The Cowboys let DeMarco Murray walk in free agency, and replaced him with only a possibly washed-up Darren McFadden. They didn't add anyone in the draft, and their in-house options (Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle, Ryan Williams) can be politely described as unproven.
But the team says it's going to be committed to running the ball this season, possibly with a committee. Though it has taken a step back in the backfield, its offensive line should be better than ever. Everyone is back from last year, and Dallas just added La'El Collins in free agency.
Collins was a first-round talent who went undrafted due to a legal situation which cropped up just prior to the draft; he was being questioned -- though not considered a suspect -- in the murder of an ex-girlfriend. Now he's under contract with a team that had probably the league's best offensive line even before signing Collins. That's some quality depth.
At running back, it's reasonable to make McFadden the favorite to start, just as it's reasonable to assume somebody else will start some games during the season (maybe even September). Executive VP Stephen Jones floated the committee idea in his interview with the Dallas Morning News.
The Cowboys, said Jones, “may end up being more efficient and more explosive by doing our running back by committee rather than putting so much pressure on one back.”
It's going to make for an interesting situation in fantasy drafts this summer, with a variety of candidates to be starters and fantasy stars. It also might be a situation to avoid, if the committee talk proves valid.
But these things have a way of working out, with one running back shining and ending up getting the majority of the carries. Definitely something to monitor closely this summer, because once somebody earns a lead-dog role in the backfield, that will be a productive fantasy player. He'll be running behind a really good offensive line.
--Andy Richardson
