News: Weakest running back groups: Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots

[Zman5]

Yes our RBs are unproven and that's why we keep seeing articles like this.

Ridiculous thing is, had we drafted one of the top 2 RBs this year, no one would question our RB situation even though the rookie would have had 0 NFL game experience.

 

[dallasdave]

Hell no! Little Debbie is every Marine's dream Dave.. Once a week, when we were in the field they would bring the Gee-dunk trailer out to us. "Gee-dunk is Marinese for Junk Food trailer and Little Debbie was always well represented. Debbie Downer is her alter-ego. I use it sensitively in response to certain people who refuse to budge on any form of optimism regarding our beloved Dallas Cowboys, without using their name. It's my way of getting my point across without harshly saying what I want to say, and what should be said. A release of my tension if you will, without starting a fight.

So I guess everyone likes to eat Little Debbie.

 

[dallasdave]

Hell no! Little Debbie is every Marine's dream Dave.. Once a week, when we were in the field they would bring the Gee-dunk trailer out to us. "Gee-dunk is Marinese for Junk Food trailer and Little Debbie was always well represented. Debbie Downer is her alter-ego. I use it sensitively in response to certain people who refuse to budge on any form of optimism regarding our beloved Dallas Cowboys, without using their name. It's my way of getting my point across without harshly saying what I want to say, and what should be said. A release of my tension if you will, without starting a fight.

Hey, no Debbie Downer here, I think the Cowboys are going to win the Super Bowl this year, right at home in Texas !!!

 

[mattjames2010]

I wonder how they'll classify the Eagles' running back group after Demarco and Ryan Matthews are habitually put on the injury report and miss multiple games.

We'll still be worse off when both Ryan Williams and McFadden don't even make it out of camp.

 

[Bullflop]

Verses the alternative of having no committee and using a bell cow who only played a full season for the first time in his career because he was willing to play a week after breaking his hand?

Give me the cheap committee and spend the money on guys like the kraken.

On the other hand, they could have drafted a RB and gotten by cheaply, if that's to be your objective.

 

[sideon]

The only think we are missing in any of our RB's IMO is that battling ram type. Demarco was that. That's the only reason I am worried. Dunbar and Randle may run for a 90 yard TD, but can they knock that LB on his back on 3rd and 3?

Have you not seen McFadden hit?

 

[mattjames2010]

Have you not seen McFadden hit?

Not really the same.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

On the other hand, they could have drafted a RB and gotten by cheaply, if that's to be your objective.

Personally my objective is to not reach in the draft for marginal talent at a fungible position.

 

[PhillyCowboysFan]

It can be a bit dangerous to look at Murray last year and assume his success was all due to the OL.

Murray averaged more per carry in 2011 (5.5) and 2013 (5.2) with much less talented Dallas OLs than he did last year (4.7).

If the OL was the primary contributor to Murray's success, why did his ypc decline vs earlier in his career?

I sure hope your not suggesting his average is coming down because of the offensive line?
It's funny how you ask that question but the running game is more effective than ever before.

First, Murray's 2011 5.5 average is inflated because of the Ram's game. The Rams were the worst in run defense and at tackling that year. Or just remove the one 91 yard run in that game and his average is now 4.6. By the way, Murray did not even come within a hundred yards of that game for the rest of the year.

I also see you left out Murray's 2012 season when he averaged 4.1
But to answer your question on why is his average is coming down from earlier in his career. Is it because of the number of rushing attempts which has increased and will wear a running back down. Or is it because of play calling? Or a combination of both.
It is so much easier to run when your play calling is predominantly passing and your opponent is game planning for that.

Here are the Murray years in play calling;
2011 - Pass 58.3 / Run 41.7
2012 - Pass 64.9 / Run 35.1
2013 - Pass 63.5 / Run 36.5
2014 - Pass 48.3 / Run 51.7

Now let's look at the 2014 year. The Cowboys ran 52% of the time. You knew it, I knew it and the opponents knew it. The Cowboys faced more 8-man fronts than any other team did last but they still gave Murray 850 yards before being touched! That was the most yards ever since they have started calculating that stat!
Yah it's the offensive lines fault Murray's average has come down.

 

[Redball Express]

And yes a good player - Camp or Cap Cut could be brought in.

Or a trade.

We have a bumper crop of OL and can't keep them all.

Trade for a RB and lets not find out in week 6

'Houston we have a problem'

Is Trent Richardson still a FA?

 

[Bullflop]

Personally my objective is to not reach in the draft for marginal talent at a fungible position.

That's cool. I'm not satisfied with questionable talent that has already proven to be very injury prone. To be totally honest, neither scenario is ideal. There are many ways to "skin a cat." Unfortunately, most of them have pitfalls.

 

[CrownCowboy]

We'll still be worse off when both Ryan Williams and McFadden don't even make it out of camp.

If we are, it won't be by much.

 

[Irvin88_4life]

It can be a bit dangerous to look at Murray last year and assume his success was all due to the OL.

Murray averaged more per carry in 2011 (5.5) and 2013 (5.2) with much less talented Dallas OLs than he did last year (4.7).

If the OL was the primary contributor to Murray's success, why did his ypc decline vs earlier in his career?

Because he touched the ball 400 times this year. Just like Randle won't average 7.4 with more carries

 

[jnday]

Yes our RBs are unproven and that's why we keep seeing articles like this.

Ridiculous thing is, had we drafted one of the top 2 RBs this year, no one would question our RB situation even though the rookie would have had 0 NFL game experience.

But the rookie would have talent.

 

[sideon]

Not really the same.

He's also very good at pass blocking, why are people acting like Murray was some immovable object when it came to blocking? He whiffed on a number of plays.

 

[mattjames2010]

He's also very good at pass blocking, why are people acting like Murray was some immovable object when it came to blocking? He whiffed on a number of plays.

While also giving us over 1,800 yards rushing and 500 yards in receiving. I'll take his bad blocking (Still something no one has really looked into all that much) since he was beasting in both running and receiving.

And you kinda went off-topic. Who you replied to stated having an RB that can get the short yards for us and knocking over defenders, you then post a link showing McFadden hitting a defender illegally. Just wasn't the same. I mean, I'm sure there is a highlight out there that shows McFadden at one point knocking over a defender on a run, that just wasn't it.

And really, I don't care how good McFadden's blocking is because he'll most likely be sitting on the bench for 6-8 games due to a hammy injury or his ankles will get blown out at some point.

 

[mattjames2010]

If we are, it won't be by much.

Even after losing Mathews and Murray, they'd still have Sproles that fits their scheme well.

We can criticize the Eagles all we want here, but they at least have depth at the RB position. We can talk about our RBBC approach this year, then look at the Eagles who will be doing the same, and I'll say now they made the necessary moves to make that work and we didn't.

 

[CrownCowboy]

Even after losing Mathews and Murray, they'd still have Sproles that fits their scheme well.

We can criticize the Eagles all we want here, but they at least have depth at the RB position. We can talk about our RBBC approach this year, then look at the Eagles who will be doing the same, and I'll say now they made the necessary moves to make that work and we didn't.

Lol. You have no idea if it will work or not in Philadelphia with what they have.

The top two rbs on their depth chart have an extensive history of injury, but go ahead and and keep assuming that they'll stay healthy all year like the mediots are doing.

I'll take our situation with our young, talented offensive line over their college style high turnover crap any day of the week a definitely on Sundays.

 

[Zman5]

But the rookie would have talent.

Maybe. Maybe not. They probably thought Trent Richardson had talent. Key thing is no one knows how these rookies will turn out. Just like we really don't know how our current RBs will do this year.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Murray behind this line doesn't compare to what he did last season.

Maybe he doesn't match last season's totals, but the team did offer Murray $6 million a season............which would have put Murray in the top 5 salaries of RBs in the NFL...................so the team obviously viewed Murray as a top 5 back himself, not just a product of the offensive line.


Its like I said from day 1....................if Randle and McFadden can do just as good a job as Murray, why did they offer Murray $6 million a season to stay? If Murray's production was mainly due to the offensive line opening up huge holes, why was the team going to pay Murray top 5 money in that case?

See, these two facts have never been answered in this whole RB debate. I really don't care which side anybody is on, but can somebody please answer the question of why the team was willing to pay Murray "top 5 RB money" to stay in Dallas if his production was mainly due to the offensive line. (keep in mind also that other than McFadden, all the other RBs currently on the roster were on the roster when Murray was offered $6 million a season).