It seems like the Dallas Cowboy's run game has been one of the biggest questions this offseason. Since losing the league's leading rusher to their conference rival, it seems as though Dallas has done next to nothing about replacing DeMarco Murray. While there has been much speculation around the league as to what Dallas' plan is, Owner and GM Jerry Jones has outright said that he feels that this year's core of running backs can be better than last year's group.
Looking at the actual moves this offseason for the run game, Dallas has made one move that seems to have made sense: signing Darren McFadden from the Raiders. The former first rounder was supposed to be one of the answers for the Raider's downward spiral in the NFL. Since entering the league in 2008, McFadden has only had one season where he has reached over 1,000 yards. Another interesting fact is that this past season was McFadden's first season to play all 16 games in the regular season.
But with only 534 yards to show for this past season, what makes the Cowboys think he could be the solution to losing the OPOY? While it could just be the owner's diehard love of former Arkansas players, Dallas may be looking to do what most of the NFL is looking at: a duel running back system.
In the past few years, it has been an idea for some teams without a workhorse back to use a duel system. In the past, we have seen groups such as C.J Spiller with Fred Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, and Ryan Matthews with Danny Woodhead. In each of these duos, one of them is known for getting hurt upon occasion. With a duel system, it puts less work on one guy to do it all. Dallas may look to use the duel system with McFadden and Randle, a 3rd year out of Oklahoma State.
While teams like Seattle and Green Bay have some of the NFL's top backs in the league, and rarely have to switch out, the duel back is still as system that can work. For now. Without a Lacy or Lynch at the Cowboy's disposal, it looked as though Dallas would address that problem in the draft.
With Dallas having the 27th pick in this past year's draft, it was hard to guess where they would go with having lost Murray, but also having many holes to fill on defense. With the top two backs, Gurley and Gordon, off the board before the halfway mark, Dallas was smart not to gamble on one of the other backs so early. This is also due to the fact that through many scouting reports, none of the players ranked below Gurley and Gordon were seen as possible workhorse backs.
Now there has been talks about Dallas trading for the highly coveted Adrian Peterson, but the Vikings seem to be looking for more than just the offer of a 2016 First-Round Pick. Don't look for Peterson to be dawning the blue and white anytime soon.
There has been some other speculation of one other player to add to the core. This information has just hit recently. The Bear's Running Back Matt Forte is looking for a trade.
After the signing of Jacquizz Rodgers in free-agency, along with drafting Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona) and Kendall Langford (Michigan State) over the past two years, it looks as though the Bears may be closing the door on the vet. With Forte hitting the trading block earlier today, it will be interesting to see how Dallas, along with other teams, react to the action.
All of the speculation aside, staying with the backs available to them right now, it is hard to see how Dallas can win with this host of backs. Granted, having signed LSU OT La'el Collins, and having what some may call the best offensive line in NFL History, we will just have to wait and see if McFadden can be the running back people expected him to be after being picked fourth overall in 2008.
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