Before spraining his left foot against the Cardinals last weekend, Lance Dunbar was doing a good job of setting himself apart from the other backup running backs on the roster. If there’s a bright side to that injury, it’s probably that Dallas will get a chance to see more of fifth round pick Joseph Randle, and Randle is ready for the increased workload.
“I’m ready to do whatever they ask me to do,” Randle said, per ESPN Dallas. “I’m excited for any opportunity I get, and I’m going to try to make the most of it.”
Thus far, Randle has 102 yards and a touchdown on 29 preseason carries. The part of his game on which he needs improvement--like many rookie runners transitioning from the college game to the pros--is blocking, picking up blitzes and so forth.
“I just think the variety of fronts that you see in the NFL and the different kinds of pressure you see, there’s a lot of communication that goes into identifying who’s who, and that triggers your blocking responsibility,” said Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. “Then the other part of it is just the physical aspect of the game. You have to block these guys. ... Typically most linebackers are pretty good rush guys as well, whether they rush inside or on the edge, so there’s a mental part of it. Typically that comes from just not being exposed to it."
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