Joseph Randle Will Be the Breakout Star for the Dallas Cowboys in 2015

Two years sitting in the shadow of one of the league’s top running backs has led Joseph Randle to this: a chance to shine as the Dallas Cowboys’ breakout player in 2015.

Dallas will be without DeMarco Murray—the NFL's leading rusher a year ago and the reigning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year—after he left in free agency this offseason.

The Cowboys offense will now need to fill a void at running back to match what was a top-10 offense in 2014 with the second most rushing yards in the league.

Randle, a third-year back out of Oklahoma State, only boasts 105 carries and 507 rushing yards in his first two seasons. Yet he's been the main backup to the veteran Murray over that time.

This season should be a different story for Randle—the 23-year-old is on pace to become the lead back in Dallas come September, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram.

The Cowboys offense presents an ideal scenario for him to have a huge year.

Three returning Pro Bowlers in tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick and guard Zack Martin combined with pound-the-rock play-calling tendencies of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan would make any running back giddy.

Season	Rushing yds/game	NFL Rank	% of Play Calls	NFL Rank
2014	142.9	2	49.6	3
2013	94.0	25	35.1	29
2012	79.1	31	33.8	31
2011	112.9	17	40.1	23

In his first season controlling the offense in 2014, Linehan created a monster ground attack that ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards per game because of a new dedication to the running game. The Cowboys ran the ball on nearly 50 percent of their plays—a rare characteristic in years earlier.

Linehan recently told KRLD-FM 105.3 that the team's run-heavy strategy is "not going to change" despite the departure of Murray (h/t the Dallas Morning News).

Some might credit the offensive burst to Murray's emergence as one of the league's best backs. Yet the All-Pro had been the go-to rusher in Dallas for three years prior.

Back	YPA
1. Joseph Randle	6.7
2. Darren Sproles	5.8
3. Justin Forsett	5.4
4. Latavius Murray	5.2
5. Lamar Miller	5.1
6. Jeremy Hill	5.1
7. Juwan Thompson	5.0
8. Jamaal Charles	5.0
9. Arian Foster	4.8
10. Jerick McKinnon	4.8

In a backup role, Randle averaged a league-high 6.7 yards per carry in 2014 among backs with at least 50 carries.

ESPN Dallas' Todd Archer suggested Randle could see 15 carries per game this season as the leader of the the Cowboys' committee to replace Murray in the backfield.

Murray only averaged 4.7 yards per attempt last year but made up for it with 392 carries—the seventh-highest in league history and the most in a single season since Larry Johnson's 416 in 2006.

The Dallas Morning News' Tim Cowlishaw even noted that Randle "looks faster" than Murray in the early goings of training camp.

"

You watch Joseph Randle burst through a hole and sprint into the secondary here, and it makes you immediately aware of two things.

One is that this is training camp and the defense is only bumping into backs, not tackling them. So it makes it easier to run like DeMarco Murray.

The second is that Randle just looks faster than DeMarco Murray.

"

If Randle's dominance while at Oklahoma State is any indication, the Cowboys have a top talent who is just waiting to be unleashed on NFL defenses on a full-time basis.

Randle rushed for 3,085 yards and 40 touchdowns as well as 917 receiving yards in his three years in the Big 12 Conference.

Randle's still got it, according to this video posted by NBC Dallas Fort-Worth's Pat Doney.

Veteran back Darren McFadden also could factor into the rushing rotation after signing with Dallas in the offseason. The newcomer had 4,247 yards and 24 touchdowns with the Raiders in Oakland.

Yet, McFadden is notoriously injury-prone, missing 29 games in his first six seasons with 15 different injuries. Heck, he's already injured both hamstrings since signing with the Cowboys in March.

Although the most accomplished back on Dallas' roster, McFadden can't be trusted to last a full season.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently gave Randle his vote of confidence, per the Star-Telegram's Charean Williams.

“We feel that in Randle we have a player who has the potential to be the kind of back that would step in there and be a No. 1 back,” Jones said, per Williams. “If he were not here, then I wouldn’t feel as good as we go into the season about what might happen."

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Randle is winning his position battle during camp so far.

The biggest challenge for Randle might be his obstacles off the field, though.

He was arrested in February for unlawful possession of marijuana and in October 2014 for stealing from a Texas department store—ESPN.com news services wrote in July, paraphrasing the original report from the Dallas Morning News, that the theft charge "could be set aside if he successfully completes probation."

In the new landscape of the NFL, Randle must stay out of any further trouble if he wants to be successful in Dallas.

If he does, though, the third-year back has the path paved for him to be the breakout player many believe he can be in a vaunted Cowboys offense desperate for a lead running back.

You can follow Dan on Twitter. He's an Eagles fan but will most definitely be looking to snag Randle in his fantasy leagues.