Are the Dallas Cowboys frustrated with Darren McFadden being injured so soon, absolutely. Hamstring injuries are possibly the most annoying injuries coaches have to deal with. The return time for every hamstring injury varies with its severity and the player himself. McFadden has been dealing with injuries his entire career so while this is not shocking it is not what the Cowboys wanted when they signed him optimistically.
Now the running backs in training camp have to take his reps, for potential starters Joseph Randle and Lance Dunbar this could be a bit much however the two undrafted free agents on the roster should use this time to shine. Lache Seastrunk and Gus Johnson have impressed in practice and both look like they can bring some depth to this running back system. They however are still rookies and not workhorse backs, it seems relatively impossible to find a workhorse back at this stage in the offseason.
Around the third and fourth preseason game however that is when teams make most of their cuts, so look for the Cowboys to be paying close attention to the running backs that are let go. They may be a low tier caliber of player but some can have substantial upside such as, Antone Smith from the Falcons or Bryce Brown/Anthony Dixon from the Bills, Ronnie Hillman from the Broncos, or Bernard Pierce from the Jaguars.
If the Eagles cut Darren Sproles imagine the vengeful thoughts in the minds of the Cowboy's brass when they could pick up such a talented running back from such a hated rival. The Cowboys could also trade for a suitable running back who is not the starter. Guys who have been unseated by new draft picks like Tre Mason from the Rams, Branden Oliver from the Chargers, or Khiry Robinson from the Saints.
The Cowboys could also just focus on the free agent pool that is active now with players such as Chris Johnson or Pierre Thomas. Steven Jackson is a little bit of a reach for me considering he is well over 30 and pretty slow at this stage in his career. CJ2K is an underrated running back who averaged over 1,000 yards every season with the Titans and only fell 400 short when he was with the Jets. There are plenty of answers to the Cowboy's running back woes however the Cowboys need to pick the right player for their scheme.
