Gus Johnson expected to start at running back for Cowboys on Thursday
Posted by Josh Alper on August 11, 2015, 7:03 AM EDT
The Cowboys shrugged off suggestions that they’d be looking for more help at running back this offseason by saying they were confident in a group that includes Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and Darren McFadden.
They haven’t wavered since the start of training camp, although their confidence would seem a bit more well-founded if any of those three were on the field to finish Monday’s practice. Randle strained an oblique muscle during the session, which left him standing on the sideline with the other two as the workout wrapped up. McFadden hasn’t practiced at all in camp because of a hamstring injury and Dunbar sprained his ankle.
“We’re going to go in here and figure out what we’ve got to do to get it back right so I can get back out here,” Randle said, via the Dallas Morning News.
Randle’s injury isn’t thought to be serious, but the Cowboys play in San Diego Thursday so there isn’t much chance he’ll be on the field for even the limited snaps he was in line to take. That leaves Gus Johnson — an undrafted free agent from Stephen F. Austin rather than the excitable announcer — as the likely starter against the Chargers this week.
Johnson has drawn some good reviews as he’s gotten extra reps in practice and Thursday will give him a chance to open more eyes with a good performance. That would help him in his bid to make the Cowboys and will also put work on tape for other teams to look at if they decide to make a change at running back while the Cowboys stick with their currently injured trio.