Is it time to stop the running back by committee approach?

[Coogiguy03]

Is it asking too much to just name one starter, and give them 15+ carries in a game?? For right now, it would be Rico, sprinkle in Hunter to give him a break. This using 3+ different running backs isn't working. Please give your thoughts

 

[DallasEast]

When the powers that be believe the running back by committee depth chart (link) is:

--headed by the guy discarded for salary cap consideration by Dallas and was a backup in New England, the answer is duh.

 

[big dog cowboy]

This using 3+ different running backs isn't working.

That's not the problem.

 

[CowboysRule]

That's not the problem.

I think it's part of the problem. Dowdle should be the starter. You can bring in Luepke on 3rd downs since they seem to enjoy that, and use Elliott in short yardage situations. I don't see the need to randomly rotate in Vaughn and just randomly swap out the backs constantly. It makes no sense to me.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Running back by committee isn't an issue, most teams use multiple backs. The issue is that the backs we have really aren't that good. How many of these guys even make most other rosters coming out of camp?

 

[DeaconMoss]

Is it asking too much to just name one starter, and give them 15+ carries in a game?? For right now, it would be Rico, sprinkle in Hunter to give him a break. This using 3+ different running backs isn't working. Please give your thoughts

OL isn't making any running room. See Javonte Williams, Breece Hall and Dandre Swift for comparison. Cowboys stable isn't great but the OL makes RB's shine. Until the Dallas OL gets better there won't be much shine.

 

[John813]

From what I watched, Miami last year ran a successful RBBC. They had the power in Jeff Wilson/Brooks and then the shifty speedy backs in Mostert and Achane.
This year, they let Connor Williams and Robert Hunt walk and replaced them with hope and dreams.
Still got the same backs, and Wright-who looks to be good, but the line is ***.

RBBC isn't the issue with the run game. It's the talent of the running backs and a mix of growing pain with rookies and the decline of Martin. Every back on the team IMO isn't that good/there's not much variation between the backs.
They all are around the same speed/talent level.

Doesn't mean the team needs to draft a RB high, but at the same time, ignoring the position completely and re-signing Zeke & Rico wasn't the answer for a better chance at an effective run game.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I think it's part of the problem. Dowdle should be the starter. You can bring in Luepke on 3rd downs since they seem to enjoy that, and use Elliott in short yardage situations. I don't see the need to randomly rotate in Vaughn and just randomly swap out the backs constantly. It makes no sense to me.

You're right Dowdle should be the starter and just get the bulk of the carries, but he still isnt very good in terms of starting caliber NFL RBs. Our top guy is a rotational guy on most teams. Our rotational guys are mostly practice squad guys on other teams with Luepke probably with the best chance of latching on with a team that still carries a fullback.

 

[CowboysRule]

You're right Dowdle should be the starter and just get the bulk of the carries, but he still isnt very good in terms of starting caliber NFL RBs. Our top guy is a rotational guy on most teams. Our rotational guys are mostly practice squad guys on other teams with Luepke probably with the best chance of latching on with a team that still carries a fullback.

Oh yeah, it's still going to suck either way, but you got to try to do the best with what you have.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Oh yeah, it's still going to suck either way, but you got to try to do the best with what you have.

No argument there, the only bad decision to me is electing to make the same mistakes over and over.

 

[kskboys]

Is it asking too much to just name one starter, and give them 15+ carries in a game?? For right now, it would be Rico, sprinkle in Hunter to give him a break. This using 3+ different running backs isn't working. Please give your thoughts

It never has worked. RBBC is only used when a team lacks a good starter. No one chooses to use this strategy, it's only used by necessity.

I found it absolutely amazing that fans are thinking that RBBC is a good thing. A good RB tandem is usually the best, but both have to be starter quality.

 

[Coogiguy03]

That's not the problem.

the problem is "we need to fire the coach!" lol

 

[kskboys]

From what I watched, Miami last year ran a successful RBBC. They had the power in Jeff Wilson/Brooks and then the shifty speedy backs in Mostert and Achane.
This year, they let Connor Williams and Robert Hunt walk and replaced them with hope and dreams.
Still got the same backs, and Wright-who looks to be good, but the line is ***.

RBBC isn't the issue with the run game. It's the talent of the running backs and a mix of growing pain with rookies and the decline of Martin. Every back on the team IMO isn't that good/there's not much variation between the backs.
They all are around the same speed/talent level.

Doesn't mean the team needs to draft a RB high, but at the same time, ignoring the position completely and re-signing Zeke & Rico wasn't the answer for a better chance at an effective run game.

RBBC is only used on a team that has a lack of talent there.

MIA used a tandem RB system, not RBBC. Wilson had 41 total carries last season. Brooks was depth.

 

[kskboys]

the problem is "we need to fire the coach!" lol

You mean the GM. Desperately.

 

[Coogiguy03]

I think it's part of the problem. Dowdle should be the starter. You can bring in Luepke on 3rd downs since they seem to enjoy that, and use Elliott in short yardage situations. I don't see the need to randomly rotate in Vaughn and just randomly swap out the backs constantly. It makes no sense to me.

hey we got him on the roster we might as well use him, I could see if they had something planned for him besides running right up the middle

 

[Coogiguy03]

You mean the GM. Desperately.

No it's the coach big dog gets is hot rocks off talking about firing the coach, I was just trying to make him smile lol. You're right though, that's where it all starts

 

[kskboys]

I think it's part of the problem. Dowdle should be the starter. You can bring in Luepke on 3rd downs since they seem to enjoy that, and use Elliott in short yardage situations. I don't see the need to randomly rotate in Vaughn and just randomly swap out the backs constantly. It makes no sense to me.

And Dowdle is not NFL starter quality.

Wish we'd have kept Freeman, he was prolly the best RB on the roster. And no, that is not a good thing.

 

[kskboys]

Running back by committee isn't an issue, most teams use multiple backs. The issue is that the backs we have really aren't that good. How many of these guys even make most other rosters coming out of camp?

RBBC is the issue simply because we don't have a starter on the roster. Teams only use more than 2 RB's prolifically because they don't have 2 good backs.

 

[exciter]

I don’t think it matters who is the RB. You could install the top five backs in the league and it might garner you an extra 1/10th of a yard average. This is what the run game looks like in McCathy’s pass to run west coast offense. It averaged around 3.8-4 ypc in GB, same as here and as long as it’s hovering around there they’re happy with it. If they were interested in establishing a dominant run game then they would had gone back to the outside zone which is a much better fit for most of our current personnel.
Everyone was banging on the tables wanting to go to a west coast offense for years. Welcome to the run game in McCarthy’s west coast!
It’s the scheme, in this scheme the emphasis in the running game is to run, to run out the clock after building a lead from the passing game!

 

[DeaconMoss]

It never has worked. RBBC is only used when a team lacks a good starter. No one chooses to use this strategy, it's only used by necessity.

I found it absolutely amazing that fans are thinking that RBBC is a good thing. A good RB tandem is usually the best, but both have to be starter quality.

Corey Dillon in 2004 was the only 1000+ yard rusher for New England under BB and Brady when they won the Bowl. RBBC works really well if you have lots of things... well you know that Dallas doesn't have......