The Cowboys have been criticized for coveting the nut job named Johnny Manziel. But it’s becoming more and more apparent that they drafted – and gave a starting job to – an even bigger knucklehead named Joseph Randle.
The former running back, who entered 2015 as the team’s No. 1 option in the wake of DeMarco Murray’s departure to the Eagles, is sadly continuing his downward spiral since leaving football.
Randle was arrested Monday in Irving on an outstanding speeding charge, his fourth time in handcuffs in 18 months.
But while Manziel was recently hunted by Fort Worth police helicopters, Randle’s demise again calls into question the Cowboys’ eye for personnel – and personality. The Cowboys drafted Randle in the 5th round of 2013 and thought so highly of him that – even after an arrest in Frisco for shoplifting and another in Kansas for alleged domestic dispute – they counted on him to be their premier running back.
The first two times he touched the ball against the Falcons in September, Randle ran for 28 and 37 yards for touchdowns. But just five weeks after his 87-yard, three-touchdown performance, he was released by the Cowboys for essentially being a loose cannon.
The Dallas Morning News now reports Randle was released partially because he was illegally gambling on sports. And although he denied the allegations – “no truth at all” – in a text response to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, it’s clear that Randle isn’t ready for life, much less life in the NFL.
After stealing cologne and underwear, Randle cracked jokes in jail. The mother of his child claimed his pointed a gun at her. And now he might have bet on sports while playing in the NFL.
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Another unsightly feather in the Cowboys’ crappy cap of character assessment.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
