As you might have heard, the Cowboys backfield will have a new look in 2013.
The team let former first round pick Felix Jones depart in free agency and brought in Oklahoma State product Joseph Randle via a fifth round pick, presumably to serve as the primary backup for DeMarco Murray. Behind them are Lance Dunbar and Phillip Tanner, and while Tanner was pretty much lost in the shuffle in 2012, he’s hoping to at least remain in the mix moving forward.
With this in mind, Tanner showed up to offseason workouts slimmer and, he says, quicker than he was a year ago.
“I feel a lot better,” Tanner said, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I worked a lot on my quickness and explosiveness. I lost a little weight and leaned up a little bit. I’m able to see things and hit the hole without hesitating. Coming in and working hard every day, working with the offensive line and jelling with my team is the big thing.”
Tanner finished 2012 with just 25 carries, 66 yards and no touchdowns, this in a year where Dallas went six games without the aforementioned Murray. That said, the coaches have been encouraged by what they’ve seen from Tanner thus far.
“From what I’ve seen so far, he looks like he’s in great shape,” running backs coach Gary Brown said. “He’s studying. He knows what he’s doing and not making any mental errors.”
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