Archer: Cowboys position breakdown - RBs

Cotton

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Cowboys position breakdown: RBs
January, 27, 2015

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

Cowboys reporter Todd Archer breaks down the Cowboys, position by position, analyzing what the players did in 2014, what they can do in the future and what the team can do to improve the position in 2015.

Under contract: Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar, Ryan Williams
Free agents: DeMarco Murray, Tyler Clutts

A look back: In a word, Murray was phenomenal. The Cowboys wanted to be a physical team and Murray allowed that to happen. He led the NFL in rushing with 1,845 yards, setting a single-season franchise record. He also scored 13 touchdowns and opened the season with eight straight 100-yard games.

He was helped by three first-round picks on the offensive line, but he also saved his best season for a contract season. And he played in every game for the first time in his career, working through a broken left hand that required surgery.

When the MVP and offensive player of the year awards are announced later this week, Murray should be in the conversation.

Because Murray was so good, the Cowboys did not give Randle or Dunbar much work. Randle, however, managed to average 6.7 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns on 51 carries. He had runs of 38, 40 and 65 yards. He ran hard and his pace was different than Murray's and caught defenses off guard. Dunbar did a decent job as a third-down back. His opportunities will be lacking just because of the depth of the Cowboys' offense but he has a good feel for setting up screens.

Clutts didn't have a carry during the season and caught just one pass in the regular season. He added his first touchdown in the playoffs. Williams' comeback from injuries was a good story in training camp and he spent the year on the practice squad.

A look ahead: What happens to Murray will be the story of the Cowboys' offseason. Do the Cowboys pay him a nice reward or do they let him walk as a free agent? Depending on the day, hour, minute that answer can change.

Murray has value to the Cowboys for more than just his ability to run the ball. Finding how to come to a financial agreement with all those things considered will be difficult. It won't be impossible. The Cowboys can certainly afford Murray, Dez Bryant and make plays in free agency with their salary cap. If they don't keep Murray, it will be a decision that they don't want to overpay for a running back.

If that happens, then Randle will get a chance to prove he can be effective as a full-time back. There are those at Valley Ranch who believe he can be a 1,400-yard rusher, but they also acknowledge there is more to the position than running the ball.

Clutts could be brought back at a decent price as well.

A look out: If Murray walks, then the Cowboys would figure to be players in the running back market. While everybody wants to connect the dots between the Cowboys and Adrian Peterson, who remains under contract with the Minnesota Vikings, the cost of business with a running back will be a factor. Peterson won't come at a discount and the Cowboys would have already passed on keeping Murray because they didn't want to fork over a lot of cap space to a running back.

The draft would figure to be the more logical spot. Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon looks to be a good fit for what the Cowboys want to do in the running game and with the 27th pick in the draft, they might be in a good spot to get value. There will be other runners that will gain attention between now and May as well.

Remember, Murray was a third-round pick.
 

ravidubey

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If that happens, then Randle will get a chance to prove he can be effective as a full-time back. There are those at Valley Ranch who believe he can be a 1,400-yard rusher, but they also acknowledge there is more to the position than running the ball.

Fuck me.
 

Cowboysrock55

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If that happens, then Randle will get a chance to prove he can be effective as a full-time back. There are those at Valley Ranch who believe he can be a 1,400-yard rusher, but they also acknowledge there is more to the position than running the ball.
:towel

This does point to the real reason why our team probably didn't give him more carries this past year. I don't think it had anything to do with his running ability which he showed was very good. It had to do with their ability to trust him in blitz pickup.
 

ravidubey

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:towel

This does point to the real reason why our team probably didn't give him more carries this past year. I don't think it had anything to do with his running ability which he showed was very good. It had to do with their ability to trust him in blitz pickup.
If a guy can't catch or block he's just not our guy. You don't develop those skills easily over time. Usually a RB has the right blocking instinct or he doesn't. Emmitt Smith was a master of it. I only wish they threw the ball to him more by design. Emmitt would have wrought some serious havoc as a non-checkdown out of the backfield receiver.
 

Carp

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Does it concern anyone that the success Wisconsin backs have in college does not translate to the pros?
 

Clay_Allison

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If a guy can't catch or block he's just not our guy. You don't develop those skills easily over time. Usually a RB has the right blocking instinct or he doesn't. Emmitt Smith was a master of it. I only wish they threw the ball to him more by design. Emmitt would have wrought some serious havoc as a non-checkdown out of the backfield receiver.
I don't think that's always the case, a lot of backs come into the league sucking at blitz pickup because they just weren't asked to do it in college. Sure, if a guy is retarded he won't learn, but you can coach people up to be better at blocking and run better routes.
 

Clay_Allison

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Am I the only guy who still thinks Williams is a better potential starter than Randle?
 

Carp

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Am I the only guy who still thinks Williams is a better potential starter than Randle?
Probably not, but Randle is not well liked around here for whatever reason. I would prefer Randle to Williams though.
 

Clay_Allison

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Probably not, but Randle is not well liked around here for whatever reason. I would prefer Randle to Williams though.
I don't hate Randle. I see him as a guy whose role could definitely increase, but I really liked what I saw from Williams in preseason.
 

Carp

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I don't hate Randle. I see him as a guy whose role could definitely increase, but I really liked what I saw from Williams in preseason.
I guess the question is though...why did he not make the team over Randle and Dunbar? Maybe they are a pet cat and draft pick, but this coaching staff does not seem to play favorites.
 

Clay_Allison

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I guess the question is though...why did he not make the team over Randle and Dunbar? Maybe they are a pet cat and draft pick, but this coaching staff does not seem to play favorites.
I think special teams, mainly. Also they had this whole "special role" planned for Dunbar, that didn't end up happening because Dunbar sucks dick. We resigned Williams to a 2 year deal, I think the organization has plans for him.
 

Cowboysrock55

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If a guy can't catch or block he's just not our guy. You don't develop those skills easily over time. Usually a RB has the right blocking instinct or he doesn't. Emmitt Smith was a master of it. I only wish they threw the ball to him more by design. Emmitt would have wrought some serious havoc as a non-checkdown out of the backfield receiver.
I've seen no reason to believe he can't catch.

I think the one thing we are really talking about is blitz pickup. I'm not sure that Randle has ever really had much of an opportunity to prove his ability to pick up a blitz. He certainly has the size and physical ability to do it. There is just a trust factor that goes along with a veteran that isn't always there with a younger player.
 

Clay_Allison

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I've seen no reason to believe he can't catch.

I think the one thing we are really talking about is blitz pickup. I'm not sure that Randle has ever really had much of an opportunity to prove his ability to pick up a blitz. He certainly has the size and physical ability to do it. There is just a trust factor that goes along with a veteran that isn't always there with a younger player.
I really like Randle's potential as a 3rd down back if they can get to where they trust him in blitz pickup. He has the burst to take a draw or an underneath pass for a first down.
 

Jiggyfly

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I've seen no reason to believe he can't catch.

I think the one thing we are really talking about is blitz pickup. I'm not sure that Randle has ever really had much of an opportunity to prove his ability to pick up a blitz. He certainly has the size and physical ability to do it. There is just a trust factor that goes along with a veteran that isn't always there with a younger player.
The real issue was that Murray is elite in pass protection and with Romo's health why risk it to let Randle learn.

Murray's biggest value is his ability to do everything well as RB, when he is on the field the entire playbook is an option.
 

Cowboysrock55

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The real issue was that Murray is elite in pass protection and with Romo's health why risk it to let Randle learn.

Murray's biggest value is his ability to do everything well as RB, when he is on the field the entire playbook is an option.
This is exactly the reason why we didn't see Randle more this season. Had basically nothing to do with Joseph Randle.
 

ravidubey

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I really like Randle's potential as a 3rd down back if they can get to where they trust him in blitz pickup. He has the burst to take a draw or an underneath pass for a first down.
This is where I disagree most. He has this burst in his step for like five minutes after which it's like I'm watching Troy Hambrick circa 2003 where the guy gets insta-tackled.

Lacking both speed (4.63 compared with Murray's 4.41) and power, Randle takes exactly what the OL blocks for him and little to no more. His underwear theft makes me seriously doubt the kid's smarts and common sense.

Randle on paper is a perfect backup in a zone-blocking scheme. He's a decisive, one-cut runner with Murray's exact size. But in practice he doesn't meet the eye-test, no matter what the stats (largely thanks to that huge run vs. Washington) say.
 

Clay_Allison

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This is where I disagree most. He has this burst in his step for like five minutes after which it's like I'm watching Troy Hambrick circa 2003 where the guy gets insta-tackled.

Lacking both speed (4.63 compared with Murray's 4.41) and power, Randle takes exactly what the OL blocks for him and little to no more. His underwear theft makes me seriously doubt the kid's smarts and common sense.

Randle on paper is a perfect backup in a zone-blocking scheme. He's a decisive, one-cut runner with Murray's exact size. But in practice he doesn't meet the eye-test, no matter what the stats (largely thanks to that huge run vs. Washington) say.
On all of his big runs he looked very much to me like he had a second gear once he made his cut and had space in front of him. It's not always about having pure speed, it's about accelerating to top speed quickly.
 
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