Ryan Williams
- RB
- ,
- 34
- 207 lbs
- 5' 9"
- N/A
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Dallas News
·May 18, 2015 · 12:32 PM EDT
Dallas News
·May 09, 2015 · 10:53 AM EDT
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Cowboys site writer Bryan Broaddus on the team's running back situation:
When practices are open to the media on Wednesday, I believe that you will see Joseph Randle running with the first offense while Darren McFadden, Ryan Williams and Lance Dunbar will serve as the main backups. Randle will get the nod over McFadden for the simple reason that he was the backup to DeMarco Murray last season. McFadden appears to be motivated to take this job, and with the target on Randle’s back, I am wondering if he in fact can hold McFadden off for the job? If you asked me who I felt was the most complete back for the job, I would say that it is McFadden. Randle is talented for the scheme but the question will always be is if he mature enough to not let the pressure of trying to win the job affect how he performs. We will be able to see how serious he really is about the job and responsibility now that DeMarco Murray is no longer in the picture.
McFadden is going ahead of Randle in early drafts, but we view Randle as the better bet. He was highly effective (6.7 YPC) in 2014 and is reportedly showing more maturity after several off-the-field issues. He's not going to see a DeMarco Murray-type workload, but 225-250 carries is feasible if he wins the lead back job.
Cowboys TE Jason Witten said he’s excited to see what Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and Ryan Williams can do with their opportunities behind Dallas’ talented offensive line.
“More than anything it’s competition,” Witten said. “That’s what Coach Garrett has tried to do a good job of bringing in competition and having us compete. That’s a position I think we’re all excited to see where it’ll go.”
When asked specifically about Randle, who was arrested twice in the last year, Witten said he thinks the third-year back has learned from his experiences and “decided to kind of embrace this opportunity.”
“He’s had good workouts,” Witten said. “I could tell he’s focused, he’s locked in. I think he sees the opportunity he has in front of him. I think he wants everybody to have that trust in him that he can be the guy.”
The Cowboys' running back competition will be one of the most closely watched camp battles in the league. Whoever wins the job has RB1 potential running behind the team's talented offensive line. Randle is the most intriguing back in the group given the 6.7 YPC he posted last season. If he can prove he can be trusted (after a host of off the field issues), he could be a breakout player in 2015.
Cowboys RB coach Gary Brown broke down the team's backfield:
Darren McFadden:
“I just admired him from afar, watching him on tape. I think he’s big, strong, incredibly fast, tough guy. He’s buying into our system. He wants to be here. He’s doing everything I ask him to do. I’m looking forward to seeing him in pads. … I’ve been out here watching him run. He looks very fast. We’re just looking forward to seeing him in pads in our system.”
Joseph Randle:
“I think Joe really has to make sure he takes care of everything on and off the field. We want to trust Joe, we like Joe, but we want to make sure he’s going to be with us at all times. I think he’s maturing up and he’s getting better and he understands the opportunity he has in front of him and I think he’ll take full advantage. I think those days are behind him and we’re looking forward to working with Joe. … Just being around him these last few weeks, he seems to be more mature to me. He and I have sat down and had one-on-one conversations about his future and I think he wants to go in the right direction.”
Lance Dunbar:
“I envision [him getting more opportunities]. I think he’s a hell of a football player, we’ve got to try and get him more involved and I think coach Linehan is going to do a great job doing that. … [He didn’t get more carries last season] because I think the run game was so explosive and DeMarco was running so well. It’s just like anything in life, you’ve got a guy who is hot, you want to ride that guy and make sure he gets his touches and I think we did the right thing by getting him his touches. Obviously with, what was it, 1,800 yards and 13, 14 touchdowns, whatever it was, I think we made the right decision.”
Brown later said he might have been premature not also mentioning Ryan Williams with that group.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old McFadden hasn't cracked 3.5 YPC since the 2011 season, when he ran for 614 yards on 113 carries (5.4 YPC) in seven games. That's the rub with McFadden -- fantasy owners haven't been able to count on his durability. He has missed roughly a quarter of his team's games since entering the league. Randle averaged 6.7 YPC behind the Dallas offensive line last season, but has had a host of off-the-field issues. Dunbar is more of a third down back, while Williams is a former second round pick who has been unable to stay healthy. The team has insinuated that it still may trade for a running back or sign a free agent (like Chris Johnson or perhaps Ray Rice), so the backfield is far from settled. McFadden is currently the first Dallas running back off the board in the 7th round.
Dallas Cowboys site writer David Helman on how the team will use OTAs to evaluate the RB corps:
"Ever since the draft ended, we’ve heard the Cowboys say that they aren’t ruling out the possibility of adding another running back before the season. If I had to take an educated guess, I’d say they’re going to use OTAs and minicamp to take a hard look at the guys on the roster. Those practices should give them a better idea of how well they can handle it. If they aren’t confident in those four by the end of OTAs, I bet they’ll go add another guy this summer."
This is just a reminder not to fall in love with any of the current backs (Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar or Ryan Williams) as a clear-cut featured back. The team could pony up and trade for Adrian Peterson or sign a street free agent like Ray Rice or Chris Johnson.
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