Gurley. Randle is a 5th rd pick who was a good college player. Gurley was a great college player. Not upset with the picks we got was a bit disappointed we did not get a RB in the draft. However not one to pout about it. Randle along with the other RB will compete and my hope is one can become a lead RB. I mention a RB who can be around 200 carries for the season (12 carries a game) and produce at a very good level. After all not just looking to replace Murray I'm looking to replace the production

I would not have been against that either but the opportunity to take Gurley was never there. Same with Gordan and Yeldon. I think that 2nd round pick was probably where we might have been targeting a back but the chance to take Gregory was too good to pass on. I think from then on, it was probably a question of talent evaluation and what the team believed they were worth. Would have been nice to have gotten a guy like that but it just didn't happen this year.

 

[Alexander]

If a player has a great understanding of things like leverage, then they don't have rickety technique.

Is there another report anywhere indicating that Tyron has poor technique?

Most of the complaints about Smith's technique were pre-draft or earlier in his career, but LeCharles Bentley for example cited that he had poor technique in his set up which made him susceptible to bull rushes. I am sure there are still some remnants of that which he is polishing up.

All in all, if a seasoned OL coach mentioned he has some technical flaws but he more than makes up for it with his other tools, why would you take exception to that?

He did not say he was not a great player, just noted the technical piece and the way he more than compensates for it. The writer coined his observation as "rickety", never a direct quote either.

It is nitpicking, mainly because you probably don't want to accept his assessment of Parnell either.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I agree with you, but at the same time, it's tough to make him 'the guy' if you can't trust him not to be stupid.

I hope he runs with it, but there's that part based on his past history that makes you worry.

I think that's part of the "Earn it" part. He has to earn the starting job and part of that is being smart enough to know what stupid is and avoid it.

 

[Doomsday101]

I would not have been against that either but the opportunity to take Gurley was never there. Same with Gordan and Yeldon. I think that 2nd round pick was probably where we might have been targeting a back but the chance to take Gregory was too good to pass on. I think from then on, it was probably a question of talent evaluation and what the team believed they were worth. Would have been nice to have gotten a guy like that but it just didn't happen this year.

I agree completely with you on that. I still expect Dallas will look to bring others in to compete.

 

[Stash]

I think that's part of the "Earn it" part. He has to earn the starting job and part of that is being smart enough to know what stupid is and avoid it.

Yeah, but there's also the factor of getting to the regular season. Say we roll with Randle as our lead running back. He's earned it all through training camp and the preseason. Then, suddenly, after running for 150 yards and 2 TD's in week 2, you read Monday morning he's been arrested again. At that point, the die has been cast and you're effectively stuck with what you've got.

In my mind, no matter how you slice it, he's a risk.

But don't get me wrong, I hope for the best. I hope he gets it together, realizes the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him, and seizes it. Works out great for him, the Cowboys, and us.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I agree completely with you on that. I still expect Dallas will look to bring others in to compete.

I think that's very possible as we get closer to the end of TC. If we feel like we don't have what we need, we will be signing somebody. As I posted earlier, FA backs are usually signed early in Free Agency (for the top guys) or late into TC. I expect that this is how it will play out if the team decides we need more. At this point, there really is no need to sign anybody. The guys out there are probably not the answer or they would already be signed and the guys who will be available have not been let go yet. The good thing is that because so many backs were drafted this year, it's likely that there will be a few guys get cut who can play. The down side is that they will probably be more expensive but it is what it is.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Yeah, but there's also the factor of getting to the regular season. Say we roll with Randle as our lead running back. He's earned it all through training camp and the preseason. Then, suddenly, after running for 150 yards and 2 TD's in week 2, you read Monday morning he's been arrested again. At that point, the die has been cast and you're effectively stuck with what you've got.

In my mind, no matter how you slice it, he's a risk.

But don't get me wrong, I hope for the best. I hope he gets it together, realizes the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him, and seizes it. Works out great for him, the Cowboys, and us.

I understand that but honestly, in todays NFL, that could happen to any player. It sucks but that's what the NFL is today. That's one thing that you had to like about Murray. He was a guy who you knew would not be stupid.

 

[Stash]

I understand that but honestly, in todays NFL, that could happen to any player. It sucks but that's what the NFL is today. That's one thing that you had to like about Murray. He was a guy who you knew would not be stupid.

Yeah, it's a chance you take. We're taking it with Hardy, we're taking it with Gregory, we're taking it with Rolando McClain.

We're also taking one with McFadden from an injury perspective (and rolling snake-eyes at the moment).

We can all say whatever we want about Murray, but the guy was a professional in every sense of the word and has his head screwed on straight. Too bad more of the examples he had around him hasn't completely rubbed off on Randle.

Hopefully this year.