Heading into the 2014 season, the Dallas Cowboys were widely considered a fringe playoff contender at best. A 12-win season a postseason victory over the Detroit Lions later, Dallas now finds itself on the shortlist of Super Bowl favorites. However, the Cowboys' renewed vitality does not mean there aren't major questions regarding their roster.
2015 NFL depth chart: Cowboys need to find their starting tailback
Dallas didn’t select a running back in the 2015 NFL Draft. Now it must sort through the depth chart for a starter.
Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
After running for 1,845 yards and winning the NFL rushing crown in 2014, DeMarco Murray left Dallas for an opportunity with NFC East rival Philadelphia. The Cowboys had plenty of opportunities to draft his replacement but instead elected to lean on the players already on their roster along with free agent addition Darren McFadden.
On defense, the Cowboys are still searching for reliable pass rushers. Pressuring the quarterback has proved a challenge since DeMarcus Ware left last offseason. The team signed Greg Hardy this offseason, though the league suspended him for the first 10 games pending appeal. To account for his absence, the team drafted Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory in the second round. The secondary also faces uncertainty with the addition of rookie Byron Jones.
Here are the position battles to watch during training camp:
Running back
No one on the Cowboys' roster can replace Murray by himself. However, the quality of the Dallas offensive line should reduce the drop off. Still, the team is set to rely on McFadden as either the primary or secondary ball carrier, a role he struggled in with the Oakland Raiders over the past few seasons.
Joining McFadden in the backfield are Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle and Ryan Williams. Dunbar has shown some spark in limited carries, but is undersized at 5'8, 191 pounds. Randle has the best set of physical skills, but hasn't shown the vision to consistently produce big gains. Williams is mostly an afterthought after multiple injuries.
Cornerback
Brandon Carr continues to earn a bloated salary, but he can still function capably as a starting corner. Orlando Scandrick expects to serve as the other starter in the base defense, but he kicks inside for nickel and sub packages.
Accordingly, the Cowboys need to figure out which player will take over on the boundary for Scandrick. The top returning option is 2012 No. 6 overall pick Morris Claiborne. Claiborne has struggled since entering the NFL, but he possesses decent size and athleticism and could turn his career around in his fourth season. He’s joined by 2015 first-round pick Byron Jones, one of the most athletic corner prospects to enter the league in years.
Defensive end
Even if Hardy wins his appeal, he will still miss games early in the season. That leaves Jeremy Mincey as the only somewhat-proven pass rusher off the edge in Dallas.
The Cowboys need one of their young players to step up and produce this season. Tyrone Crawford enters his fourth season in Dallas but has yet to produce more than three sacks in a season. Gregory projects as his top competitor for playing time. While he's extremely talented, his weight (235 pounds) makes him a liability against the run. Dallas invested in adding to the position this offseason, but there are still plenty of question marks to open the season.
See More:
