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Dallas Cowboys: Joseph Randle was a huge disappointment in 2015

By Nick Ziegler

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The 2015 season has been nothing short of a disaster for the Dallas Cowboys one year after a successful playoff run.

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In 2015, the Cowboys have been without starting quarterback Tony Romo for a majority of the season. Star wide receiver Dez Bryant has also missed a lot of time, and the two injuries have resulted in the Cowboys having a 2-5 record after eight weeks of the season.

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This past offseason, the Cowboys made the difficult call to not re-sign running back DeMarco Murray after he had an MVP-type season. Murray was a huge part of the success of the Cowboys in 2014, as he totaled 1,845 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 57 receptions, and 416 receiving yards.

It was impossible for the Cowboys to replace the production of Murray in the offseason, so they put their faith in his backup running back in 2014, Joseph Randle.

As the backup to Murray in 2014, Randle totaled 343 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and a ridiculous 6.7 yards per carry average. It was obvious that Randle wouldn’t continue to have those numbers as a starter, but the hope was for him to be a solid running back behind a great offensive line.

So far in 2015, Randle has proven to not have what it takes to be a starting running back in the NFL, and his lack of production has hurt the Cowboys. In 2015, Randle has totaled 315 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. In the six games that Randle has played in this season, he only had one good game against the Atlanta Falcons, as he totaled 87 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

In recent weeks, Randle has battled an oblique injury to go along with problems off-the-field, and the Cowboys have said enough is enough for the 23-year-old running back, as they have decided to release him.

With Randle no longer in Dallas, Darren McFadden will continue his role of the past few weeks as the Cowboys’ No.1 running back. McFadden had a very good game against the New York Giants two weeks ago, a he totaled 152 rushing yards with a rushing touchdown.

The main concern about McFadden has to be about his inability to stay on the field, as he is injury-prone. Christine Michael will also now have an expanded role with Randle off of the team, as it’s hard to imagine McFadden lasting long if he keeps getting 20+ touches a game.

It was a risky move to let DeMarco Murray walk in free agency this summer, as even though he hasn’t had the success with the Philadelphia Eagles that he did with the Cowboys, he certainly would have helped them with the absence of Romo and Bryant.

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Randle has a possible suspension looming over his head, which makes the possibility of another team taking a shot on him at this point in the season a big question.

For the Cowboys, their awful 2015 will continue against Murray and the Eagles this coming Sunday.

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