I love our draft, but I'm worried about RB. We can feel both things, they aren't mutually exclusive.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I don't see a 4th rounder as some huge investment. For a guy who was in the discussion for the 2nd round, a late 4th is pretty low risk.

I consider two minimum contracts to be about as low risk as possible.

 

[Hoofbite]

I consider two minimum contracts to be about as low risk as possible.

Okay.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

In the base offense, who is going to be your runner? Getting the tough yards that Demarco got last year...that this offense is nearly predicated around.

Ryan Williams? McFadden?

It's not Dunbar, and it's not Randle, we saw the drop off in play between him and Murray.

Randle averaged over 5 yards a carry and had some fantastic long TD. What drop off?

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Okay.

Bad knees didn't stop the team from taking a low risk flyer on Leary or Spencer (time and time again).

Which one is it going to be?

 

[JohnsKey19]

They have enough at RB to effectively run the ball assuming the OL continues to open holes. The biggest concern is blitz pickup and short yardage situations where Murray excelled

 

[Yakuza Rich]

In the base offense, who is going to be your runner? Getting the tough yards that Demarco got last year...that this offense is nearly predicated around.

Ryan Williams? McFadden?

It's not Dunbar, and it's not Randle, we saw the drop off in play between him and Murray.

Randle ran for 6.7 yards per carry. Tough to call that a 'drop-off.'

The issue is more about what pace can Murray sustain and at what price?

If he's running more like a $3 million a year tailback and we were paying him $8 million, that's not as good as if we get McFadden or Randle or Williams to run like a $3 million tailback at a much lower price (McFadden's contract is obviously almost all incentive based).

I think expecting Murray to even run for 1,500 yards, even if he was with the Cowboys this upcoming season, is very optimistic. So I don't think you can assume that Murray was going to get those 'tough yards.'

I'm guessing Randle's job is probably safe because I don't think McFadden or Williams can play ST. It's just a case if he can win the #1 spot or not. Or they may do a little more of a RB by committee thing. It may not be a 50/50 carry thing, but a 60/30/10 between say, Williams/Randle/Dunbar.

The big thing here is I think we have potentially 3 very capable #1 tailbacks in Williams, Randle and McFadden and I think each will get a legitimate chance to win the #1 spot and usually in the NFL, legitimate competition tends to work out positively in the end rather than forcing a starter to continue to start simply because of their contract dictates them having to start.





YR

 

[DC Cowboy]

I don't think it's a case of not being concerned about the RB position.

I think it's more of a case of someone will emerge and they do not need to match Murray's production in order for this to be a good running game.

Still available are:

Steven JacksonRB31ATL TBD
Knowshon MorenoRB27MIA TBD
Chris JohnsonRB29NYJ TBD

None are long term solutions.

But for one season?

Yeah I could see one of those three in here getting 150-200 carries.

Moreno tore his ACL last October so he could very well be ready for training camp.

Jackson averaged 3.7 ypc behind Atlanta's poor offensive line and Chris Johnson averaged 4.3 ypc for the Jets.

I wonder what a Chris Johnson could do behind our Line. Just curious.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I wonder what a Chris Johnson could do behind our Line. Just curious.

Some may say he's "past it" but he average 4.3 YPC behind the Jet's line and it's not like their line was the equal of the Cowboys nor was any defense threatened by the Jets passing game.

 

[DC Cowboy]

don't know why but I have confidence in Randle.

 

[DC Cowboy]

Some may say he's "past it" but he average 4.3 YPC behind the Jet's line and it's not like their line was the equal of the Cowboys nor was any defense threatened by the Jets passing game.

for a vet's min. I would kick the tires, if he is healthy

 

[Craig]

Maybe he can bring that passion back in Dallas who knows. I'm hoping he can. Frankly, its not hoping he can. We need him to.

Thats what I don't like how the Cowboys FO has painted the team into a hole. They are putting a lot of faith into a player that never panned out in the NFL. They selected and a ton of linebackers in the draft and brought some in as free agents. Yet all we did was bring in McFadden and didn't even draft a runningback.

It just doesn't make sense that the biggest need we had on offense is mostly ignored by the FO except with McFadden - which they hope will regain his step by going to Dallas.

It makes sense when you consider that the biggest need on offense is nowhere near the biggest need on...team.

 

[Hoofbite]

Which one is it going to be?

Which what?

The team took low risks on those two. I consider a late 4th round low risk as well.

If you don't, more power to you.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Which what?

The team took low risks on those two. I consider a late 4th round low risk as well.

If you don't, more power to you.

So UDFA is to be equivalent to 4th round in risk taking in your view. It's nonsense but whatever.

 

[Hoofbite]

So UDFA is to be equivalent to 4th round in risk taking in your view. It's nonsense but whatever.

Equivalent?

No, but that doesn't mean it's not low risk.

$3 is more than $1, but that doesn't mean that $3 is a lot of money.

Like I said, if you don't think it's low risk, that's fine. I'm not sure I would define risk the same way you would in that case. I think it's all relative.

I consider Greg Hardy low risk. You may or may not.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

Clearly, RB is the biggest concern moving forward.

That said, I'm super pumped about adding all the talent to defense. Our defense needed talent and we got it in droves. Jones and Gregory are impact players right away, along with Hardy and Lee. We knocked it out of the park with Jones/Gregory.

Wilson might help a little. I think adding a swing tackle was really smart. I'm blah on Russell, but it was the 5th round, so whatever. Still confused why we didn't get a DT like Jerrett or Bennett, but the Cowboys scouts are smarter than me, and they've earned our faith.

Our defense got by on effort and coaching and want-to last year. Now add top shelf talent to that attitude and effort, and whoo boy. The D is gonna be back in Big D.

Still... the reason we won last year was because of a strong running game. I'm not really comfortable rolling with McFadden, Randle, Williams and Dunbar. Still hoping for a trade of some kind (AD, Tre Mason... someone). I'm concerned.

Love the draft, but I'm worried about RB. You don't have to pick sides. You can feel both ways.

That's fair.... they have to show it on the field... fans can tell you that you're supposed to feel one way, but it has to show on the field.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Equivalent?

No, but that doesn't mean it's not low risk.

$3 is more than $1, but that doesn't mean that $3 is a lot of money.

Like I said, if you don't think it's low risk, that's fine. I'm not sure I would define risk the same way you would in that case. I think it's all relative.

I consider Greg Hardy low risk. You may or may not.

'Low risk' is a tag you put on it in your own arbitrary rationalization to conflate the costs. The Cowboys haven't drafted guys with that knee condition. UDFA and minimum salaries are all that they have spent.

 

[mattjames2010]

Randle averaged over 5 yards a carry and had some fantastic long TD. What drop off?

Randle had four impressive games last year, Seattle, Chicago, Commanders, and Jags. Three of those games came when Murray wore down the defense. He also had 50 carries, not hard to have a high average with that amount of carries. Look at the statistics, against Houston he a 2.2 average, against Giants, 3.5 average, against Arizona a 2.0 average, against Philly 3.0 average, against Indy (On 13 carries, his most in a single game) he had a 2.8 average. It's easy to have a high rushing average when you have games where you averaged 17 yards on limited touches.

There certainly was a dropoff between he and Murray, and defenses were far more keyed in on Murray.

 

[Hoofbite]

'Low risk' is a tag you put on it in your own arbitrary rationalization to conflate the costs. The Cowboys haven't drafted guys with that knee condition. UDFA and minimum salaries are all that they have spent.

Oh, so you mean my opinion of "low risk" is..........just my opinion?

Or is this the part where we mindlessly argue over nothing until one of us is too bored to carry on in the discussion?

 

[Kaiser]

don't know why but I have confidence in Randle.

I have a lot of confidence in Randle as the 3rd down RB. He can do very well with 10 carries a game, catching passes and handling his blocking assignments. Plus he plays ST.

But like you, I have no confidence in him as a first stringer getting 25 carries a game.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Randle had four impressive games last year, Seattle, Chicago, Commanders, and Jags. Three of those games came when Murray wore down the defense. He also had 50 carries, not hard to have a high average with that amount of carries. Look at the statistics, against Houston he a 2.2 average, against Giants, 3.5 average, against Arizona a 2.0 average, against Philly 3.0 average, against Indy (On 13 carries, his most in a single game) he had a 2.8 average. It's easy to have a high rushing average when you have games where you averaged 17 yards on limited touches.

There certainly was a dropoff between he and Murray, and defenses were far more keyed in on Murray.

I won't argue that Randle had a much easier chore not having to play the first few series. He ran into 9 man boxes against Indy 13 times but most times got a half dozen or so carries.

He looked very quick getting to the hole where the year before he was sluggish. He improved dramatically in that regard from 2013 to 2014. He can juke in traffic and shake people at the point of attack. He can also cover a lot of open ground laterally with those jump cuts when he gets in the open field or to move across the formation on cutbacks. He's not big but he has very good leg drive and balance to push through contact. He can get low and push piles, run through arm tackles keeping his feet. He still might not have even peaked in terms of physical talent: he doesn't turn 24 until December.

Keeping that type of effort for 200 carries is a whole nother level of challenge than 50 but I am fine with the above for 10+ carries a game and seeing what happens. If he sucks then take him out but he is a pretty good prospect in my view for all his Dillard's robberies.

He is pretty efficient in pass protection but his passing game is pretty much leaking out to the flats or the middle of the field and screens. He has very good hands. Has a lot of room to get better here.

Ideally you would rotate series or situational and have no one get more than 200 carries.

Looked at another way would, where would you rank Randle in this year's draft? I have Gurley, Gordon, and Yeldon as clearly better. That's it.

Where do you put 25 year old Ryan Williams assuming his knee checks out? Is with Ajayi in the 5th? Better than that? Where's Dunbar?

There were two instances where RB were coming at them in Johnson in the third and Davis in the fourth. They did not feel compelled to trade up to get either. They didn't bring in either to visit either. I think you can infer that the Cowboys think that at last some of their current prospects are better than them.