Around the NFL

Emmitt Smith thinks Cowboys are fine at running back

Published: May 06, 2015 at 12:40 AM

Kevin Patra

Around the NFL Writer

The Dallas Cowboys famously didn't draft a running back in a deep 2015 NFL Draft at the position after losing DeMarco Murray.

Instead the team will enter the NFL season with a depth chart of runners starting with Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and Ryan Williams.

The Cowboys are comfortable with this. So is their most famous running back: Emmitt Smith.

"Darren McFadden, that is a running back you have to respect. You have to remember he played out in Oakland. Oakland doesn't have what the Cowboys have," Smith said during an interview on KRLD-FM on Tuesday, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Having an offensive line, and a quarterback like Tony Romo, and some receivers, and a system that makes some doggone sense, he can become a better running back in this system.

"And (with backup running back Joseph) Randle, you can have a nice one-two punch. The one thing with McFadden, if he gets some of those running lanes that I saw DeMarco have last year, and it's on -- he can take it to the house."

It's true that the Cowboys own the best offensive line in the NFL. However, let's not dismiss the Oakland Raiders' blockers as riffraff. Blaming McFadden's 3.4 yards per carry last year on the blocking would ignore what players like Latavius Murray, Rashad Jennings and Marcel Reece did behind that same line the past two seasons.

While Smith seems confident that McFadden will have a renaissance behind the Cowboys' O-line, the NFL's all-time rushing leader railed against the notion that any running back can be productive behind good blocking.

"It's disrespectful to all running backs, to be honest with you," Smith said. "You can say arrogant, but it's definitely disrespectful. ... The league has gotten very comfortable with this plug-and-play system. When you have zone blocking, or a system to what the Denver Broncos used to have in the late '90s and early 2000s, they think like that."

Sixteen AFC teams. Four Heroes. Three minutes per team. The latest Around The NFL Podcast breaks down the AFC. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.*

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Related Content

news

Rams LB Ernest Jones 'excited about the challenge without' Aaron Donald

It's altogether unlikely the Los Angeles Rams will ever truly fill the cleats of Aaron Donald – and they certainly cannot be expected to do so in one offseason's worth of time. Nonetheless, Rams veteran linebacker Ernest Jones is eager to attempt it as L.A. gets to work on its first season without the surefire Hall of Fame defensive lineman since 2013.

news

While you were sleeping: Texans QB C.J. Stroud 'was actually asleep' when Stefon Diggs news broke

Unsurprisingly, Texans QB C.J. Stroud is excited about the addition of Stefon Diggs to the WR room: "Just really excited to get to work with him"

news

Raiders' Maxx Crosby healthy again: 'I'm feeling better than I ever have'

Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby told reporters on Monday that he's fully recovered from last year's knee issues and that he's "feeling better than I ever have."

news

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson believes low hits 'something the league needs' to look into

Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson has spent the past five months thinking about the season-ending knee injury he suffered late in the 2023 season. His takeaway: Vulnerable offensive players are not protected the way they need to be.

news

Giants QB Daniel Jones (knee) plans to be ready for training camp

Giants QB Daniel Jones says the plan is to be ready for the start of training camp, as he recovers from a significant knee injury, and believes he's still the best option at QB for New York.

news

Smart Heart Sports Coalition driving change in Year 1

After being founded in March 2023, The Smart Heart Sports Coalition is making significant progress after its first full year with significant changes in laws in several states across the United States of America.

news

CeeDee Lamb not present at start of Cowboys' voluntary offseason workouts

With no extension in sight, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb made himself scarce as the team opened voluntary offseason workouts this week. Lamb is not at the first day of the offseason program on Monday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

news

NFL news roundup: Latest league updates from Monday, April 15

NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown.

news

Eagles sign WR DeVonta Smith to three-year, $75 million extension

The Eagles have exercised DeVonta Smith's fifth-year option and signed the wideout to a new three-year contract extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through the 2028 season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

news

Jets unveil 'Legacy Collection' uniforms, updated primary logo

The Jets on Monday unveiled their new "Legacy Collection" uniforms, which hearken back to the glory days of the "New York Sack Exchange" era of the franchise.

news

Raiders WR Davante Adams rejects trade chatter: 'If I wanted to be gone, I'd be gone by now'

Speaking Sunday at his youth football camp in Las Vegas, Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams told reporters he had no desire to be traded and looks forward to the Antonio Pierce era.

news

Colts agree to two-year, $46 million contract extension with DT DeForest Buckner

The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to a two-year, $46 million contract extension with three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.