The Dallas Cowboys have released their first depth chart of the season and all eyes naturally went to the running back position. This has been a subject of debate for Dallas since they opted to let DeMarco Murray head off to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys replaced him with Darren McFadden before trading for Christine Michael from the Seattle Seahawks. Now, with four running backs more or less healthy on the roster, who is getting the Week 1 nod?
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Joseph Randle's name is sitting on top of the depth chart, but according to team vice president Stephen Jones, that means nothing. There was some debate over who would actually march out first against the New York Giants. The entire rotation has battled injuries since the start of practice while everyone has missed time in the preseason leaving little optimism surrounding the options. However, Jones is very confident the team has the talent in place to get the job done.
"I think all the pieces are there," Jones said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "There's a lot of different ways to be successful in the running game. Obviously, last year, we did it with one back. This year, I see a lot of people contributing to our success."
Fantasy owners beware; the Cowboys are running a "by committee" approach with their run game. They have no intentions of giving anyone the type of workload Murray had last season, maybe because none of their running backs could handle that. Randle has the most experience in the offense, but has never been a leading rusher. McFadden has only played a full season in the NFL once in his career. Michael has also only been a backup along with Lance Dunbar who is still dealing with ankle issues. For an RB2, Randle might be the best option. However, NFL.com is reporting there is belief that by the end of the season Michael will emerge as the best of the bunch.
The Cowboys are hopeful their run game can once again be a compliment to their receiving game. Dez Bryant is expected to be healthy Week 1 after dealing with a hamstring injury during the preseason. The injury could be a blessing in disguise as it gave players like Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley a chance to improve with quarterback Tony Romo. They could end up being solid contributors for the Cowboys this season as the coaching staff praised both players improvement this offseason.