The Cowboys' search for their next leading man begins in earnest Tuesday as the team seeks to replace 2014 rushing champion DeMarco Murray, the Dallas Morning News reported.
This much is clear: The Cowboys didn't draft a running back, and they apparently have decided not to pursue Texas native and unhappy Vikings star Adrian Peterson.
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So the first of 12 offseason practices at Valley Ranch is the first opportunity for Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and Ryan Williams to open some eyes before training camp begins in July.
“To me, it’s a good group of backs,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said recently. “At the same time, the New England Patriots won a Super Bowl last year by picking up a running back [LeGarrette Blount] late in the year who was a big contributor in them winning. Player acquisition is 365 days a year.”
That’s why the Cowboys last week worked out veterans Felix Jones, Ben Tate and Daniel Thomas; they might not be done adding to their backfield with camp still two months away.
For now, Randle — a fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2013 and Murray’s top backup last season — is expected to get repetitions with the first-team offense.
Randle was productive in limited chances in 2014, averaging 6.7 yards a carry, but it would be a big leap for him to replicate Murray's 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, a career year that earned him a five-year, $42 million free-agent deal with the Eagles.
Just as concerning if not more so about Randle, he was arrested twice in a four-month span, prompting police investigations involving shoplifting, marijuana possession and domestic violence.
