Will Darren McFadden Return As The Starter?

[KJJ]

and again I don't think McFadden is the same back AP is but having said that I still see no ring on Peterson finger no matter how many yards he has. Minn for the most part has not been a successful team. I'm all for getting a draft pick mid rd to bring in I'm sure has hell not in favor of paying out some big contract for a RB. As much as I liked Murray I did not want to see Dallas forking for 8 mill and even with Murray without Romo this team was going no where since after all he is not Peterson either. No matter how you cut it losing the QB and getting bad play from the other QB hurt the Cowboys and made defending the run a lot easier. Buffalo thought so much cassle they cut him after 1 game, what he did in the past was minimal and with age he is gotten worse.

As good as the OL is it does not matter if defense knows they do not have to worry much about the passing game they can lock down on the RB as once again as bad as McFadden did at least in your mind he was still the 4th leading rusher despite the fact he did not start until game 6 of the season and still ended up outrushing more every back in the league except for AP, Doug Martin, and Todd Gurley

As for McFadden starting again I think he should go out and earn it not be handed the job.

McFadden is an average back I want to see better than an average runner behind our OL because the back matters!

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Given what he accomplished this season, he'll be a split-starter with another back during the '16 season.

I don't care how many "War & Peace" length posts I see, I know that McFadden is more than an average back... I'm more concerned with his durability than I am his talent level.

 

[KJJ]

I find it pretty amusing that Murray was being chastised by many here for gaining a franchise record 1845 yards and 13 TD's while McFadden is being glorified for gaining 700 fewer yards and 10 fewer TD's with many wanting him back as the starter.

 

[Doomsday101]

McFadden is an average back I want to see better than an average runner behind our OL because the back matters!

I have no issue with that, bring someone in let them compete but I'm not going to dog the guy. I was not predicting 1,500 yards but in my view without Romo or a decent QB we were not going anywhere

 

[Chuck 54]

If you look at the history of our team..

we never do anything pre-emptive.

We wait for the wheels to fall off then we do something.

It's the way we run the team.

Of course we are going to perpetuate the RB by committee thing.

And it will fail like it always has.

Next question.

We had no more running back by committee this year than we have any other year. Randall failed, and after DMac took over, there was no committee. He was the man. Like Emmitt, he was given a series or two break during the game, nothing more.

Even if Dunbar is full strength and used as a receiver, etc., that's still not running back by committee. That's situation football.

DMac will be the lead dog. Someone will spell him, and Dunbar may be a change of pace option. If a rookie starts to light it up, that player will gradually eat into his carries and then replace him. That's still not RB by committee.

 

[CCBoy]

Before that can be answered wouldn't the question be for how much? What will be the asking price by Miller? are we talking the same money Murray got? As for Forte how much does he have left and what kind of contract?

Obviously, price would be a determinant for anyone picked up in free agency. My question was is it thought that either of these possible candidates would solidly improve the current projections for position.

 

[Doomsday101]

Obviously, price would be a determinant for anyone picked up in free agency. My question was is it thought that either of these possible candidates would solidly improve the current projections for position.

Maybe so, hard to say. Great thing about this place is we all deal in the hypothetical but the reality is given how this season played out with Romo injury we likely miss the playoffs any ways. Right now I would be more inclined to look to the 3rd rd of the draft I think there are several prospect who I think could be very productive RB's

 

[KJJ]

I have no issue with that, bring someone in let them compete but I'm not going to dog the guy. I was not predicting 1,500 yards but in my view without Romo or a decent QB we were not going anywhere

I'm not dogging him just pointing out the fact that he's an average back and the Cowboys signed him to an incentive based contract with a small signing bonus that points to him being an average back. He couldn't even beat out Randle who may have ended up with more yards had he not been injured and released due to off the field issues.

I'm fine with McFadden as part of a rotation but he's not a carry the load stud and is unlikely to stay healthy for another full season. Naturally we're not going anywhere without a good QB but without a consistent running game that can move the chains in short yardage situations that could lead to problems for even a solid QB and we've seen that over the years.

 

[CCBoy]

Maybe so, hard to say. Great thing about this place is we all deal in the hypothetical but the reality is given how this season played out with Romo injury we likely miss the playoffs any ways. Right now I would be more inclined to look to the 3rd rd of the draft I think there are several prospect who I think could be very productive RB's

Dallas will have a last place schedule, and are in a pretty weak NFC East. That should be enough, with some real health, to give them a very solid chance to enter next year's playoffs. I think what is done this off season, will tell just exactly what Jerry and his family are really thinking about the future of the Dallas Cowboys.

I like Forte, myself.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I find it pretty amusing that Murray was being chastised by many here for gaining a franchise record 1845 yards and 13 TD's while McFadden is being glorified for gaining 700 fewer yards and 10 fewer TD's with many wanting him back as the starter.

The thing that bothers me every time you state the 700 fewer yard thing is that you never acknowledge the difference in the number of carries.

Not doing that it screams "Agenda".

Secondly you never acknowledge the ****** season Murray had this season behind a Philly OL that has two darn-good offensive tackles and a very good center. It's not like he was playing behind "chopped liver." He also had a much better QB to work with for most of the season.

There was no guarantee that Murray's '15 season was going to be anywhere close to his '14 season. And history tells us that most backs do that perform well the season after toting the pigskin 400+ times.

And he didn't. I'd like you to acknowledge that he wasn't very good.

I won't press you to acknowledge that he avoided contact on occasion even though it has been well documented.

If you can provide some sort of evidence that would show Murray would have out-performed McFadden in '15 I would like to see it.

 

[Doomsday101]

I'm not dogging him just pointing out the fact that he's an average back and the Cowboys signed him to an incentive based contract with a small signing bonus that points to him being an average back. He couldn't even beat out Randle who may have ended up with more yards had he not been injured and released due to off the field issues.

I'm fine with McFadden as part of a rotation but he's not a carry the load stud and is unlikely to stay healthy for another full season. Naturally we're not going anywhere without a good QB but without a consistent running game that can move the chains in short yardage situations that could lead to problems for even a solid QB and we've seen that over the years.

As for who carries the load? As I continue to say I will leave it up to those on the field not opinions on a message board. I have no issue with a player beating other player out and winning the job. I think guys go into camp penciled in as starters and from there they compete and fight it out where it counts on the field.

 

[KJJ]

The thing that bothers me every time you state the 700 fewer yard thing is that you never acknowledge the difference in the number of carries.

But not doing that it screams "Agenda".

Secondly you never acknowledge the ****ty season Murray had this season behind a Philly OL that has two darn-good offensive tackles and a very good center. It's not like he was playing behind "chopped liver." He also had a much better QB to work with for most of the season.

There was no guarantee that Murray's '15 season was going to be anywhere close to his '14 season. And history tells us that most backs do that perform well the season after toting the pigskin 400+ times.

And he wasn't. I'd like you have you acknowledge that he wasn't very good.

I won't press you to acknowledge that he avoided contact on occasion even though it has been well documented.

If you can provide some sort of evidence that would show Murray would have out-performed McFadden in '15 I would like to see it.

I brought up the difference in carries earlier in the thread saying the reason Murray got so many carries was because he was producing and the Cowboys weren't having to play from behind nearly as much in 2014. McFadden got far fewer carries because he didn't win the starting job which reduced his carries earlier in the season and the team was getting behind and he wasn't consistent week to week. McFadden didn't produce much in the critical games with most of his production coming when the Cowboys were pretty much done. You obviously haven't been following my discussions I talked about Murray's bad season in Philly and everyone knows it was due to a poor fit in Kelly's offense that ended up getting him fired.

Murray was being fazed out later in the season he only got just over 40 snaps and I'm talking SNAPS not carries in Philly's last few games. The zone scheme didn't fit him but the Cowboys power scheme was a perfect for his skills. The only evidence I need to show that if Murray stayed healthy he would have out produced McFadden in Dallas in 2015 is to go back and review Murray's history with the team. He was producing before our great OL was even built. While it was in transition in 2011 he put up a franchise record 253 yards.

Despite missing 2 games in 2013 he rushed for 1121 yards and 9 TD's. Murray wouldn't have produced another 1800 yards in Dallas but there's no doubt in my mind he could have produced at least 1300 yards and 8-9 TD's with the team and QBs we had in 2015. Even as poor a fit as he was in Philly and with the lack of opportunities he got he still produced 702 yards rushing and 6 TD's which was twice as many TD's as McFadden had. Murray also had more catches and only 6 fewer receiving yards than McFadden.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Murray wouldn't have produced another 1800 yards in Dallas but there's no doubt in my mind he could have produced at least 1300 yards and 8-9 TD's with the team and QBs we had in 2015. Even as poor a fit as he was in Philly and with the lack of opportunities he got he still produced 702 yards rushing and 6 TD's which was twice as many TD's as McFadden had. Murray also had more catches and only 6 fewer receiving yards than McFadden.

There's doubt in my mind.

I remain unconvinced.

 

[KJJ]

There's doubt in my mind.

I remain unconvinced.

Wasn't trying to convince you you're not going to convince anyone here. McFadden got the amount of carries and yards you would expect from an average back. An elite runner behind our OL would be special.

 

[Doomsday101]

Wasn't trying to convince you you're not going to convince anyone here. McFadden got the amount of carries and yards you would expect from an average back. An elite runner behind our OL would be special.

I will agree he is not an elite RB then again their are not many who are elite and the ones who are elite are making a lot more than Dallas is going to pay.

 

[KJJ]

I will agree he is not an elite RB then again their are not many who are elite and the ones who are elite are making a lot more than Dallas is going to pay.

All I can say to not wanting to pay a back if Jerry had felt the same way in 93 when Emmitt was holding out and allowed him to walk he would only have one championship instead of the dynasty that dominated the 90s with 3 Lombardi's.

 

[percyhoward]

Percy, would you take Matt Forte or Lamar Miller in free agency?

As others have said, at the right price, sure. But I don't think we're going to spend much on a RB after the season McFadden had. I'm still looking at a mid-rounder who can catch, pass protect, fits the scheme, and has no injury history or OTF issues. I think QB should be the focus of this draft, if the value is there.

 

[Doomsday101]

All I can say to not wanting to pay a back if Jerry had felt the same way in 93 when Emmitt was holding out and allowed him to walk Jerry would only have one championship instead of the dynasty that dominated the 90s with 3 Lombardi's.

True but then the salary cap was not implemented until 2004

 

[CCBoy]

As others have said, at the right price, sure. But I don't think we're going to spend much on a RB after the season McFadden had. I'm still looking at a mid-rounder who can catch, pass protect, fits the scheme, and has no injury history or OTF issues. I think QB should be the focus of this draft, if the value is there.

So, functionally, this is a farewell hoorah to Tony Romo...this team is not close to where Carolina or Denver both were.

 

[Doomsday101]

So, functionally, this is a farewell hoorah to Tony Romo...this team is not close to where Carolina or Denver both were.

True but then Carolina was not close in 2014 to what they did in 2015. They were 7-8-1 in 2014