The Dallas Cowboys likely will have Joseph Randle as the starter for the regular season over Darren McFadden, but both running backs could be out for the next preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers and that could leave Gus Johnson and Lance Dunbar as the main starters for the matchup for Tony Romo on offense.
Randle and McFadden have both dealt with injuries at various points this summer and according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Randle "aggravated an oblique injury" in practice. Charean Williams reports that Randle is doubtful for the game against the 49ers and likely will be held out if he does not show progress on Friday. The Cowboys have been confident that Randle and McFadden along with Dunbar can replace what DeMarco Murray did last season.
The offensive line is returning and while they are dealing with some injuries, the starters are expected to be ready for the season opener. The Cowboys felt comfortable letting Murray go knowing they had such a strong offensive line in place and now Randle is getting the chance to be the number one running back. McFadden was signed in the offseason and the Cowboys added Johnson to the mix over signing a notable named running back like Pierre Thomas or Ray Rice.
McFadden is coming in after staying healthy for a full season for the first time with the Raiders and he is hoping to do that again for the Cowboys. McFadden is dealing with a hamstring issue and he also could be out for the game against the 49ers, according to Pro Football Talk. Johnson dealt with a shoulder injury following the first preseason game and as long as there are not issues with that injury, Johnson should start again. Early reports had the shoulder as a "day-to-day" injury, according to ESPN Dallas.
Johnson had 35 yards rushing and a touchdown on 13 carries before he had to leave with an injury in the last preseason game. Lache Seastrunk is also on the roster, but he is not expected to be in the mix on the running back depth chart. Johnson is battling with Dunbar to stick around at the number three position and according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, it could come down to fumbling.
Williams reports that Dunbar has had some fumbling issues this summer and if that continues, Johnson could beat out Dunbar to play behind McFadden and Randle. Dunbar comes in after rushing for 99 yards last season and he added 18 catches out of the backfield for 217 yards. The Cowboys have high expectations for Randle, as he doubled his rookie season output with over 340 rushing yards and he had a career best three touchdowns last season and played in all 16 games, averaging 6.7 yards per carry on 51 carries.
The Cowboys think that Randle can be a playmaker for Tony Romo and that he can handle the bulk of what Murray did last season. McFadden doesn't even have to be great to be successful in Dallas, he just has to stay healthy and do his job. McFadden has shown that he can catch passes out of the backfield and last season he added 36 for over 200 yards, his most since 2012.
