Could Joseph Randle Produce For The Cowboys Like DeMarco Murray?

Sep 21, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle (21) is tackled by St. Louis Rams outside linebacker Alec Ogletree (52) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. The Dallas Cowboys defeat the St. Louis Rams 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

But a question answered by DallasCowboys.com analyst and former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus on Tuesday may shed some light on why the Cowboys could still believe in Randle as a runner, but continue to limit his snaps.

According to Pro Football Focus, 6-0, 210 pound Randle has participated in a total of 15 offensive snaps so far this season. Only three of those snaps were pass plays. And that’s not necessarily called pass plays, as we all know Romo has the power to change plays at the line of scrimmage. In contrast, Murray has played 106 pass play snaps. And Lance Dunbar, at 5-8, 195 pounds, has played a total of 19 snaps in pass protection. That’s four more than Randle!

But when the second-year running back has been given the ball, he’s made the most of his limited opportunities. With only 11 carries in the first five games, Randle has rushed for 61 yards. That’s an average of 5.5 yards a carry! With his longest run only being 14 yards so far this season, that average is fairly spot on.

Could Randle produce numbers similar to Murray behind this offensive line? Probably. But until he improves his pass blocking, we’ll never know for sure.

But what do you think? Given the opportunity, could Joseph Randle produce similar numbers to DeMarco Murray? Tell us your answer by participating in the poll question below and leaving your two cents in our comment section.